Sat 1/27 @ Sun 1/28 @ 3-4:30PM
American composer Tom Cupillo wrote his best-known opera Glory Denied in 2007, based on the 2001 book by Tom Philpott called Glory Denied: The Vietnam Saga of Jim Thompson, America’s Longest-Held Prisoner of War. It tells the story of a man who was captured by the Viet Cong in Vietnam in 1964 and held captive until 1973, the year the war in Vietnam officially ended. Clearly, a return to a normal life wasn’t in the cards; his wife had moved on and told their kids he was dead. But even after they reunited, the impact of his suffering led to divorce, alcoholism and suicide attempts before he suffered a stroke just eight years after his release and was disabled until he died 20 years later. It’s grim stuff but that’s opera! It’s had nearly 50 productions, making it one of the most performed 21st century operas.
The Cleveland Institute of Music Opera Theater program will be staging the opera as its winter production with two performances at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Gartner Auditorium. Guest director Kathryn Frady and guest conductor Kamna Gupta lead the prudction which features guest artist baritone Armando Contreras.
Get tickets here.