“It’s a Wonderful Life” at the CU New Opera Workshop

By Peter Alexander

It’s a wonderful life for composer Jake Heggie right now.

Left to Right: Libretist Gene Scheer; Leonard Foglia, Houston Grand Opera; composer Jake Heggie; and Bradley Moore, Houston Grand Opera. Photo by Alexandria Ortega for CU Presents.

As the composer of two highly successful operas, Dead Man Walking (2000) and Moby Dick (2010), he finds that commissions for his works keep coming.

“People keep asking me,” he says. “A commission is a huge gift.”

Now he is in Boulder to work on his latest opera, based on Frank Capra’s beloved 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life. Joining him for work at the CU New Opera Workshop, (CU NOW) are librettist Gene Scheer and staff from the Houston Grand Opera, where the finished opera will have its premiere in December.

Under Leigh Holman, director of CU’s Eklund Opera Program, CU NOW offers composers the opportunity to workshop new operas prior to their first productions. For more than two weeks, they can try out their new works with CU student singers and other support staff, seeing what works and what doesn’t, making changes as they go.

After 18 days of intensive work, CU NOW will present performances of selected scenes from It’s a Wonderful Life at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 17, and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 19, in the ATLAS Black Box Theater. Between those two performances, CU NOW will also present scenes by CU student composers at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (June 18) in the Imig Music Theatre. All three performances are free and open to the public.

Read more in Boulder Weekly.

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CU New Opera Workshop (CU NOW)

Rehearsal of “It’s a Wonderful Life” at CU NOW. Photo by Peter Alexander.

Workshop: It’s a Wonderful Life by
Jake Heggie
Libretto by Gene Scheer

7:30 p.m. Friday, June 17
2 p.m. Sunday, June 19
ATLAS Black Box Theater, CU Roser ATLAS Building

Composers Fellows’ Initiative
Performances of student opera compositions

7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 18
Music Theatre, CU Imig Music Building

Performances are free and open to the public