Klingon Space Opera Makes Cosmic Debut

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The first opera ever to be completely sung in the invented Klingon language makes its debut in the Hague. This image was taken during rehearsals for the Klingon opera.
The first opera ever to be completely sung in the invented Klingon language makes its debut in the Hague. This image was taken during rehearsals for the Klingon opera. (Image credit: Petra van der Schoot)

Die-hard"Star Trek" fans may want to dust off their Klingon dictionaries and takea transporter to Europe for the debut of the first opera ever to be completely sungin the invented science fiction language.

The opera,called "u," kicks off a three-day run at the Zeebelt Theater today inThe Hague, Netherlands. The title "u" is the Klingon word for"universe" or "universal." [Photo of Klingon operarehearsals.]

Klingon,which is spoken by members of the fictional "Star Trek"warrior race of the same name, has evolved into a significant pop culture phenomenonsince the Americanscience fiction TV series first hit the airwaves in the late 1960s.

Even naturalwonders have taken on the fake sci-fi language. In August, Australia's JenolanCaves announced plans for the world's first audiocave tour voiced entirely in Klingon.

In April,the show's producers sent a message out into the cosmos inviting the"real" Klingon community to attend the upcoming performances.

"TheKlingon are known as passionate opera lovers but at the same time very littlewas known about Klingon opera here, so as far as I was concerned that was avery interesting challenge to try and make an authentic, or as authenticsomething out of that as possible," the show's creator Floris Schonfeldtold Reuters Television.

The90-minute production follows the journey of Kahless the Unforgettable. Afterbeing betrayed by his brother and bearing witness to his father's brutal death,Kahless faces his bitter enemy, the tyrant Molor.

"It wasreally well interpreted, the music was really good, and the performance of theactors were fantastic," Reuters quoted audience member Erwin Slegers assaying.

Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
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