The Last Dream of Frida and Diego

Frida Kahlo died at forty-seven in her home, La Casa Azul. This famous house is now a museum in Mexico City. Her husband, the painter Diego Rivera, had a difficult but passionate relationship with her. They stayed together until her last days. Rivera said that her death was the saddest moment of his life. Now, a new opera imagines what one final meeting between these two artists might have looked like. The music is by composer Gabriela Lena Frank. The script is by playwright Nilo Cruz. The title is El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego. In English, this means The Last Dream of Frida and Diego. The show is playing at the Metropolitan Opera, often called the Met, in New York City.

The story happens during the Day of the Dead in 1957. This was the year Kahlo passed away. In the opera, Rivera wants Kahlo to come back to the living world. He feels that his own death is close. He was right. Rivera died only weeks later, on November 24, 1957. However, Kahlo is not sure she wants to return. Coming back would mean feeling all the physical and emotional pain she knew so well. Kahlo once spoke about how much she suffered. She said, "I’ve suffered two serious accidents in my life: one was the tram." She was talking about the bus crash that broke her body. She continued, "and the other was Diego. Diego was the worst of them all." This quote shows how painful their relationship was.

The opera mixes their personal drama with their art. You can see this in the beautiful stage designs. Isabel Leonard is a singer who plays the role of Kahlo. She explained Kahlo’s feelings to NPR. Leonard said Kahlo agrees to return because she misses her art. She also wants to see her home and visit the world again. Leonard noted, "She loved the world and she was in love with the colors of her home and the animals and the market. She had such passion, I think, for all of those things, including for Diego."

The opera is sung entirely in Spanish. Composer Frank chose to use traditional Mexican music in a subtle way. She did not make it the main part of the music. Instead, she used small touches of traditional styles to support the story. This keeps the music modern while honoring Kahlo’s roots. The opera is directed by Deborah Colker. She also managed the 2024 production of Ainadamar, which won a Grammy award. The cast includes other well-known artists. Spanish singer Carlos Álvarez plays Diego Rivera. Gabriella Reyes plays La Catrina. She is a character who watches over the dead. Nils Wanderer plays Leonardo. He is an actor who shares Kahlo’s artistic view.

The art exhibition runs at the same time as the stage show. The Last Dream has a unique design. It was created with help from John Bausor. Bausor was the set and costume designer for the opera. The goal was to mix the visual art from the museum with the theater performance. This allows people to experience the artists' legacies in two different ways. The opera gives a musical version of their last moments. The museum exhibit gives a visual history of their work.

To help the audience feel more connected to the artists, the Museum of Modern Art opened an exhibition. The show is called The Last Dream. It started at the same time as the opera. The museum used its own collection for the exhibit. It features five paintings and one drawing by Kahlo. It also has more than a dozen pieces by Rivera. There are also many photographs of the couple together.

The story looks at the complex bond between two very important artists from the twentieth century. Their love was intense, but it also had betrayal and respect. Both artists made bold self-portraits. They used bright, vivid colors in their work. Kahlo’s art often showed her physical pain and sadness. Rivera’s large wall paintings, called murals, often showed social and political ideas. The opera tries to show the private struggles behind their public fame. By imagining their last conversation, the creators invite the audience to think about what was left unsaid.

The design of the stage is very important. The sets show the bright colors of Mexico City. They also include symbols that show the line between life and death. The costumes, designed by Bausor, help tell the story. They make it clear which characters are alive and which are in the afterlife. The choreography, led by Colker, adds movement to the emotions. Dancers may represent memories, dreams, or parts of the artists' minds. This mix of different arts creates a rich experience for the audience.

Music is another key part of the opera. Frank’s music mixes modern classical styles with small hints of Mexican folk music. Singing in Spanish adds realism to the story. It allows the actors to show emotion using the natural rhythm of the language. The singers face a big challenge. They must sing difficult music while also acting out deep feelings. Leonard and Álvarez bring their own ideas to the roles. They used historical facts and personal insights to shape their performances.

The timing of the opera matches a growing interest in the lives of Kahlo and Rivera. Their stories still inspire people around the world. El Último Sueño offers a new way to look at their legacy. It highlights the personal side of two famous figures. We often only see their art, but not their lives. The opera suggests that their final moments were filled with reflection, regret, and maybe even forgiveness.

El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego is running at the Met through June 5. The Metropolitan Opera will show the opera in movie theaters around the world on May 30. This broadcast will let a global audience watch the production. It takes the story beyond the opera house. This ensures that people who cannot travel to New York can still see this artistic version of a historic moment.

The work between the Met, the Museum of Modern Art, and the creative team is a major cultural event. It shows how different types of art can explore deep human themes. By combining music, theater, and visual art, the production creates a full tribute to Kahlo and Rivera. It asks audiences to think about love, loss, and creating art. The final dream of Frida and Diego is not just a made-up story. It is a meditation on the lasting impact of their lives and their art.

When the opera ends, the audience understands the artists' bond better. The final encounter imagined by Frank and Cruz provides a meaningful end to their story. It honors their passion and admits their pain. The opera stands as proof of the strength of the human spirit. It reminds us that connections we make in life keep going even after death. The dream of Frida and Diego lives on through the art they created and the story the opera tells.