The Met Opera returns to LIVE from NYPL for an evening of conversation and performance inspired by the New York premiere of Moby-Dick.

Featuring:

• Jennifer Egan, author of Manhattan Beach


• Jake Heggie, composer


• Gene Scheer, librettist

and more!

Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick was met with mixed reviews and poor sales when it was published in 1851. By 1891, the year Melville died, it had sold fewer than 4,000 copies, drastically underperforming much of his other work. Today the novel is an American classic, and the Library’s Manuscripts and Archives Division holds one of the most important repositories of literary manuscripts and correspondence by and about Melville in the world. This March an adaptation of Moby-Dick by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer will be performed for the first time in New York at the Metropolitan Opera.

Heggie and Scheer will join beloved novelist Jennifer Egan to discuss the novel’s enduring impact and the process of adapting it to the stage. Members of Moby-Dick’s cast will perform selected excerpts from the show. 

Presented in partnership with the Metropolitan Opera.

To join the event in person | Doors will open 45 minutes before the program begins. Purchase a drink from the NYPL bar and a snack from Amy's Bread while you mingle before the event! For LIVE from NYPL events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment; we will do our best to accommodate everyone. Booked seats that have not been claimed will be released shortly before start time, and seats may become available then. A standby line will form 45 minutes before the program.

To join the livestream | A livestream of this event will be available on the NYPL event page. To receive an email reminder shortly in advance of the event, please be sure to register! If you encounter any issues, please join us on NYPL's YouTube channel.

READ MOBY-DICK:

• Borrow: NYPL Catalog


• E-Book app: SimplyE, available on iOS and Android


• Purchase: The Library Shop — proceeds benefit The New York Public Library

READ MANHATTAN BEACH:

• Borrow: NYPL Catalog


• E-Book app: SimplyE, available on iOS and Android


• Purchase: The Library Shop — proceeds benefit The New York Public Library

Don't have a New York Public Library card? Get one here!

If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or suspect you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, please stay home.

ACCESSIBILITY

In-Person | Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue. You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template. This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs. 

Livestream | Captions and a transcript will be provided. Media used over the course of the conversation will be accompanied by alt text and/or audio description. You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.

CONNECT

For questions and inquiries, please email publicprograms@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.

Please submit press inquiries at least 48 hours before the event: email press@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.

The New York Public Library's free services and resources are made possible thanks to the support of the Friends of the Library. Join this group of Library lovers and take advantage of special membership benefits, like invitations to members-only virtual events, discounts at the Library Shop, and more. Join now.

LIVE from NYPL is made possible by the continuing generosity of Celeste Bartos, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos, the Margaret and Herman Sokol Public Education Endowment Fund, and the support of Library patrons and friends.