Benazir Bhutto opera production to premiere in USA in 2019

An opera production based on the life and legacy of former Pakistan prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, is set to premiere in the US next year.

This is the first time such a musical based on Bhutto, who was shot dead in 2007, will be taking to the stage. It premieres in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2019.

The production has been led by Emirati-American composer, Mohammed Fairouz and award-winning Pakistani novelist, Mohammed Hanif.

Christopher Hahn, Pittsburgh Opera General Director was cited in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette saying, “The opera focuses on Benazir Bhutto’s extraordinary life and the influences upon her, and the effect that her stand for women and their ability to lead has had on the world stage.”

“Everybody has an opinion about Bhutto. It’s often very personal, very passionate. As a composer you feel compelled to do something — and then you’re like an animal sniffing at truffles trying to uncover why it”s interesting,” shared Fairouz.