Last Days, an opera inspired by late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and based on Gus Van Sant’s 2005 movie of the same name, is coming to the United States. The piece debuted back in 2022 at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre in London, UK.
Last Days will be performed for the first time in the U.S. on February 6, at the Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall. The tickets are already available for sale.
The opera, just like the movie, tells a fictionalized story about Cobain’s last days. Oliver Leith serves as the composer, with Matt Copson and Anna Morrissey directing. Titane star Agathe Rousselle stars as the main character, a musician named Blake. The piece received universal critical acclaim during its run in Linbury Theatre.
“This new opera plunges into the torment that created a modern myth,” it says in the description of the opera.
Kurt Cobain’s estate wasn’t fond of the opera when it came out, calling it an “unauthorized attempt that seeks to profit and benefit from a brief meeting that took place thirty years ago.” Royal Opera House defended itself by saying that the opera adapts Van Sant’s movie and represents a “fictionalized account.
The movie Last Days never mentions Cobain, but the main character’s physical appearance and life story made it clear that he is based on Cobain. The feature received mixed reviews when it first came out but has since developed a cult following.
