The Metropolitan Opera launched its 2024–25 season on September 23 with the highly anticipated company premiere of Grounded, a contemporary opera that confronts the ethical and emotional complexities of modern warfare. Composed by Jeanine Tesori, a two-time Tony Award winner known for her work on Fun Home and Caroline, or Change, and featuring a libretto by George Brant, the opera marks a major milestone for the Met. In its 141-year history, this is the first time a season has opened with a work composed by a woman—an historic moment underscoring the institution’s commitment to expanding its artistic horizons.
Grounded is based on Brant’s 2013 one-woman play of the same name, which has been staged around the world and lauded for its unflinching portrayal of a fighter pilot’s psychological descent. The opera adaptation, however, is no mere translation. With sweeping orchestration and an expanded narrative arc, Tesori and Brant transform the intimate drama into a fully realized operatic experience. Conducted by Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the production highlights Tesori’s unique ability to fuse contemporary musical language with emotionally resonant storytelling.
The story centers on Jess, a top-tier Air Force pilot who becomes pregnant and is reassigned from flying fighter jets to remotely operating drones from a trailer outside Las Vegas. As she carries out drone strikes by day and returns to her family at night, the boundaries between war and home life begin to blur. The psychological strain builds until Jess begins to unravel, forcing audiences to confront the human cost of remote warfare.
Taking on the demanding role of Jess is Canadian mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo, whose performance has been universally praised. Critics have called her portrayal “a career-defining triumph” and “an astonishing display of vocal and emotional range.” D’Angelo seamlessly navigates the technical demands of Tesori’s score while conveying the nuanced psychological deterioration of her character.
Opposite her is tenor Ben Bliss as Eric, Jess’s husband, whose lyrical warmth contrasts with the icy detachment of Jess’s military environment. Their duets offer rare moments of intimacy in an otherwise alienating world, giving the opera a personal dimension that grounds its more abstract themes.
Directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer, the staging of Grounded is as innovative as its subject matter. The production incorporates LED panels, immersive video projections, and an industrial set design that evokes both the isolation of the drone command center and the fragmented inner world of Jess’s psyche. The visual elements—crafted by scenic designer Mimi Lien, lighting designer Kevin Adams, and video artists Jason H. Thompson and Kaitlyn Pietras—are central to the opera’s impact, offering a digital canvas on which Jess’s emotional and ethical conflicts play out.
Notably, the Met’s version of Grounded is a revised version of the opera that debuted at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center in 2023. Following critical feedback and collaboration between Tesori and Mayer, the opera was trimmed by roughly 45 minutes. The tighter runtime allows for a more focused narrative arc and greater clarity in the storytelling, particularly in the second act, where Jess’s mental deterioration reaches its peak.
Despite these improvements, Grounded has received mixed reviews from critics. While many have celebrated its ambition and D’Angelo’s performance, others have questioned whether the opera successfully grapples with the full complexity of its themes. Some reviewers argue that the libretto leans too heavily on exposition and internal monologue, limiting the dramatic potential of operatic dialogue and interaction.
Still, the opera represents a significant shift in the Met’s programming, one that aligns with broader efforts to diversify opera’s subject matter and creative leadership. The 2024–25 season includes four Met premieres and several contemporary works, a notable departure from the traditionally conservative repertoire of grand opera houses.
“Opening our season with Grounded is not just an artistic decision—it’s a statement,” said Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Met. “We are embracing stories that speak directly to the world we live in now, and we’re proud to present a work that challenges, provokes, and moves audiences in new ways.”
The production also arrives at a time when the ethics of drone warfare, military service, and gender roles within combat are at the forefront of public debate. Grounded doesn’t offer easy answers, but it demands that viewers confront the psychological toll of a job that places its operators at the intersection of life, death, and domesticity.
The opera will run at the Met through October 19, 2024, concluding with a global broadcast as part of the Met’s acclaimed Live in HD series. With its blend of innovation, topicality, and emotional depth, Grounded sets a bold tone for the Metropolitan Opera’s 2024–25 season.
