The Grapes of Wrath (opera) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

version of The Grapes of Wrath was composed by Ricky Ian Gordon

Ricky Ian Gordon

Ricky Ian Gordon is an American composer of songs, stage musicals and opera. The death of his lover from AIDS inspired Dream True and Orpheus and Euridice...

to a libretto

Libretto

A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...

by Michael Korie

Michael Korie

Michael Korie is an American librettist and lyricist. Korie's works include Grey Gardens , Harvey Milk and The Grapes of Wrath . He also wrote the lyrics to Doctor Zhivago Michael Korie (born Michael Cory Indick) is an American librettist and lyricist. Korie's works include Grey Gardens...

based on John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck

John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...

’s 1939 novel of the same title

The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath is a novel published in 1939 and written by John Steinbeck, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962....

. The three-act opera was originally commissioned by the Minnesota Opera

Minnesota Opera

The Minnesota Opera is a performance organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded in 1963 by the Walker Art Center, and is known for premiering such diverse works as Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and Frankenstein by Libby Larsen...

and co-produced with Utah Symphony & Opera. The Minnesota Opera production had its premiere February 10, 2007, at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is located in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota and hosts a variety of performing arts, such as touring Broadway musicals, orchestra, opera, and cultural performers. It serves as a home to several local arts organizations, including the Minnesota Opera, The Saint...

in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...

. The world premiere broadcast was heard on Minnesota Public Radio on September 19, 2007. Utah Symphony & Opera subsequently performed the piece (in a modified version) on May 12–20, 2007, at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...

. A revised version of the opera was performed by Pittsburgh Opera

Pittsburgh Opera

Pittsburgh Opera is an American opera company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is one of two opera companies in the city, the other being Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Opera gives performances in several venues, primarily at the Benedum Center, with other performances at the...

in November, 2008. Its collegiate premiere was performed at the Moores School of Music

Moores School of Music

The Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music is the music school of the University of Houston. The Moores School offers the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts in Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in music performance, conducting, theory and composition, music history...

of the University of Houston in April, 2009. A greatly revised concert version of the opera (in two acts) was given its New York premiere by The Collegiate Chorale

Collegiate Chorale

The Collegiate Chorale is a symphonic choir based in New York City, USA. It was founded in 1941 by Robert Shaw, who was later to found the professional Robert Shaw Chorale. The Collegiate Chorale continues to give several performances annually in Carnegie Hall and other major venues...

at Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....

on March 22, 2010, with Ted Sperling

Ted Sperling

Ted Sperling is a Musical Director, conductor, orchestrator, arranger, stage director and musician, primarily for the stage and concerts. He won the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations and the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Orchestrations, for his work in The Light in the Piazza in...

conducting the American Symphony Orchestra

American Symphony Orchestra

The American Symphony Orchestra is a New York-based American orchestra founded in 1962 by Leopold Stokowski, then aged 80. Following Maestro Stokowski's departure, Kazuyoshi Akiyama was appointed Music Director of the American Symphony Orchestra from 1973-1978. Music Directors during the early...

and a narration performed by Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other movie awards and nominations during more than 50 years as an...

. In April 2011, the Opera was presented by the Michigan State University

Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...

College of Music Opera Theater, under the direction of Professor Melanie Helton and Maestro Raphael Jimenez. This performance was in collaboration with Gordan's residency at Michigan State.

Synopsis

Setting: Oklahoma, Southwestern America, and California in the mid-1930s

Prologue

The sharecroppers recall the devastation of their native Oklahoma lands, brought about by drought and economic depression.

Act I

Having been released early from prison on parole for good behavior, Tom Joad meets up with Jim Casy, a lapsed preacher. When they get to the deserted and destroyed Joad family farm, they discover that the bank has foreclosed on it. To and Jim decide to accompany the family to California, where fruit picking jobs are supposed to be plenty. Al Joad buys an old truck, and the family loads up the few possessions they can take. Connie and Rosasharn dream of a new life and home for Moses, their unborn baby. The next day the Joads bury Grampa, who has died during the night. The family then continues their journey down Route 66.

