Updated

Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 20

Opera Montana Premieres 90-Minute River Runs Through It Opera With 7 Bozeman Performances

Updated

Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 20

Opera Montana Premieres 90-Minute River Runs Through It Opera With 7 Bozeman Performances

Q: How does an opera stage the intricate art of fly-fishing without using a single fishing line?

Opera Montana stages fly-fishing by keeping the motion real and the mechanics invisible. The singers use bamboo rods onstage but no lines, while video projections supply the visual detail of the cast and the river. To make that look convincing, the company trained the performers on actual Montana rivers, including the Yellowstone and the Gallatin near Axtell Bridge. Fly-fishing consultant Jason Borger — who was Brad Pitt’s fishing stunt double in the 1992 film — coached the cast in casting technique and recorded demonstrations that were turned into projections for the production. That allowed the opera to preserve the body language that matters in fly-fishing: timing, wrist control, stance and the distinct styles of the two brothers. Michael Kuhn, playing Paul, worked on the more theatrical “shadow casting” associated with Paul’s artistry, while Schyler Vargas, as Norman, practiced a more restrained, controlled motion. Those differences help tell character through movement, even without a line in the air. The no-line decision was practical as much as artistic. The creative team debated live casting for weeks, but on the Ellen Theatre’s small stage, fishing lines were too likely to tangle and disrupt the performance. By stripping away the risky hardware and combining coached choreography with filmed casting sequences, the production aims to make the fishing feel authentic while staying stage-safe and theatrically clear.

1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 20

Bozeman hosts the premiere this weekend of Opera Montana’s 90-minute adaptation of “A River Runs Through It,” a production built around the unusual task of making fly-fishing work onstage.
Seven performances are scheduled at the Ellen Theatre before the show travels 200 miles to Missoula in October; after testing, the cast kept bamboo rods but dropped fishing lines that tangled on the small stage.
Jason Borger — Brad Pitt’s fly-fishing stunt double in the 1992 film — coached the singers on the Yellowstone and Gallatin rivers, while his casting videos became projections used throughout the production.
John Maclean, son of author Norman Maclean, pushed the project toward opera in 2024 after director Matt Foss struggled to adapt a story whose emotional core is bound tightly to fishing.
The premiere revisits a 1976 novella and Oscar-winning film that helped turn Montana into a fly-fishing destination, a legacy the company says remains both culturally powerful and contested.

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The Washington Post2h ago

Opera Montana Premieres "A River Runs Through It" Adaptation with Onstage Fly-Fishing

How does an opera stage the intricate art of fly-fishing without using a single fishing line?

Will expanding the female roles in this classic Montana tale fundamentally alter its tragic focus on brotherhood?

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1 total

The Washington Post2h ago

Opera Montana Premieres "A River Runs Through It" Adaptation with Onstage Fly-Fishing

Opera Montana Premieres 90-Minute River Runs Through It Opera With 7 Bozeman Performances

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