The Experience of Composing an Opera About Dinosaurs

Writing opera lyrics comes with its own set of challenges, but rarely does the task of making dinosaur names rhyme arise. However, transforming the lengthy, Latin- and Greek-derived names of prehistoric creatures into lyrical verse was a crucial aspect of Eric Einhorn’s role as the librettist for Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt, a family-oriented opera currently being performed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Produced by On Site Opera, known for staging operas in unexpected locations (like Madame Tussauds Wax Museum) across New York City, in collaboration with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Pittsburgh Opera, Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt tells the true story of Rhoda Knight and her grandfather, the legendary paleoartist Charles R. Knight.

Knight, who worked as a freelance artist for the American Museum of Natural History from 1896 until his death in 1953, created illustrations of extinct species that shaped how we envision dinosaurs today. He studied alongside taxidermists and paleontology experts, and was one of the first to depict dinosaurs as living, breathing creatures in their natural environments rather than as mythical monsters, drawing inspiration from their bones and sculptural models to ensure his work was as scientifically accurate as contemporary knowledge allowed.

In this 20-minute opera, the performers traverse the museum’s Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs, singing amidst the dinosaur skeletons and even some of Knight’s own paintings. Einhorn, who is also the director of On Site Opera and the stage director for this opera, wrote the libretto based on stories shared by the real-life Rhoda—now known as Rhoda Knight Kalt—whom he met with regularly during the opera’s development.

“I spent a lot of time with Rhoda, just talking about her childhood,” he tells Mytour, collecting anecdotes to incorporate into the opera. “She shares this amazing story about being at the museum when they were unpacking the wooly mammoth,” he recalls. "And she was just there because her grandfather was there. It’s like standing at the feet of greatness without even realizing it until later.”

However, one part of Rhoda’s childhood made it difficult to adapt her story into an opera. “Unfortunately, she was an extremely well-behaved child,” Einhorn remarks. “And that doesn’t make for a compelling opera.”

Knight Kalt, who attended the opera’s dress rehearsal, explains that she knew she could only stay with her grandfather if she behaved quietly. “I knew that the only way I could be with my grandfather was if I was very quiet,” she says. “Sometimes, he would spend an hour and a half discussing a fossil bone and how he could bring it to life … if I interrupted, I wouldn’t be allowed to meet him [at the museum] again.”

In the fictionalized account of Knight Kalt's childhood, set when Rhoda is 8, she searches the museum for the missing bones of the dinosaur Deinocheirus so her grandfather can draw them. The Late Cretaceous dinosaur, first discovered in 1965, nearly didn’t make it into the opera. Initially, the dinosaur Rhoda was seeking in the museum was a newly discovered species from China, Zhenyuanlong suni, which was unveiled in 2015, but its five-syllable name proved too difficult to rhyme or sing.

Einhorn, however, wanted to feature a real dinosaur discovery in the opera. Carl Mehling, a paleontologist at the museum, recommended Deinocheirus. “There are two arms hanging right over there,” Einhorn points out, gesturing across the Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs, “and until recently, the arms were the only things ever discovered about Deinocheirus.” Tying the opera to an actual specimen in the museum—just a few feet from the stage—opened up a whole new set of possibilities, both lyrically and otherwise. “Once we worked that out, we knew we had solid science and better rhyming words.”

As for Knight Kalt, she admits that watching her childhood come to life in an opera was a bit odd. “The whole story makes me laugh,” she says. But she also sees it as a fitting tribute to her grandfather. “He used to sing while he was painting,” she recalls. “He loved the opera.”

Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt will be staged at the American Museum of Natural History on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until October 15. Admission is free with a museum ticket, but reservations are required. The opera will also be performed at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Pittsburgh Opera at a later date.