Man on the Moon is a 2006 television opera in one act by Jonathan Dove with a libretto by Nicholas Wright. It relates the story of the Apollo 11 Moon landing on 20 July 1969 and the subsequent problems experienced by Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the Moon.
The opera, about 50 minutes long, was commissioned by Channel 4 and first shown on 26 December 2006. The director was Rupert Edwards. In 2007, it won the Opera Special Prize at the 2007 Festival Rose d'Or in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Roles RoleVoice typePremiere cast, 26 December 2006(Conductor:)AldrinbaritoneNathan GunnJoan Aldrin, his wifesoprano Patricia RacetteMichael, their sonactor Gregg SulkinTheir daughteractor Morgan ElliottJeannie Bassettmezzo-sopranoDean WoodrufftenorDee O'HarasopranoMike CollinsbaritoneNeil ArmstrongtenorEugene KranzbaritoneGUIDOtenorCAPCOMbaritoneAudrey MoonsopranoPR ManbaritoneLady reportersopranoTV HosttenorMedia people, Mission Control (male chorus); 3 Newscasters, PAO (spoken roles)
Synopsis The opera chronicles the preparations for the Apollo 11 mission, the journey and the landing. But it also deals with Aldrin's marriage break-up and the short-lived nature of fame.Cached version of Channel 4's synopsis
See also Apollo 11 in popular culture
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