Program PDF

To Hell and Back (2006), Jake Heggie
Sung in English with supertitles

We’ve Got Our Eye on You (2016), Nkeiru Okoye
Sung in English with supertitles

Patrick Diamond, director
Wilson Southerland, conductor

To Hell and Back, with music by Jake Heggie and libretto by Gene Scheer, contains a 40-minute score reflective of music by Britten, Bernstein and Copland. Utilizing Baroque sounds alongside modern musical language, the story is inspired by the myth of Persephone and told in five scenes by a cast of two. Focused on the loving relationship between a woman, Anne, and her daughter-in-law, Stephanie, the story revolves around the shattering acknowledgement that Stephanie is a victim of spousal abuse at the hands of Anne’s son.

We’ve Got Our Eye on You, composed by Dr. Nkeiru Okoye with a libretto by David Cote, “delivers a humorous but uplifting message about giving in to desire prematurely… It challenges today’s ‘hookup’ phenomenon that is especially pervasive amongst teens and college students,” according to Dr. Okoye. This amusing Gilbert & Sullivan-esque show, loosely inspired by Greek mythology, employs a brand of humor that is similar to Monty Python’s.

“EOT is excited to feature a double bill of two 21st-century operas by important living composers. Dr. Okoye and Jake Heggie offer stories of abuse, redemption, empowerment and desire. The musical styles of these pieces run the gamut from Baroque to Broadway,” shares Wilson Southerland, Associate Music Director for EOT. Read more...

Performances
Thursday, November 2 | 7:30pm
Friday, November 3 | 7:30pm
Saturday, November 4 | 7:30pm
Sunday, November 5 | 2:30pm

3D Tour of Kilbourn Hall