Where Elephants Weep received its world premiere in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the week of November 28 - December 7, 2008. An unprecedented popular and critical hit, all seven shows were completely sold out.
Where Elephants Weep is the most ambitious project Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) has undertaken to date as part of its work to revive the performing arts of Cambodia. Commissioned by CLA, the rock opera initially previewed in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 2007. The world premiere in Phnom Penh required producers to renovate the Chenla Theater since no existing venues in Cambodia were suitable.
The opera brought together 30 international theater professionals from all over the world and employed over 50 local Cambodians. It was produced in association with Amrita Performing Arts and John Burt, Executive Producer (founding CLA board chair emeritus).
The world premiere received $200,000 from corporate and government sponsors in Cambodia. It was widely considered to be one of the most significant cultural productions to take place in Cambodia since the 1960's. Deputy Prime Minister Sok An praised the event for its role in revitalizing the performing arts of Cambodia in his opening night welcome address.
A modern love story based loosely on the traditional Khmer love story Tum Teav, the opera draws from Cambodia’s ancient cultural traditions, fusing them with contemporary Western art forms. The opera shows people grappling with the psychic and spiritual toll of having survived the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, a topic rarely discussed openly among Cambodians.
One of the live theater performances was filmed for national broadcast by CTN, Cambodia’s largest television station. It aired on December 25, 2008, reaching nearly 2 million viewers. A second scheduled broadcast was canceled due to protest over the opera’s portrayal of monks on television. In response, an unprecedented meeting between artists, religious leaders, and government ministers took place in an attempt to resolve issues raised by the controversy. Like the musical Hair that sparked debate in the US in the 1970’s, Where Elephants Weep became the seed for uncommon public dialogue on contemporary social issues in Cambodia.
To hear excerpts from the show and learn more about the making of this ambitious project, please visit: Where Elephants Weep.
