Skip to main content

Dead Man Walking

Return to Previous Page

World Premiere
Composer
Based On

the book by Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ

Company
San Francisco Opera Association
Location
San Francisco, CA
Venue
War Memorial Opera House
Season
2000-2001
Language
English
Commission

Commissioned by San Francisco Opera

Creative/Crew

Conductor
Production
Set Designer(s)
Costume Designer(s)
Lighting Designer
Sound Designer
Assistant Set Designer
Chorus Director
Musical Preparation
Prompter
Assistant Stage Director(s)
Stage Manager(s)
Fight Coordinator

Cast

Young Man
Young Woman
Joseph de Rocher
Teddy Tahu Rhodes(October 10, 19, 28m)
Anthony de Rocher, Joseph's brother
Sister Helen Prejean
Kristine Jepson(October 10, 17, 19, 28m)
Sister Rose
Sister Lillianne
Sister Catherine
Jimmy Charlton
Mrs. Charlton
Motor Cop
Father Grenville, the prison chaplain
George Benton, the prison warden
First prison guard
Second prison guard
First inmate
Second inmate
Third inmate
Fourth inmate
Fifth inmate
Paralegal
Mrs. Patrick de Rocher, Joseph's mother
Her 19-year-old son
Her 14-year-old son
Owen Hart, father of the murdered girl
Kitty Hart, mother of the murdered girl
Jade Boucher, mother of the murdered boy
Howard Boucher, father of the murdered boy

Show Dates

Time and Place

Louisiana in the early 1980s

Media

Sponsors

The opening performance of October 7th is sponsored by The Chase Global Private Bank.

The performance of October 17th is sponsored by Peet's Coffee and Tea.

The performance of October 25th is sponsored by Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc.

Acknowledgements

This production is made possible by an extraordinary and deeply appreciated gift from Mrs. Paul L. Wattis. Funding for the Composer-in-Residence and additional production support provided by The Chase Global Private Bank

The commission is provided, in part, by The Carlyle Fund, Susan and Dennis Carlyle, co-founders. Libretto developed with the assistance of The Howard Gilman Foundation. Additional commission and production support provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Legacy Commission

Commissioned by San Francisco Opera

Notes

WORLD PREMIERE

Commissioned by San Francisco Opera

------------------------

Scenery, props, costumes and wigs constructed in the San Francisco Opera workshops. 

Supertitles are taken from the original libretto.

Credits for songs heard at the beginning of the opera:
"Watching You"
Music and lyrics by Jake Heggie (BMI)
Produced and arranged by Brian Culbertson
Jimmy Demers, vocals
Tollak Ollestad, harmonica
Michael Thompson, acoustic and electric guitars
Lary Kimpel, bass
Todd Sucherman, drums and percussion
Recorded at Megatrax by Eddie King, North Hollywood, CA
Mixed by Craig Bauer at Hinge, Chicago, IL

"A Kiss in the Dark"
Music by Jake Heggie (BMI)
Performed by Dave Koz, soprano and alto saxophones
Produced by Brian Culbertson and Dave Koz
Keyboards and arrangement: Brian Culbertson
Recorded at BCM by Doug Rider and Brian Culbertson
Mixed by Craig Bauer at Hinge, Chicago, IL

Brian Culbertson appears courtesy of Atlantic Records
Dave Koz appears courtesy of Capitol Records

Supernumeraries
Donna Aarons
Joan Kwansa
Jamie Daniels

Archie Anderson
Doug Ceffalo
Blake Chapman
Jamie Daniels
James Draper
Terry Kildow
Mickel London
Greg Montes
Tony Nugent
Buford Powers
Ben Scott
Adam Their
Jim Troup
Wolfgang von Huttick

Children's Choruses
San Francisco Girls Chorus -- Magen Solomon, Interim Artistic Director
San Francisco Boys Chorus -- Ian Robertson, Artistic Director
Golden Gate Boys Chorus -- Steven Meyer, Artistic Diretor

Andrea Butler
Megan McQuillan
Leila Novotny
Courtney Tydus

Arman Hirose-Afshari
Alexander Bonner
Justin Hausey
Adrian Pyles
James Singletary
Jeremy Singletary