Act II

At a diner, the Joads experiences contempt from the truckers and waitresses when they try to buy only the food they can afford, but the diner owner and waitress decide to act out of compassion. Crossing the Mojave, Granma dies during the night, but Ma keeps her death a secret until they get to California. At the Endicott Farm, the scene flashes back to 1849, when George Endicott plants his first plum tree. In the present time, growers inform the Joads that there's no work there. Another flash to 1924: George Endicott, the grandson, has become a successful businessman. Back in the present, the locals rally - with the influx of Okie laborers, their wages have been slashed. Nearby, plums are being burned, rather than being given to the hungry croppers. The Joads continue on to a Hooverville - a squalid shantytown. Ma struggles to keep the family together. Connie regrets leaving Oklahoma and storms off, never to return. The next day, the Joad men get involved with unscrupulous contractors. A woman is killed in the struggle, and Tom knocks a deputy unconscious, violating parole. Casy volunteers to stay behind and take the blame as the Joads escape to the truck. Noah Joad, feeling himself a burden on the family, goes to the creek and drowns himself.

Act III

Newly relocated at a clean, self-policing government camp, the Joads feel like people again. Local farm owners send in agitators to cause a fight during a hoedown so they can close down the camp, but the croppers remain peaceful. Pa persuades the Joads to go to a new farm. They realize that they have been brought in as scabs, triggering a riot outside the camp. Tom meets up with Jim Casy, now an agitator for farm workers' rights. When Casy is bludgeoned to death by a deputy, Tom kills him and goes into hiding. The remaining Joads find work picking cotton and taking shelter in a boxcar. During the rainy season, Rosasharn goes into labor, but delivers a stillborn child. Ma asks Pa to go bury Moses while Rosasharn recovers to ease her pain; Pa instead chooses to cast Moses' dead body into the river so that everyone can see "the fruits of their blindness." The raging river has flooded the remaining Joads out of their home. The truck is swept away in the water, and Al is lost when he goes after it. Ma, Pa, Ruthie, Winfield, and a very weak Rosasharn seek refuge in a barn, where they find a boy and his starving father. Ma intuitively knows what Rosasharn must do, and ushers everyone else outside. Rosasharn nourishes the starving man with milk from her breast.

