It is the opera, Powder Her Face, and it's based on the real life scandal of Margaret Campbell, the duchess of Argyll, and her sordid story of divorcing the duke, sexual exploits and money squandering that rocked British high society in the 1960s.
The opera starts and ends in 1990 when the woman who'd come to be known as the Dirty Duchess was on in years and broke.
In between, the show covers decades of memories, including the duchess' party girl lifestyle and salacious divorce trial, complete with compromising Polaroids.
William Kerley, Director of Powder Her Face said, "It's crammed with incidents and a central scene features an incredibly immoral you know sex act, which I as the stage director have to accept the challenge to stage that in a way that it isn't over-blown."
The decadent story was written in the early 1990s and has quickly become a modern classic.
Patricia Schuman, Duchess of Argyle said, "it's a fascinating story. She was a beautiful, glamorous woman. She knew everyone and had many important lovers and then she ended up penniless and alone."It was written by Thomas Ades, his first ever opera composed when he was just 24 years old.
"It's I think a brilliant score I just love it. It glitters and it shines and it's clever and it's camp," said Schuman.
Powder Her Face runs June 7th through the 16th in the Kimmel Center's Perelman Theatre. For tickets, go to Opera Philadelphia.
