PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
When Curtis K. Hughes watched the vice presidential debates last year, Palin and Biden’s amusing personalities and musical voices inspired him to compose a full-fledged opera he called “Say It Ain’t So, Joe.”
“Sarah Palin is melodious,” says Hughes. “Biden just drones on and on and on in one or two notes, or gets incredibly dynamic and wide ranging, then seems to exhaust himself and go back to the drone.”
The production, currently being staged by Guerilla Opera, aims to stay politically neutral, says Aliana de la Guardia, who acts as Diane Sawyer and Palin.
“A message is definitely that people should think for themselves and be aware of the media and how it works,” she says.
Most of the opera’s lyrics come straight from the text of the debate.
“I came out of it feeling like there were really no purely heroic figures in any of this,” says Hughes.
“If there’s any kind of evil character, it’s probably the media itself. I was just continuously dumbfounded by the really stupid things the media had to say and ask.”
‘Say It Ain’t So, Joe’
Through Sunday
Boston Conservatory
8 The Fenway, Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Hynes
$7-$12, 617-912-9222
Here is an NPR story on the 2008 VP opera. It’s really interesting what the composer did.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wbur.org/2009/09/25/guerilla-opera
Here is also a review from a prominent Boston music web publication.
http://classical-scene.com/2009/09/21/run-to-see-%E2%80%9Csay-it-ain%E2%80%99t-so-joe%E2%80%9D/