Deidamia - Hudson Hall

Following the success of New York Times Critic’s Picks GIULIO CESARE (2025) and RODELINDA (2023), Hudson Hall announces the next two productions in its acclaimed Handel on the Hudson series: DEIDAMIA in April/May 2027, and a staged production of MESSIAH in December 2027.

Composed in the same year, Messiah and Deidamia reveal the full range of Handel’s legacy. Messiah is a cultural touchstone. Deidamia is one of Handel’s best-kept secrets, rarely staged and hiding in plain sight. Presented together in the same year at Hudson Hall, they offer a rare opportunity to move beyond a composer’s greatest hits and discover the deep cuts. With R. B. Schlather and Ruckus as expert guides, it promises to be an unforgettable adventure.

DEIDAMIA

• Opera by G. F. Handel, premiered at Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theatre on January 10, 1741
• Performances sung in Italian with projected English supertitles
• Direction and production by R. B. Schlather
• With early music band Ruckus

A hero in hiding. A lover left behind. A destiny that cannot be escaped.

Handel’s rarely performed final opera arrives at Hudson Hall in a bold new production from R. B. Schlather and the acclaimed early music ensemble Ruckus. Disguised as a girl on the island of Skyros, Achilles believes he can outrun fate. But Deidamia, who loves him, discovers what prophecy already knows: some destinies demand everything. Featuring hidden identities, impossible desire, comic disguises, and devastating heartbreak, Handel’s dazzling blend of comedy and tragedy is brought to life with period instruments, a cast of emerging and established stars, and Schlather’s contemporary theatrical sensibility.

A rare chance to experience an overlooked gem in the intimate setting of New York State’s oldest surviving theater.

Performance Dates:
- OPENING NIGHT: Saturday, April 17, 2027 at 4pm
- Tuesday, April 20, 2027 at 6pm
- Friday, April 23, 2027 at 6pm
- Sunday, April 25, 2027 at 3pm
- Saturday, May 1, 2027 at 6pm
- Sunday, May 2, 2027 at 3pm

Tickets:
- On sale to members Fall 2026
- On sale to the public January 2027

Become a Member or Join the Producer’s Circle.

Open Rehearsals:
- April 3 & 10, 2027

Cast:
- Emily Richter, Deidamia
- Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, Ulisse
- Sophie Hunt, Achille
- Meredith Wohlgemuth, Nerea
- William Socolof, Fenice
- David Pittsinger, Lycomedes

Ruckus:
- Douglas Balliett, bass
- Elliot Figg, harpsichord
- Coleman Itzkoff, cello
- Caitlyn Koester, harpsichord
- Ravenna Lipchik, violin
- Joseph Monticello, flute
- Manami Mizumoto, violin
- Paul Holmes Morton, guitar/theorbo
- Rebecca Nelson, violin
- Rafa Prendergast, violin
- Clay Zeller-Townson, bassoon

Creative Team:
- Associate Producer: Daniel Stermer
- Scenic Associate: Erica Zhang
- Costume Design: Terese Wadden
- Lighting Design: Zack Lobel
- Dramaturg: Joseph Cermatori
- Hair & Makeup: Matia Emsellem
- Supertitles: Steven Jude Tietjen
- Movement, Fight, Intimacy: Skye Bronfenbrenner