What does 1776 mean to you?

As the United States approaches its semiquincentennial, Detroit Opera invites you to a revolutionary, immersive operatic experience staged inside the galleries of the Cranbrook Art Museum. Originally conceived by John Cage for the US bicentennial in 1976, Apartment House 1776 places you at the crossroads of the nation’s colonial foundations, imagined as a chorus of voices drifting from apartment windows.

Move freely through the museum and choose your own path. Four singers trace interwoven journeys across a landscape shaped by Cage’s rearrangements of Revolutionary-era music. Their stories crisscross, collide, and converge, revealing histories often left unheard.

Built-in pre- and post-show experiences offer insight into Cage’s iconoclastic vision of the United States and invite reflection on our shared future. The pre-show will be an orientation and overview of the piece. Audiences will then choose their own path through the performance. Stay for post-performance conversations in a spirit of conviviality and exchange. Listen, share, and consider how the multiplicity of 1776 still resonates today. No two audience members will have the same experience!

Duration: 90 minutes – per timed entry – see details tab for more information
Note: This opera experience will require walking and standing. Limited chairs will be available throughout the experience. If you need wheelchair or other assistance, please contact the box office. 

*Production Premier