The Story

Three main characters are on a path of self discovery and acceptance at a time when media didn’t portray the queer experience. High school teenager Gil realizes he has feelings for his best friend Clay. Louise is a married woman who regrets not having explored the full spectrum of her queer identity. Phyllis, a quirky grandmother who suffers from dementia, reflects on what could have been if she had been honest with herself. When a popular show portrays the first coming out narrative to be shown on TV, public representation forces these characters to do some soul-searching.

You might like this if…

• You love elderly ladies with a lot of spunk and sass, a là Sofia from The Golden Girls
• You enjoy quirky characters that are trying to discover themselves through their relationships
• You’re over cookie-cutter stories that focus on a young ingénue – you’re ready to see a story unfold across generations
or
• You’re down to feel those feels and let out those tear

What’s cool about this show?

• The opera’s narrative style features heartwarming intersecting storylines – think Love Actually (but with less cringing)
• Composer Matthew Recio and librettist Royce Vavrek sought to portray complex and realistic coming out journeys in a modern-day love story
• This opera deals with representation in the media, showing how important it is for people to see those who look like them – and live like them – on the screen
• This opera was written as part of COT’s Vanguard Emerging Opera Composer residency, in which each Vanguard Composer is paired with an experienced librettist to create a 90-minute opera that is commissioned, workshopped extensively, and presented by COT
• The Vanguard operas also benefit from mentorship with a professional dramaturg, Staley Music Director Lidiya Yankovskaya, and Vanguard Composer Mentor Jake Heggie