Now the book’s famous opening line, “Call me Ishmael,” is transposed to the very end of the opera when the character has matured. “In the novel, Ishmael is telling a story that happened many years ago ...

He is repeatedly referred to in the Muslim holy book, the Qur’an. Muslims often trace their ancestors to Abraham through Ishmael, the first son of Abraham with his wife’s servant, Hagar.

Now the book’s famous opening line, “Call me Ishmael,” is transposed to the very end of the opera when the character has matured. “In the novel, Ishmael is telling a story that happened ...