I AM A DREAMER WHO NO LONGER DREAMS Comes to Carnegie Next Month

Resonance Works' tenth anniversary season opens with a poignant contemporary American opera this October. Celebrated creator Cerise Lim Jacobs and composer Jorge Sosa produced I Am a Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams in response to the Trump administration's efforts to rescind the Deferred Action for Children Arrivals law (DACA, also known as the Dreamer Act) in 2019. The opera explores the complex journey of immigration through the eyes of its two lead characters.

"This work is an eloquent response to a specific political context and an exploration of the broader immigrant experience in this country," says Maria Sensi Sellner, Resonance Works' Artistic & General Director. "Through its compelling storyline and emotive score, Dreamer asks us to reexamine what it means to be an American, and how our definition of who 'counts' as American impacts how we treat each other. We are proud to bring this powerful work to the city of Pittsburgh, which is so uniquely defined by its diverse immigrant communities, both historically and today." Pictured: Creator Cerise Lim Jacobs and composer Jorge Sosa

Building on its reputation for bringing important new American music to Pittsburgh audiences, Resonance Works is the second company to produce Dreamer. This evocative work debuted in Boston at the activist opera company White Snake Projects in 2019. The premiere's "fiercely personal performances" and "raw and powerful narrative" (I Care if You Listen) earned rave reviews.

Dreamer opens a dynamic 2022-23 season that features the depth and range of classical music performance, including two world premieres, orchestral favorites, and awe-inspiring masterworks.

I Am a Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams explores the complex relationship between Rosa, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who is awaiting deportation, and Singa, her court-appointed attorney, an ethnically Chinese immigrant from Indonesia living in the U.S. on a green card. Through Rosa and Singa's parallel yet divergent immigration experiences, Dreamer examines the complexities of American identity.

Resonance Works alum Maria Dominique Lopez, a Mexican-American mezzo soprano, brings her "vocal instrument of exceptional beauty, range, and flexibility" to the role of Rosa. Soprano Helen Zhibing Huang makes her Pittsburgh debut as Singa, a role she originated "with gusto and clarity" (The Boston Intelligencer) in the Boston world premiere of Dreamer in 2019. The Resonance Works production takes shape through the vision of acclaimed stage and film director Estefanía Fadul, who "aims to connect diverse communities through inventive, visceral, and socially conscious storytelling." Resonance Works alum Natalie Polito, a versatile soprano who previously performed in productions of Falstaff and Rusalka, performs as Mother/Gangster/Prosecutor.

Described by The Boston Globe as "...a timely tale haunted by American dreams," Dreamer's music is an eclectic mix of styles and influences, including traces of Asian and Mexican folk music, jazz, Afro-latin rhythms, as well as western classical traditions. A children's chorus takes a central role in the opera, uplifting the voice and perspective of immigrant children through singers from the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus. Chengxi Tao (Young Singa) and Elizabeth Rosales (Young Rosa) round out the cast.

Showtimes: Friday, October 14, 8PM • Sunday, October 16, 3PM

Location: Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall, Carnegie

Tickets: $12.50-$50. Subscriptions for Resonance Works' tenth anniversary season and single tickets for Dreamer are on sale now.

Run time: 1.5 hours, no intermission

COVID-19 Policy: Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required upon entry, and all audience members must properly wear a mask at all times while in the venue.

To post a comment, you must register and login.