Principal Characters

Tom Joad - Baritone

Ma Joad - Mezzo-Soprano

Rosasharn - Soprano

Jim Casy - Tenor

Pa Joad - Baritone

Uncle John - Baritone

Granma - Mezzo-Soprano

Grampa - Tenor

Connie Rivers - Baritone

Noah - Bass- Baritone

Al - Tenor

Ruthie - Child

Winfield - Child

Musical Scenes

Act 1

1 The Last Time There Was Rain - Ensemble

2 I Keep My Nose Clean - Tom

3 So Long Savior/I Baptized You/Naked Tree - Jim Casy, Tom

4 Gone - Tom, Muley Graves

5 Not My Fault - Ensemble, Muley Graves

6 Dusty Road/Promise Me, Tommy/Tricky Old Devil - Family

7 Good Machine - Ensemble, Al

8 Us - Ma

9 The Plenty Road/"Okies" Ensemble, Tom, Family

10 Handbills/I Can't Tell You/We'll Find Work - Ensemble, Ragged Man, Pa

11 The Zephyr/One Star - Connie, Rosasharn

11a He Don't Understand - Family

12 A Word for This Old Man - Jim Casy

13 Reprise, "Us" Act 1 Finale - Ma, Tom, Ensemble

Act 2

1 Truck Drivers - Mae, Ensemble

2 Dry Blue Night/We Can Be Quiet/ Rest Peaceful, Mama - Uncle John, Jim Casy, Tom, Al, Ma, Connie, Rosasharn

3 Inspection Station - Ma, Tom, Al

4 Like They Promised - Family

5 Endicott Farm/My Plum Tree - Ensemble, George J. Endicott, Family

6 The Fire in the Orchard - Ensemble, Tom

7 Hooverville/Hoovervile's Anywhere/No One is Goin - Ma, Al, Connie, Rosasharn

7a The Next Morning - Ensemble, Family

7b Tent & Truck - Ma, Rosasharn, Noah

8 The Creek/I Can Be A Help - Noah, Ma, Ensemble

Act 3

1 People Again - Ruthie, Winfield, Ma, Rosasharn, Ensemble

2 Square Dance - Pa, Uncle John, Ensemble

3 Fried Dough - Ma, Tom

4 Join the Line - Ensemble

5 Riot at Hooper Ranch - Ensemble, Family

6 Dry Blue Night/Things Turn Around - Al, Tom, Jim Casy

7 Dios te salve - Ensemble, Ma

8 I'll Be There - Ma, Tom

9 The Day the Rain Began - Ensemble

10 Boxcar - Ma, Uncle John

11 Little Dead Moses - Uncle John, Ensemble

12 Barn Road... Night - Ma, Rosasharn

The Grapes of Wrath Solo Aria Collection

A Song Book Featuring 16 arias from the Opera. Some are expanded versions of arias which were shortened or cut in the most recent edition of the opera.

1 - I Keep My Nose Clean - Tom

2 - So Long Savior/Naked Tree - Jim Casy

3 - Promise Me, Tommy - Ma

4 - Sit Quiet, Grampa - Granma

5 - Us - Ma

6 - I Can't Tell You - Ragged Man

7 - One Star - Rosasharn

8 - A Word For This Old Man - Jim Casy

9 - Truck Drivers - Mae

10 - Hooverville - Al

11 - I Can Be a Help - Noah

12 - Simple Child - Ma

13 - Fried Dough - Ma

14 - Things Turn Around - Jim Casy

15 - I'll Be There - Tom

16 - Little Dead Moses - Uncle John

Creative team for the Minnesota Opera production

Conductor Grant Gershon

Stage Director and Dramaturg Eric Simonson

Assistant Director Doug Scholz-Carlson

Set Designer Allen Moyer

Allen Moyer

Allen Moyer is an American set designer particularly known for his work in operas and Broadway musicals. He grew up in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania and holds a MFA degree from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where he studied under John Conklin...

Costume Designer Kärin Kopischke

Lighting Designer Robert Wierzel

Projections Designer Wendall Harrington

Sound Designer C Andrew Mayer

Choreographer Doug Varone

Assistant Choreographer Heidi Spesard-Noble

Wig Master & Makeup Tom Watson & Associates

Production Stage Manager Alexander Farino

Assistant Stage Managers Angie Spencer and Casey Martin

For Utah Opera

Wigs and Make-up Designer Jennifer Lloyd

Chorus Master Susanne Sheston

Musical Preparation Carol Anderson, Jason Hardnick & Kimi Kawashima

Stage Manager Bethany Ann Wright

Minnesota cast

Tom Joad, a released prisoner Brian Leerhuber

Ma Joad, family matriarch Deanne Meek

Rosasharn, Tom’s pregnant sister Kelly Kaduce

Jim Casy, a lapsed preacher Roger Honeywell

Pa Joad, a tenant farmer Peter Halverson

Uncle John, Pa’s brother Robert Orth

Granma, Pa and John’s mother Rosalind Elias
Rosalind Elias
Rosalind Elias is an American mezzo-soprano, a rich-voiced singer of fine musicianship who enjoyed a long and distinguished career at the Metropolitan Opera.-Life and career:...

Grampa, her husband Dan Dressen

Noah, Tom’s slow-witted brother Andrew Wilkowske

Al, their younger brother Joshua Kohl

Connie Rivers, Rosasharn's husband Jesse Blumberg

Ruthie, their younger sister Maeve Moynihan

Winfield, their younger brother Henry Bushnell

Featured roles Theodore Chletsos, Anna Jablonski, Greg Pearson, Kelly Markgraf, Karin Wolverton

