♪♪ -♪ Boom go the bunkers ♪ ♪ Boom goes Basra ♪ ♪ Boom goes Baghdad ♪ ♪ Boom goes Baghdad ♪ ♪ Boom goes Baghdad ♪ ♪♪ -Hello.

I'm Nadine Sierra, and I'm pleased to be your host for today's performance of Jeanine Tesori's gripping new opera, "Grounded."

With an artful libretto by George Brant, "Grounded" is the story of a female fighter pilot in the Iraq War who loses her flight privileges and ultimately becomes the commander of a Reaper drone charged with taking out terrorist targets.

This is a story about the devastating impact of war, both on the victims in the cross hairs and on the lives of those who pull the trigger.

Canadian mezzo-soprano Emily D'Angelo stars as Jess, the hot-shot pilot grounded by an unexpected pregnancy.

It's a tour de force role that Tesori composed especially for Emily's rich and powerful voice.

Standout American tenor Ben Bliss is the steadfast Wyoming cowboy Jess falls for.

Director Michael Mayer has drawn upon an arsenal of high-tech LED panels and video projections, some of them voice-activated, to tell this very modern story of love and war.

Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin is ready to go to the pit.

Here is "Grounded."

-Maestro to the pit, please.

Maestro to the pit.

[ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Laughter, cheering ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -Damn it!

Damn it!

[ Chuckles ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -[ Humming ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -Daddy!

[ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Static crackling ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -[ Slurps ] [ Indistinct conversations ] [ Indistinct conversations ] [ Indistinct conversations ] [ All cheering ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Da-da-da-da-da-da!

♪ [ Laughs ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Indistinct conversations ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Guilty ♪ [ Applause ] [ Instruments tuning ] -At the end of the previous act, Jess sees the gruesome results of her drone attacks, the dawn of her awakening to the horrors of remote warfare.

Here now is the dramatic conclusion of "Grounded."

[ Applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ The sun rising ♪ ♪ Cool and safe ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Cool and safe ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Cool and safe ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Linger ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Linger ♪ ♪ Linger ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Static ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ The hunt for the man himself ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Scattered voices speaking indistinctly ] -♪ The thousand-yard stare ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Ten miles above the bad guy ♪ ♪♪ -♪ Over ♪ ♪ And he drives ♪ -♪ And he drives, and he drives ♪ -♪ And he drives ♪ -♪ And he drives ♪ -♪ And he drives ♪ -♪ And he drives ♪ -♪ And he drives ♪ -♪ And he drives ♪ [ Scattered voices speaking indistinctly ] -♪ Me ♪ ♪ Me ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Sharp chord strikes ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Shuddered breathing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Wipe it away ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Jess ♪ -♪ No ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I'll take it ♪ -♪ Hey ♪ ♪♪ -♪ Alone ♪ -♪ At least take off the flight suit ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Knock on door ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ I know who you are ♪ [ Humming ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Both harmonizing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ To war ♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] ♪ I am the war ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Scattered voices speaking indistinctly ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Wait ♪ -♪ The car is stopping ♪ -♪ Take the shot, take it ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -No!

[ Sharp chord strikes ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Static ] ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause intensifies ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause intensifies ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause intensifies ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause continues ] [ Cheers and applause continues ]