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Walnut Creek Magazine

SUSANNAH

An American tale of innocence, lust and social consequence

18-year-old Susannah Polk is a typical teenager entering womanhood in the quiet mountain town of New Hope, Tennessee, when she finds herself bereft of hope as she becomes the target of ruthless and malicious gossip.

In his seminal opera, Carlisle Floyd revisits the Apocryphal tale of Susanna and the Elders, but transports the story to his own familiar universe — the American South of the 1950s during a time of profound social change. The nation was gripped by intense fear during the McCarthy era, when making accusations without evidence was common practice, while the the feminist and civil rights movements were also gaining momentum. More than six decades since its premiere, Floyd’s Susannah now stands as the second most beloved American opera, after Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.

Join us for a stunning production of this uniquely American tale of innocence, lust, and social consequence.

 MARK FOEHRINGER, Director
 BRYAN NIES, Conductor
 WILLIAM SAUERLAND, Chorusmaster

 Starring
 SHANA BLAKE HILL as Susannah Polk
 ALEX BOYER as Sam Polk
 PHILIP SKINNER as Reverend Olin Blitch
 ROBERT NORMAN as Little Bat McLean
 EUGENE BRANCOVEANU as Elder McLean
 MICHAEL ORLINSKY as Elder Gleaton
JOSEPH MEYERS as Elder Hayes
 MALTE ROESNER as Elder Ott
 ERIN NEFF as Mrs. McLean
 DIANA TASH as Mrs. Gleaton
 KRISTEN CAMPBELL as Mrs. Hayes
 DANIELLE MARCELLE BOND as Mrs. Ott

 With the FESTIVAL OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

Date & Time

July 14, 2019

2:00PM

Location

Lesher Center for the Arts - 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek, CA, 94596 1601 Civic Dr. Walnut Creek 94596 CA US

Get Directions

More Info

Event Website

925-943-7469

$20 Students, $44-$90 Adults

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