Chorus Kyle Albertson, Alison Bates, Kory Bickel, Karen Bushby, Andrea Coleman, Ben Crickenberger, Steve Dahlberg, Jennifer Eckes, Andy Elfenbein, Carole Finneran, Peter Frenz, Brandon Glosser, Tracey Gorman, Jamie-Rose Guarrine, Katherine Haugen, Michelle Hayes, Robin Helgen, Sandy Henderson, James Howes, Kathleen Humphrey, Ben Johnson, Tor Johnson, Brian Jorgensen, Roy Kallemeyn, Maggie Lofboom, Elizabeth Longhurst, Eric Mahutga, Tom Matchinsky, Eric Mellum, Cortez Mitchell, Edward Mout, Matt Neil, Janet Paone, Rick Penning, Nili Riemer, Steve Sandberg, Joy Scheib, Cathryn Schmidt, Robert Schmidt, Sandra Schoenecker, Joel Swearingen, Hugo Vera, Eric Vollen, Kevin Werner, Sarah Wigley

Supernumeraries Ashlee Fuss, Noah Gilbertson, Kenny Kiser, Kacie Riddle, David Ross, Alex Sundvall, David Wiles

Utah cast

Tom Joad Brian Leerhuber

Ma Joad Deanne Meek

Rosasharn Jennifer Aylmer

Jim Casy Roger Honeywell

Pa Joad Peter Halverson

Uncle John Robert Orth

Granma Mary Ann Dresher

Grampa Todd Miller

Connie Rivers Jesse Blumberg

Noah Joad James Rollins

Al Joad Joshua Kohl

Ruthie Erin McDermott*

Winfield Connor McCoy*

Featured Ensemble: Theodore Chletsos, Kory Bickel, Gregory Pearson, Karin Wolverton, Kathleen Humphrey, Aaron Pegram

* Choristers of the Madeleine Choir School

Chorus:

Soprano: Angela Lewis, Carolyn Klassen, Shannon Kessler, Marilee Packer, Julie McBeth, Janilyn Anderson, Karen Larsen, Katie Hochman, Lyndsay Browning

Alto : Christine McDonough, Ann Allan, Lori Fisher, Mary Sorensen, Paula Fowler, Rebecca Law-Van Wagenen, Sue Solim, Jennifer Hancock, Madelyn Gilbert, Sammie Tollestrup, Susan Naud, Elisabeth Bieber

Tenor: Tony Porter, Doug Brunker, Tanner Knight, Patrick Langford, Allen Whitesides, David Arrington, Seth Gruber, Fielding Smith, Darrin Young, Shane Sim

Bass: Jayson Henderson, Nelson LeDuc, Scott Noel, Sean Savidge, Thomas Klassen, Kyle Hall, Jon Schild, Chad Sloan, Joe Larsen

Supernumeraries: C. P. Elliot, David Lamb, Matthew Klassen*, Katelyn Klassen*, Antona Yost*, Lucius Bynum*, David Payne*

Pittsburgh cast

Tom Joad Craig Verm

Ma Joad Elizabeth Bishop

Rosasharn Danielle Pastin

Jim Casy Sean Panikkar

Pa Joad Peter Halverson

Uncle John Robert Orth

Granma Anna Singer

Grampa Joseph Frank

Connie Rivers Jesse Blumberg

Noah Joad Andrew Wilkowske

Al Joad Jason Karn

Ruthie Michelle Coben

Winfield Joseph Serafini

Featured Ensemble: Anna Jablonski, Karin Wolverton, Kelly Markgraf, Theodore Chletsos, Gregory Pearson, Sean Donaldson, Dean Kokanos, William Buchanan, Bob Simoni, Jeff Link, Jason Steele, Maliq Cunningham

Chorus:

Soprano: Lilly Abreu, Cheryl Shenefelt Bush, Lara Lynn Cottrill, Jamie Fair, Judith Jenkins, Stephanie Kasper, Eileen H. Murray, Jessica Scheer, Katy Shackleton-Williams, Denise Sheffey-Powell, Carol Wolfe

Alto : Janice Garrone, Angela Madia, Kellie McCurdy-Ryan, Barbara McDonough, Jennifer Neslund, Cynthia Pratt, Eva Rainforth, Veronika Schmidt, Amanda Serra

Tenor: Enrique Bernardo, William Buchanan, William Fisher, Eric Haines, Michael Jankosky, David Knouse, Jeffrey Link, Richard Mikol, Robert Pruitt, John Sereno, Mark Spondike, John Walters

