Provocative Anna Nicole Smith Opera to Debut in London
Anna Nicole Smith
Anna Nicole, an opera about the late blonde bombshell Anna Nicole Smith, will make a controversial debut in London on Thursday.
Described as "a celebrity story of our times that includes extreme language, drug abuse and sexual content," the opera will run for six sold-out shows beginning Feb. 17 at the prestigious Royal Opera House, according to the venue's official site. Mark-Anthony Turnage, the man behind 2003's Jerry Springer: The Opera, also composed Anna Nicole.
See photos of Anna Nicole Smith through the years
The production has drawn criticism for resorting to sensationalism to sell tickets and for portraying Smith's lawyer Howard K. Stern, who's still alive, as "The Lawyer Stern." In January, conspiracy charges against Stern (who was accused of using false names to provide Smith with prescription drugs) were dropped.
Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek will play Smith, a former stripper who wed oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall when she was 26 and he was 89. The opera will also follow his death 13 months later, the legal battle over his estate, Smith's Playboy career, her drug addiction and reality show, the death of her son Daniel, the paternity and custody battle over her daughter Dannielynn and Smith's death from an overdose in 2007.
Conspiracy charges against Howard K. Stern dismissed
Check out the trailer for Anna Nicole. Do you think adapting her life into an opera is a good idea?