PREVIEW | Composer Ronald Beckett Talks About Ruth, A Musical Drama On Stage May 10

“Ruth, the musical drama by composer Ronald Beckett and librettist Roger Bayley, will take the stage on May 10 in Brantford, Ontario. It’s the first time the popular opera returns to Southwestern Ontario since 2017.

Ruth is based on the Old Testament book of the same name, but while the inspiration may be time honoured, its structure is contemporary. The opera consists of 12 sections and runs a short (for opera) 78 minutes.

In the Biblical story, Ruth is a Moabite woman who becomes one of the Israelites as she marries Boaz of Bethlehem. The opera follows the title character of Ruth, depicted as a strong and independent woman who is full of hope as she searches for a better life, both for her own family and her people. It’s a story about immigration and the welcome she receives in a new land.

Ruth was a hit on its premiere in 1996, and has been performed 25 times throughout Ontario and beyond. The 2007 original cast recording has been broadcast from stations in Austria, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Israel, Romania, and Turkey.

The work became the first of a trilogy that was later completed with John (1997) and I Am… (1998).

LvT spoke to Ronald Beckett about the work and its new production…”