The King Of Covent Garden
Synopsis
Composer George Frideric Handel (Anthony Hopkins) is toast of the town and the ‘King of Covent Garden’, performing sublime and revolutionary operas to roars of enchanted crowds. Queen Caroline is so enamoured that she swoons to his dramatic genius and peers of the Realm offer Handel their patronage.
But when the Queen dies, the deeply grief-stricken King George II wishes never to hear music again - Handel must go it alone. And without royal assent Handel has fallen out of favour - his audiences are now sparse and his last three operas flop. After all his early success – has he lost his genius?
While Handel fights for renewed relevance, soprano singer Susannah Cibber is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. She is the pregnant ‘harlot’ in a sensational public adultery trial - the object of constant ridicule.
But when they join forces and a hundred musicians tear into their music, they make musical sound never heard before – sound that goes through us, through flesh and bone, and reorders the very beat of our hearts.
History is made, and Handel’s ground-breaking musical masterpiece “Messiah” is born. He has found a magnificent ‘sound for the people’!
Navigating the treacherous waters of scandal, personal demons, and social judgement - Handel and Susannah confront it all to rewrite their legacies. A testament to the power and resilience of exceptional human talent, ambition and spirit.
‘Messiah’ is today’s most widely performed choral music in the world - a global anthem composed by one of the greatest musical storytellers.
Director
Andrew Levitas
Cast
Anthony Hopkins