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Houston Grand Opera Presents World Premiere of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

By: Nov. 30, 2016
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Houston Grand Opera continues its cycle of holiday operas with the world premiere of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer, from December 2 through 17. This timeless tale follows a troubled banker whose guardian angel shows him the lasting impact our lives can have on those around us.

The 1946 Frank Capra film IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE has become synonymous with the American holiday spirit. The opera takes its story from the film - an angel is assigned to help a human, George Bailey, who is so despondent that he plans to take his own life on Christmas Eve.

But in a departure from the film, the action in the opera takes place from the perspective of the angel, named Clara, who will finally earn her wings if she helps George. Complete with a quartet of flying angels who assist Clara, four big dance numbers, a feathered turbo booster hat that stops time, and a sing-along at the end of the opera, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is perfect for children and families.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, based in part on the film of the same name and "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern, will be the Heggie/Scheer team's third commission from HGO and Heggie's sixth world premiere conducted by HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers. In this production, tenor William Burden takes the lead as George Bailey, with soprano Talise Trevigne making her HGO debut as Clara. HGO Studio alumna Andrea Carroll will sing Mary Hatch Bailey and fellow HGO Studio alumnus Joshua Hopkins will sing Harry Bailey. Mr. Potter/Mr. Gower will be sung by American tenor Rod Gilfry, in his HGO debut, and Anthony Dean Griffey will sing Uncle Billy Bailey. Leonard Foglia will direct. The opera is sung is English with projected text.
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Set design by Robert Brill, costume design by David C. Woolard, lighting design by Brian Nason, projection/video design by Elaine J. McCarthy, sound design by Andrew Harper and choreography by Keturah Stickann.
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IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is a co-commission and co-production of Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, and The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
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IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE opens December 2 and continues through December 17 at the Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas. For information, call 713-228-6737 or visit hgo.org. $28 to $117.

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