Immersive short opera by Nathan Felix about hope and determination, with University of Houston students and professional musicians.
Nathan Felix brings his short opera La Gran Esperanza to the Blaffer Art Museum on Saturday, October 10, from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. Felix wrote and directed the piece, which is sung in Spanish and centers on hope, cultural identity, and the search for belonging. The story follows three Hispanic childhood friends whose lives are shaped by a shared resolve and one boy's dreams of baseball. That part is loosely inspired by former MLB player Freddie Benavidez, who is widely regarded as the first professional athlete from Laredo, Texas, and who gave hope to a generation of Hispanic youth in the border town.
What makes this one different from a typical opera is the staging. It's a site-responsive experience with no seating, and it works like a flash mob: vocalists and musicians perform live throughout the museum, and the audience moves with them, including up the stairs to the second level. The line between performer and spectator blurs as you follow the music through the space rather than watching from a seat. The work runs about an hour with no intermission and is recommended for all ages.
The performance brings together a mix of professional and student talent. Felix is joined by conductor Jilin Dong, mezzo Sarah Dyer-Jones, and Moores School of Music singers Joshua Thomas (baritone), Julia Starr (soprano), and Jonatán Reyes (tenor). They're supported by University of Houston Opera Program students and professional musicians from the greater Houston community. It's a local production in every sense, with the university's music program and the city's professional scene sharing the bill.
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La Gran Esperanza runs from 7 PM to 8:30 PM on Saturday, October 10, at the Blaffer Art Museum, 4173 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004. Admission is free, with a pay-what-you-can option.
