Trouble in Tahiti received its first performance on 12 June 1952 at Bernstein's Festival of the Creative Arts on the campus of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, to an audience of nearly 3,000 people.

[4] The opera is frequently performed with minimal scenery (although Bernstein gave detailed instructions for drops and props) and very simple costumes.

Trouble in Tahiti is the story of one day in the life of these desperately unhappy, though married people, lonely, longing for love, and unable to communicate.

Bernstein refers to them in production notes published with the score as "A Greek chorus born of the radio commercial".

In an interlude, they speak well of how possessions contribute to the "wonderful life": up-to-date kitchen, washing machine, colorful bathrooms, Life magazine, Sheraton sofa, Chippendale chair, bone chinaware, real solid silver, two-door sedan and convertible coupe – "Who could ask heaven for anything more?"

Cast - Sam - Richard Craddock; Dinah - Vickie Jaffee; Trio - Nicola-Jane Kemp, David Watson, Russell Watson; Musical Direction - Peter Crockford; Director - David Pickard [7] Prelude – A smiling jazz trio sings of perfect life in an affluent, unnamed suburban town, with its little white houses and happy, loving families ("Mornin' Sun").

Scene III – In her analyst's office, Dinah recalls a dream about finding an imaginary garden amid a "black and bare" landscape, and sings about the image longingly.

Interlude – Inside the house, the Trio sings of lovely life in Suburbia, detailing the possessions that contribute to the American Dream.

Scene VI – In a hat shop, Dinah tells an unidentified person about a South Sea romance movie called "Trouble in Tahiti", which she has just spent the afternoon watching.

But as she recounts the story and its theme song "Island Magic", backed by the Trio, she gets caught up in the escapist fantasy of love.

Scene VII – About to enter his home, Sam sings of another law of men – that even the winner must pay "through the nose" for what he gets.

The Trio sings of imaginary evenings of domestic bliss in Suburbia: "bringing the loved ones together, safe by the warmth of the firelight".

The Trio makes its final ironic comment, reprising the movie's "Island Magic" theme song.

[3] With the permission of the Leonard Bernstein Office Inc., the Chinese University of Hong Kong Chorus gave a semi-staged performance of the opera with a chamber choir substituting the Trio as scored.

[citation needed] Bernstein wrote a continuation, A Quiet Place (1983, libretto by Stephen Wadsworth), which was poorly received.

[8] The opera, set 30 years later, depicts the aftermath of Dinah's death in a car crash and Sam's struggle to reconcile with his adult children.

[9] A version with live singers performing on animated sets was broadcast on PBS in the United States in 1973, later available on VHS and DVD.

Nancy Williams and Julian Patrick played the couple, with Antonia Butler, Michael Clarke and Mark Brown as the trio.

[citation needed] In 2001, the BBC released a film version directed by Tom Cairns with Stephanie Novacek as Dinah and Karl Daymond as Sam.

[citation needed] In 2018, Opera North created a film version, based on the company's stage production, produced by The Space and directed by Matthew Eberhardt, starring Wallis Giunta and Quirijn de Lang.