Music by Jake Heggie, Libretto by Terrence McNally, Based on the novel by Sister Helen Prejean
"Dead Man Walking makes the most concentrated impact of any piece of American music theater since West Side Story more than 40 years ago." - The Guardian (U.K.)
CAST
Joyce DiDonato Sister Helen Prejean
Philip Cutlip Joseph De Rocher
Frederica von Stade Mrs. Patrick De Rocher
Measha Brueggergosman Sister Rose
Hector Vásquez George Benton
John Packard Owen Hart
Sheryl Woods Kitty Hart
Susanne Mentzer Jade Boucher
Jon Kolbet Howard Boucher
Beau Gibson Fr. Grenville
CREATIVE TEAM
Patrick Summers Conductor
Leonard Foglia Director
Michael McGarty Set Designer
Jess Goldstein Costume Designer
Brian Nason Lighting Designer
Elaine McCarthy Projections Designer
Richard Bado Chorus Master
Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, Chorus and Children's Chorus
Brown Theater | Sung in English with Supertitles
A story of compassion and redemption, Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking has played to sold-out houses across the U.S. and Europe in the decade since its premiere.
Joseph De Rocher (Philip Cutlip) leads a lonely life on death row until Sister Helen Prejean (Joyce DiDonato) arrives as his spiritual advisor. Legendary mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade marks her farewell to the operatic stage with these appearances as De Rocher’s mother and Measha Brueggergosman makes her HGO debut as Sister Rose. Patrick Summers—who conducted the opera’s world premiere a decade ago as well as the acclaimed recording on Erato—conducts Houston Grand Opera’s performances, Leonard Foglia directs.
Adult content: contains strong language, nudity, and depictions of sexual activity and violence.
Dead Man Walking was commissioned by the San Francisco Opera.
A co-production of Opera Pacific, Cincinnati Opera, New York City Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Pittsburgh Opera and Baltimore Opera.
Guarantors Franci and Jim Crane
Banner photo by David Bachman for Pittsburgh Opera
2010/11 Season Madame Butterfly | Peter Grimes | Dead Man Walking Lucia di Lammermoor | The Marriage of Figaro | Ariadne auf Naxos