Odyssey Opera's 'The Last Savage' Delivers Madcap Satire

Menotti's rarely produced opera finds new life with wit and warmth in Boston production.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 4:20pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Odyssey Opera's recent staging of Gian Carlo Menotti's opera "The Last Savage" at the Huntington Avenue Theatre, in collaboration with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, was a reminder of why the composer struck such a popular chord during the 20th century. The opera's pointed satire of high-society assumptions about what it means to be civilized provides the same amusement as an episode of "Mad Men", with a delightfully twisted story and all-around cheer.

Why it matters

That Menotti's work has been unfairly discounted becomes clear with revivals of even his lesser-known operas, nostalgic reminders of his rewarding fusion of warmth and sting. The Last Savage, rarely produced, drew plenty of detractors when it premiered in 1963, but its playful sensibility now resonates with the social upheavals of the 1960s that it presaged.

The details

The story takes well-aimed swipes at just about everyone, as an American businessman, Mr. Scattergood, meets with an Indian Maharaja to discuss the marriage of his daughter Kitty to the Prince. Kitty refuses to marry until she completes her anthropological studies by capturing and taming a mythical wild man, so the father and Maharaja bribe a stable hand named Abdul to play the part. But as Kitty teaches Abdul about civilization, she is drawn into lust and then love with him, while other subplots amplify the mating-game humor.

  • The Last Savage premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1963.

The players

Gian Carlo Menotti

An Italian-American composer and librettist who held a critical mirror up to society in his operas, often probing the psychological fault lines of his operatic targets.

Odyssey Opera

A Boston-based opera company that collaborated with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project on the recent production of The Last Savage.

Sharleen Joynt

The soprano who performed the role of Kitty with vocal fireworks and beaming tone.

Phillip Lopez

The bass-baritone who sang the role of Abdul with conviction, his lines lifting gracefully.

Gil Rose

The enterprising conductor who led the Boston Modern Orchestra Project in finding surprises on every page of Menotti's score.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“That Menotti's work has been unfairly discounted becomes clear with revivals of even his lesser-known operas, nostalgic (for some of us) reminders of his rewarding fusion of warmth and sting.”

— Aaron Keebaugh, Classical music critic

The takeaway

Odyssey Opera's production of Menotti's rarely performed opera "The Last Savage" proved that the composer's populist qualities and pointed satire still resonate today, offering a delightful blend of wit, warmth, and social commentary that challenges preconceptions about what constitutes "high art" in opera.