Performances began July 17 at the Park Avenue Armory for the North American premiere of Ivo van Hove’s adaptation of The Damned, Luchino Visconti’s 1969 Oscar-nominated film about the dangers of ideology, moral corruption, and political upheaval. Set in 1933, the story follows the wealthy von Essenbeck family during the rise of Nazi Germany as their steel dynasty falls into the hands of a corrupt family member and SA officer.
Van Hove's The Damned is performed by historic French troupe Comédie-Française in the Armory’s Wade Thompson Drill Hall. The run is scheduled through July 28.
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Van Hove has directed The Crucible and A View From the Bridge on Broadway (the latter won him a Tony in 2016). Recent projects include a production of Mozart's Don Giovanni for Paris Opera and the Metropolitan Opera, as well as an upcoming stage adaptation of All About Eve starring Gillian Anderson and Lily James in the West End, an adaptation of A Little Life, and the recently announced West Side Story, slated to debut on Broadway in 2020.
Read: WEST SIDE STORY WILL RETURN TO BROADWAY, DIRECTED BY IVO VAN HOVE
The Damned was developed with Jan Versweyveld and is performed by the 338-year-old Comédie-Française.
The July 19 performance will be preceded by a separately ticketed conversation between van Hove and visual artist and vocalist Laurie Anderson as part of the Armory’s Artist Talk Series.
For tickets and more information, visit ArmoryonPark.org.