* MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28TH 2027 - LA GRAN ESPERANZA
This performance at the Blaffer is 6-years in the making! The first conversations I had were in late 2019 and my first walk-through was in March 2020. So many of the people that kept this project on life support have mostly moved on, but it was enough to get it into production, FINALLY. I'm thrilled to be working with Sarah & Melissa at the Cynthia Wood Mitchell Center. They have been the catalysts for getting us close to the finish line. I start rehearsals this week and it'll be the first time I work with all these lovely singers; Sarah Dyer-Jones (Mezzo), Joshua Thomas (Baritone), Julia Starr (Soprano) and Jonatán Reyes (Tenor).
A bit about the oper - La Gran Esperanza, sung in Spanish is a short opera exploring themes of hope, cultural identity, and the search for belonging. The story loosely inspired by former MLB player, Freddie Benavidez, who inspired and gave hope to a generation of Hispanic youth searching for belonging and cultural identity in the border town of Laredo Texas.
