Presented by the little OPERA theatre of ny in association with National Black Theatre and Harlem Opera Theater, this unique double bill is composed of two one act American operas rarely seen in New York City and never before seen together. Highway 1, U.S.A., by African American composer William Grant Still, premiered in 1963 and is based upon a libretto by his wife Verna Arvey, a daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants. Down in the Valley, by German immigrant Kurt Weill, premiered in 1948 and is based upon a libretto by first generation playwright Arnold Sundgaard. The two iconic composers and their librettists, with their varied backgrounds, sought to merge classical European and populist American music traditions to create a new kind of hybrid operatic form that is uniquely American.
Highway 1, U.S.A. is about a couple named Bob and Mary who run a gas station convenience store along Highway 1, and the sacrifices they endure to put Bob's brother Nate through college. The family dynamic turns tragic and the sheriff arrives. Down in the Valley is set in Birmingham City and tells the story of forbidden love, jealousy, and a hanging. LOTNY’s production will help uncover issues of inequality, the burden of family and the racial boundaries inherent in both works.
