''Dog Days'' is an
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
by
David T. Little
David T. Little (born October 25, 1978) is a Grammy-nominated American composer, record producer, and drummer known for his operatic, orchestral, and chamber works, most notably his operas ''JFK (opera), JFK,'' ''Soldier Songs'', and ''Dog Days ( ...
, to a libretto by
Royce Vavrek
Royce Vavrek is a Canadian-born Brooklyn-based librettist, playwright, dance scenarist, musical theatre writer and filmmaker known for his collaborations with composers David T. Little, Missy Mazzoli, Mikael Karlsson, Ricky Ian Gordon, Paola Prest ...
after the short story by
Judy Budnitz
Judy Budnitz (born 1973) is an American writer. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, attended Harvard University, was a fellow at Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, and in 1998 received an MFA in creative writing from New York University.
Bibliograp ...
.
Performance history
''Dog Days'' was produced by Peak Performances @
Montclair State
Montclair State University (MSU) is a Public university, public research university in Montclair, New Jersey, with parts of the campus extending into Little Falls, New Jersey, Little Falls. As of fall 2018, Montclair State was, by enrollment, ...
(New Jersey) in association with Beth Morrison Projects, and had its world premiere run from September 29 to October 7, 2012.
Robert Woodruff directed the production that starred
Lauren Worsham
Lauren Tolbert Worsham (born April 4, 1982) is an American actress and singer known for her work in the opera and musical theatre. She received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in '' A Gentleman's Guid ...
and performance artist
John Kelly John or Jack Kelly may refer to:
People Academics and scientists
* John Kelly (engineer), Irish professor, former Registrar of University College Dublin
*John Kelly (scholar) (1750–1809), at Douglas, Isle of Man
*John Forrest Kelly (1859–1922) ...
. Scenic and video design was created by Jim Findlay, costume design by Vita Tzykun, and sound design by Matt Frey.
Alan Pierson
Alan Emanuel Pierson (born May 12, 1974, Chicago, Illinois) is an American conductor. His parents are Elaine Pierson and Edward S. Pierson, the latter an engineering professor at Purdue University Calumet. In Chicago Pierson took piano and compo ...
was the production's Musical Director and conductor, with new music ensemble Newspeak serving as the on-stage band.
Scenes from ''Dog Days'' premiered at Zankel Hall at
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
on May 9, 2009, as part of the
Dawn Upshaw
Dawn Upshaw (born July 17, 1960) is an American soprano. She is the recipient of several Grammy Awards and has released a number of Edison Award-winning discs; she performs both opera and art song, and her repertoire spans Baroque to contempor ...
and
Osvaldo Golijov
Osvaldo Noé Golijov (; born December 5, 1960) is an Argentine composer of classical music and music professor, known for his vocal and orchestral work.
Biography
Osvaldo Golijov was born in and grew up in La Plata, Argentina, in a Jewish family ...
Young Artists Concert. Three arias from the opera-in-progress were subsequently presented by
American Opera Projects The American Opera Project (AOP) is a professional opera company based in Brooklyn, New York City, and is a member of Opera America, the Fort Greene Association, the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance, and the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A. ...
at Galapagos Arts Space, including the world premiere of ''Mirror, Mirror'' performed by soprano
Lauren Worsham
Lauren Tolbert Worsham (born April 4, 1982) is an American actress and singer known for her work in the opera and musical theatre. She received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in '' A Gentleman's Guid ...
.
In 2015 the work was staged at both the
Fort Worth Opera
Fort Worth Opera is the oldest continually-performing opera company in the state of Texas and among the oldest in the United States, according to the company. While originally presenting operas one at a time over a fall/winter season, it changed ...
and
Los Angeles Opera
The Los Angeles Opera is an American opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth-largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center.
Leadersh ...
with the original cast from the world premiere in Montclair. The work saw its New York City premiere at the
Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
The Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, generally known as NYU Skirball, is an 850-seat theater at 566 LaGuardia Place in Manhattan, New York, owned by New York University. It was named after philanthropist Jack H. Skirball. The thea ...
during the 2016
Prototype Festival
Prototype Festival is an annual, weeklong contemporary opera and musical theater festival held in New York City.
Program
Prototype Festival is an annual, weeklong festival of contemporary opera and musical theater. The festival encourages n ...
. The work's European premiere took place at
Bielefeld Opera
The Bielefeld Opera is the venue of Städtische Bühnen Bielefeld (Municipal stages Bielefeld) in Bielefeld, Germany. It is a ''Dreisparten Haus'' (three-department house), offering plays, music (opera, musical theatre), and ballet. The main per ...
on February 27, 2016.
Original cast recording
The original cast recording of ''Dog Days'' was released on VIA Records on September 9, 2016. Recorded live at
REDCAT
Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (REDCAT) is an interdisciplinary contemporary arts center for innovative visual, performing and media arts in downtown Los Angeles, located inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex. Opened in November 2003 ...
during the Los Angeles Opera presentation of the Beth Morrison Projects' production, the album was praised upon its release by
WQXR in New York as "a fine document...captured with pristine clarity...(a) valuable addition to the 21st-century discography". It was subsequently named one of the "Best 50 Albums of 2016" by
NPR Music
NPR Music is a project of National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization, that launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music ...
, ranking at #19.
Roles
Synopsis
The opera follows an American family in the near future who slowly starve as war rages. One day, a man in a dog suit arrives on their property howling for scraps.
Reception
"It might all amount to mere provocation had Mr. Little and Mr. Vavrek not delivered a taut, nuanced work that clawed beneath the surface of every situation. Profanities pop like a string of firecrackers in Mr. Vavrek's libretto, yet its poetry is indelible and affecting. Mr. Little responded with music of emotional insight and charm, suggesting pop-music modes at times without ever resorting to pastiche. Harsh, angular lines and abrasive textures cede to wistful melodies and touches of hymnody; unorthodox instrumental techniques enhance mood without distracting." (Steve Smith, ''The New York Times'')
"This gripping two-hour opera
..wastes no time: A taut libretto and varied, original music deliver its grim story like a punch in the stomach." (Heidi Waleson, ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'')
"The work seamlessly melds emerging and veteran artists with distinctive viewpoints and serious craft. Little's rhythmically driven score is stylistically diverse but cogent, fusing impeccable classical vocal writing, heavy metal, and musical theater. Royce Vavrek's libretto shifts from coarse, plainspoken banter to poetic musings." (Ronni Reich, ''
The Star-Ledger
''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to ''The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of wh ...
'', New Jersey)
''Dog Days'': Opera's savage side"
, ''The Star-Ledger'', 2 October 2012
References
External links
''Dog Days''
Beth Morrison Projects
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dog Days (Opera)
2012 operas
English-language operas
Operas
Operas set in the United States