“Harry Potter” opera coming to the stage in Turkey for charity

An opera based on the Harry Potter series will be hitting the stage in Turkey’s western province of İzmir this month. Creators İlhan and Fatma Cinpir reportedly requested permission from J.K. Rowling to adapt her work two years ago and were accepted after promising to donate the proceeds to charity.

The opera will be performed by 80 youths and eight opera artists from across Turkey. İlhan Cinpir said of the production,

The youths will perform an opera with its costumes, décor, and orchestra. The projection mapping technology that we will use in the opera will be the first in Turkey.

Cinpir explained that after an extensive search, the role of Harry Potter was given to an actor from Germany:

We couldn’t find anyone from Turkey for the character of Harry Potter. Then we made a bid to the Turkish tenor Tansel Akzeybek from Komische Oper Berlin.

The production will be staged by Cinpir’s Mozart Academy on May 15 and 16. Proceeds from the first day will go to the Library of Turkey for the Visually Disabled (TÜRGÖK), while the second day’s proceeds will help provide water for families of the victims of the Soma mining disaster, an accident that killed 301 mine workers in May of last year.

The script was written by Turkish Writers Association President Tarık Günersel, while the music was composed by Ali Hoca, conductor of the İzmir Opera and Ballet Orchestra. The opera will be directed by Murat Göksu.

What do you think of Jo’s continuing commitment to charity? Would you like to see a Harry Potter opera? Let us know in the comments!