Bass: Brian Barrett, Peter Bianchi, Jesse Lee Davis II, Sean G. Donaldson, John F. Hastings, David Jenning-Smith, Robert Allen Kurth, Christopher G. Laret, Timothy Marquette, Joshua Mulkey, Robert Simoni, Jason Steele

Supernumeraries: Nicholas Angelou, Justin Giles, J.R. Graff, Richard Ivaun, Victor Kivuva, Steve McGalla, Robert Murray, D.J. Robinson, Maggie Scanlion, Ken Shen, Odette Sherk, Camden Williams

Chorus Master: Mark Trawka

New York (Carnegie Hall) cast

Carnegie Hall/ Collegiate Chorale Cast

World Premiere of the two act concert version

OPERA-IN-CONCERT

The Grapes of Wrath, at Carnegie Hall

Monday, March 22, 2010 at 8pm

Music by Ricky Ian Gordon

Libretto by Michael Korie

Jane Fonda, Narrator

Nathan Gunn
Nathan Gunn
Nathan Gunn is an operatic baritone from the United States.He has appeared in many of world's well-known opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, Dallas Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh Opera,...

- Tom Joad

Victoria Clark
Victoria Clark
Victoria Clark is an American musical theatre singer and actress. Clark has performed in many Broadway musicals and in other theatre, film and television work, and her soprano voice can be heard on numerous cast albums and several animated films...

- Ma Joad

Elizabeth Futral - Rosasharn

Sean Panikkar - Jim Casy

Peter Halverson - Pa Joad

Stephen Powell - Uncle John

Andrew Wilkowske - Noah

Steven Pasquale
Steven Pasquale
Steven Pasquale is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Sean Garrity in the critically acclaimed series Rescue Me. He made his debut on the HBO series Six Feet Under, playing a love interest for David. He also starred in the film Aliens vs...

- Al

Christine Ebersole
Christine Ebersole
Christine Ebersole is an American actress and singer.-Early life:Ebersole was born in Winnetka, Illinois, where she attended New Trier High School...

- Mae

Matthew Worth - Ragged Man/Connie/Truck Driver

Madelyn Gunn - Ruthie

Alex Schwartz - Winfield

American Symphony Orchestra

Ted Sperling, Conductor

Edward Barnes, Producer

Eric Simonson, Director

Frances Aronson, Lighting Designer

Wendall Harrington, Projection Designer

Michigan State University 2011 Cast

Tom Joad Brandon Manson, Adrian Sanchez

Ma Joad Katie Ross, Ann Marie Theis

Rosasharn Juliana Kartsimas, Elizabeth Hoard

Jim Casey Joshua Baum, Steve Martin

Pa Joad Kyle Ivester, Kenneth Keel

Uncle John Andy Huber, John Riesen

Granma Lauren Glinke, Rachel Kallman

Grampa David Moul

Connie Rivers Harry Greenleaf, Zachary Niedzwiecki

Noah Peter Boylan, Jeremiah Garrigues-Cortelyou

Al Griffin Candey, Bryson Beaver

Ruthie Marlaina Marshall, Caite Lenahan

Mae Jennifer Morgan, Elizabeth James

Featured Female Soloists Betsey Bledsoe, Hannah Busch, Amy Dixon

Featured Male Soloists Joshua Gronlund, Evan Snyder, Connor Ralph, Parks Payton

Other Chorus Jillian Baker, Leigh Goyings, Annie Weiss, Aerial Doucette, Melissa Eisensmith,
Chelsea Bolas, London Durand, Hannah Stone, Schyler Sheltrown, Abbie Reifel, Josh Sawyer,
Charlotte Grenier, Cristina Puentes, Kate Hyne, Velora Hall

Director Professor Melanie Helton

Conductor Maestro Raphael Jimenez

Assistant Conductor Carlos Andrés Botero

Chorus Master Danny Singer

Stage Manager Paul Deckard

Assistant Stage Manager Roger Pan

Assistant Stage Manager Caitlin Sweetser