New York City’s Prototype: Opera/Theater/Now Festival has announced a new addition to the pop opera ‘Kansas City Choir Boy’ -- Courtney Love will join the cast for the musical’s world premiere in 2015.

More than just joining the cast, Love will represent 50% of the characters and perform opposite Todd Almond, who is also the opera’s composer. “I’ve always been fascinated with her,” Almond tells the New York Times about Love. “I love her voice, and I think she’s a great actress.”

That appreciation is mutual. “I love the concept, and I’m loving the music,” Love says. “I’m playing it constantly. I’m looking to do things that are different. I just finished a rock tour of Australia, and it was great, but I’ve been doing that for a long time.”

So what is ‘Kansas City Choir Boy’ about?

“It became a piece about a man and a woman in love in the Midwest,” Almond explains. “But then the woman sees something on the horizon that makes her realize that she has a greater destiny, and follows that.” One of the songs in the opera was actually created in Kansas City about eight years ago.

And for rock fans who might be a bit leery about checking out something called a “pop opera,” put those worries to rest. “When I say ‘opera,’ I don’t mean it’s in an operatic style,” assures Almond. “I mean it in the sense that it’s a group of songs that tell a story.”

‘Kansas City Choir Boy’ runs Jan. 8-17 at the Manhattan Arts Center in New York. Get details on the performance here.

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