THE FEDERATION OF HELLENIC SOCIETIES OF GREATER NEW YORK PROUDLY PRESENTS
THE OPERA "OLYMPIC FLAME"
BY PANAGIOTIS KAROUSOS
A MODERN MASTERPIECE BASED ON SOPHOCLES' TRAGEDY TRACHINEAE
Hellenic American Orchestra conducted by Jestin Pieper
Heracles: Demetrios John Tsinopoulos, tenor
Deianira: Elisabeth Shoup, Soprano
Hyllos & Prometheus: Kofi Hayford, bass
Macaria & Iole: Stella Papatheodorou, soprano
Alkmene: Viktoriya Koreneva, mezzo-soprano
Stage director: Eli Markos
Production manager: Billy Chrissochos
The opera in its entirety is based on the Olympic flame and as it unfolds gives us the fundamental meaning behind the ancient Greek religious ritual, "for that is what it is". The flame as we know it furring the Olympics is basically a simple commemoration/re-enactment of the flame as was stolen from the Gods by Prometheus and brought to the people. The flame of knowledge, from which civilizations were born. In Greek antiquity it was a religious ritual, with the purpose of bringing of the people closer to the Gods.
