OVERVIEW
Composed by Jake Heggie with libretto by Terrence McNally, Dead Man Walking was commissioned by San Francisco Opera and premiered on the War Memorial Opera House stage in 2000. Since then, it has been rendered in more than 40 productions worldwide, but the Opera Parallèle production will be the first time it has been seen in San Francisco since its premiere 15 years ago. Dead Man Walking is based on Sister Helen Prejean’s 1993 memoir, which tells of her time working with death row inmates at Louisiana State Penitentiary, and of a particular relationship she developed with one of the inmates. Sister Helen’s memoir was also the subject of a celebrated 1995 film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. The popularity of the opera can be credited not only to the timeless relevance of its subject and the humanity of its story, but on how successfully the composer and librettist captured the essence and impact of the story in an intense musical and dramatic setting.
Opera Parallèle presents a new production in “OP style” featuring dynamic, flexible sets, digital projections and a high-impact performance style overseen by Creative Director Brian Staufenbiel. The work has been newly re-orchestrated under the supervision of Jake Heggie and Nicole Paiement.
PERFORMANCES
WHERE: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater
WHEN: 8 p.m. February 20, 21, 2015, 2 p.m. February 22, 2015
WHERE: Broad Stage, Santa Monica
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., March 7, 2015, 2 p.m., March 8, 2015