Opera In The Heights Presents World Premiere Of YELTSIN

Yeltsin in Texas, a world premiere, will open the Opera in the Heights (Oh!) New Works Festival during Spring 2020. This comedic chamber opera, with music by Evan Mack and libretto by Josh McGuire, dramatizes the unlikely but true story in 1989 of Russian president Boris Yeltsin's visit to a Houston supermarket and the eye-opening experience that shattered his view of communism. Performances take place February 22, 28 at 7:30pm and March 1 at 2pm.

Yeltsin in Texas playfully riffs on the idea behind John Adams's Nixon in China, dramatizing a historic presidential visit to a foreign land. "I was drawn to the story because it was a moment in history no one knows about and the idea that a Texas grocery store could take down the USSR shows that American greatness lies in the ordinary-and in jello pudding pops!" says Evan Mack, composer of Yeltsin in Texas.

Librettist Josh McGuire calls it "an 80's retro freak out" having filled every page with pop culture references of the decade and irreverent humor. "It's a flashback to far less politically correct times, a fantasy-documentary of 1980's America that brought us today's America."

"The writing team took full advantage of the comedic opportunities offered by the unusual setting. There's lots of fun to be had in a supermarket." says Oh! Artistic Director, Eiki Isomura. "And musically speaking, it's an absolute whirlwind. One moment you're in a striking parody of serious minimalist composers, and the next moment you're plunged into what feels like a Bon Jovi power ballad." Mack and McGuire aimed to make a "black and white world" turn into technicolor through transportive musical references including memorable commercial jingles of the 80's. "When Yeltsin arrived in the Texas grocery store, it was said that he was like Dorothy entering Oz," says Mack.

Oh! has been a champion of Mack and McGuire's work, having presented the Houston premiere of Lucinda y las Flores de la Nochebuena, their bilingual Christmas opera. Mack was recently named one of 30 "Professionals of Year" by Musical America. Yeltsin in Texas is a co- commission with Texas Christian University Opera Studio. This Oh! presentation is the work's professional world premiere. [maybe move this to the end?]

For tickets, visit http://www.operaintheheights.org/yeltsin.