Dante’s Inferno, reimagined
At DigiBC Creative Tech Studio Nov 28 & 29, 2025 for IndieFest 2025.
Photo by Pedro Augusto Meza, 2023
Nov 28 & 29, 2025 | DigiBC Creative Tech Studio
The ProJect
Inferno is a new hip-hop opera in development by Omari Newton and Amy Lee Lavoie. The work blends hip-hop, rap, beat boxing, sampling, R&B, and contemporary opera in celebration of IBPOC voices. The story reimagines Dante’s Inferno as a feminist, anti-establishment, and anti-colonial allegory. Pairing opera’s emotional richness with hip-hop’s text driven, poetic aesthetics, this musical fusion will culminate in an illustration of paradise for IBPOC people and communities.
Inferno will premiere it’s music and script at IndieFest 2025 in a concert performance, on November 28th to 29th, 2025.
Venue: DigiBC Creative Tech Studio, 577 Great Northern Way, Vancouver BC.
IndieFest 2025 Team credits
CAST
Kimmortal as Vie, Musical Collaborator
Leo D.E Johnson as Mo, Musical Collaborator
Scribbly Doodle: Beatboxer & Trebi C
Anushka Kashyap: Ensemble: Pop Singer
Teiya Kasahara: Ensemble, Musical Collaborator
Brandon Thornhill: Ensemble: Finance Bro
Alyssa Samson: Ensemble, Mother
Scott Walters: Ensemble, Exec
The Team:
Micheline Chevrier: Dramaturg, Co-Director
Omari Newton: Co-writer / Co-director
Amy Lee Lavoie: Co-writer
Debi Wong: Music Supervisor
Mary Ancheta: Co-Music Director
Anju Singh: Composer & Co-Music Director
Cande Andrade: Video Designer
Jonathan (Jono) Kim: Lighting Designer
Perri Lo: Pianist
Alex Caprara: LX Assistant
Xavier Berbudeau: Audio Engineer
Heather Lamb: Production Manager
Nico Dicceco: Technician/Assistant PM
Anna Brew: Stage Manager
Synopsis
In this adaption of Dante’s Inferno, Hell is reimagined to be a Spotify-esque headquarters – with each floor of the skyscraper representing a different layer of hell. Our story follows Vie, a young producer, whose music has been stolen by the company, and Mo, the building’s security guard who has their own experiences with having their music co opted. Together, Vie and Mo embark on an epic journey to take back the rights to their work. Their ultimate goal? Reach the top floor of the skyscraper and confront the CEO (a.k.a. The devil).
With each floor representing a layer of Hell, Vie and Mo are pitted against a series of obstacles on their way to the top. Perhaps their greatest threat is an AI generated Treble Clef known as “Trebi-C” that becomes their unwanted guide, controlling the elevator and their floor access. In doing so, Trebi-C forces Vie and Mo to engage with characters on floors that seem to put them off their journey, when in fact they offer them insights into how to battle the CEO and get what they want.
Pairing opera’s emotional richness with Hip-Hop’s text driven, poetic aesthetics, this musical fusion will culminate in an illustration of paradise for IBPOC people and communities.
Project History
Inferno has showcased two workshop performances to a live sold-out audience, at IndieFest 2022 and IndieFest 2023.
Key Dates
Inferno will premiere it’s music and script at IndieFest 2025 in a concert performance, on November 28th to 29th, 2025.
Become a co-commissioner
Contact info@reopera to learn more about co-commissioning this work.
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