Name: Jane Lang Davis Creation Lab 2023
Start: 2023-06-23T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2023-06-24T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Opera Center

Organization

Admin

Seattle Opera

Conductor

Paula Madrigal

Instrumentalist

Paul Hansen

Percussion

Cristina Valdez

Piano

YeSol Im

Violin

Singer

Myah Rose Paden

Vagina

Woman

Rachelle Moss

Clerk

Jane Lang Davis Creation Lab 2023

New York City

United States

Opera Center

Tagney Jones Hall

Public

The Lost Genital Department

Matias Vergara Moyano

Approved

The Lost Genital Department: An Opera

via Jane Lang Davis Creation Lab
Seattle Opera Tagney Jones Hall, June 23 - 24, 2023

Artists

Myah Rose Paden - Vagina 
Ivy Zhou - Woman 
Rachelle Moss - Clerk 
YeSol Im - Violin
Cristina Valdez - Piano
Paul Hansen - Percussion 
Paula Madrigal - Music Director


A woman goes to the Lost Genital Department to look for her vagina, who has walked off her body. Why would the vagina do this? What are both of them going to do in this situation? Audience members will find out about that together with the clerk, who is, honestly, eager to go home, at 5 o’clock, the end of day.
The 20-min opera is built upon years of research, conversations and field work in collaboration with real human beings with vaginas as well as PTs and sex educators. I dedicate this libretto to them: Tanzania Jenkins-Shaub, Marla Burkholder, Mariah Mennano, Reverend Michelle Simmons, Kendra Balmer,and Al Vernaccio. 
Collaborating with composer Mike Powers, musically, our early conversations revolves around what a vagina might sound like, what absurdity sounds like. The musical language we arrived at is one of simple lyricism accompanied by intricate rhythm and harmony. One of Powers' favorite things to do is taking an otherwise straightforward melody and seeing just how much stuff he can surround it with.
It’s probably the first time for many to hear a vagina sing. Perhaps this can suggest a whole new perspective through which we can view our body parts differently, as in this world, they will look us back, talk back, sing back, in a dramatic operatic voice. We are excited to center this voice through our writing and music, and share it with new and old opera audiences. A very important moment to witness: when a vagina begins to sing an aria.
Many thanks to Dennis Robinson Jr, Aiyana Hewitt Mehta, and Seattle Opera for supporting the creation of this opera. The work is mentored by Kelley Rourke and Kamala Sankaram. Special thanks to Adrienne Mackey.

English

Jane Lang Davis Creation Lab 2023 by Mike Powers, From (2023/2023), Conductor Paula Madrigal, Opera Center, New York City, United States

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Instrumentation

Programme, About & Synopsis

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues