Photo-Op – Conrad Cummings

All 29 /Opera 5 /Vocal 13 /Instrumental 11

Details

Photo-Op, A Presidential Campaign Opera

Opera in One Act

Libretto by James Siena

PRODUCTION HISTORY:
– Urban Arias (Washington DC), September 2012; director, Alan Paul; conductor, Robert Wood; choreographer, Lucy Bowen McCauley; with Michael Mays and Laurie Williamson

– Avian Ensemble (NYC), September 2004, with Chris Trakas and Laurie Heims

– Ridge Theater at La MaMa ETC, Off-Broadway run, spring 1992, with Cummings Ensemble, Larry Adams, baritone; Peggy Bishop, soprano

– Electronic Music Plus Festival, Oberlin Conservatory, September 1990, with Cummings Ensemble, Larry Adams, baritone; Marian Beckenstein, soprano

– The Club at La MaMa, May 1990, with Cummings Ensemble, Larry Adams, baritone; Dora Ohrenstein, soprano

– The Knitting Factory (NYC) May 1989, with Cummings Ensemble, Larry Adams, baritone; Dora Ohrenstein, soprano

DURATION: 55 minutes

PUBLISHER: All Conrad Cummings works are self-published; contact him here

INSTRUMENTATION: violin, cello, woodwind doubler (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano sax, tenor sax)(alternately two woodwind players), and keyboard

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

Candidate/Running Mate/Spouse: baritone
Candidate/Running Mate/Spouse: soprano

Excerpt: “By Keeping Things Exactly the Way That They Are”

Excerpt: “I Love My Country So Much”

Program Note

Politics is an exciting but tricky subject to address in opera. Verdi set the bar very high with Don Carlo and Simon Boccanegra, and John Adams’ Nixon in China took that tradition and brought it compellingly into the 20th century.

Photo-Op is an unapologetically modern foray into the political, which lampoons stump speeches and presidential campaign tropes while simultaneously delivering a satiric, if grim, verdict on the state of politics today.

Conceived as a concert piece for two dueling candidates and a small instrumental ensemble, Photo-Op has received a variety of treatments and interpretations over the last twenty years.

UrbanArias’ version is an intimate collaboration between director Alan Paul and choreographer Lucy Bowen McCauley, with frequent input from me. We designed a take on the opera which has a more explicit narrative than it has received in previous stagings; we felt that a combination of traditionally acted scenes and dance could be very powerful.

I chose to produce this piece at this particular moment because it has obvious connection to the current campaign season, and because the timing of our production has particular resonance with the recent Republican and Democratic conventions.

While you will see a few references tonight that seem ripped from last week’s headlines, please know that we have not altered a word of James Siena’s text or a note of Conrad Cummings’ music. What they wrote in 1989 is just as relevant today. In fact, the immediacy of this opera twenty years later is uncanny.

We discovered over the last few weeks that it’s true – sometimes life does imitate art.

—Robert Wood, General Director of UrbanArias

Video

Libretto

PHOTO-OP

Music: Conrad Cummings

Libretto: James Siena

1.
Thank you very much, thank you all

2.
a new direction for you and for me
a new direction for you and for me
a bright new future for you and for me
a shining bring future for me and for me

3.
interlude

4.
spin control the frequent flyers
give em a sound bite, photo-op photo-op
terrific crowd, This is Main Street!
Get out of my Way you jerk.

5.
We are at the forking of the paths,
and you’re afraid you’re gonna blow it,
but we’re gonna do what we have to do
to pick the right one– I sure hope we do!

6.
By keeping things exactly the way that they are
we’ll find truth in the smallest things
that are just as good as the big ones that keep
this country great.

7.
I pledge Allegiance to you, and you and good ol’ Barbecue
I see that bright future I’m sure I do!
There’s a dream in that future that things will get better
Think about it: will you die for me?

8.
Let’s never give up on more jails for more criminals
Let’s keep up the war on drugs, our number one problem I might add
Let’s look out for antigovernment elements and communists
Let’s fight terrorism at home as well as abroad

I believe in something
But I can’t remember what it is
I believe in something
But I’ve forgotten what it was.

9.
I cant just stand by and let this happen
Are you prepared to give more than you might get?
I didnt think so, didnt think so
But, Uhh. . . . . Uhh. . . . .

10.
I’m begging you all, Please make me your:
Commander-in-Chief
Supreme Authority
Guiding Hand
Focal Man.

11.
I just want to take this country
for the ride of its life
From here on in
We’re gonna do it our way: MAKE MY DAY.

12.
I love this country so much I want to fuck it
I love my country I really do
Sometimes I want to cry
Because I love my country so very much.
Good night, god damn you.

Production Gallery

Production photos from UrbanArias production:

: Laurie Williamson, Michael Mays, and cast (ClintonBPhotography)

: Laurie Williamson, Michael Mays, and cast (ClintonBPhotography)

: Laurie Williamson, Michael Mays, and cast (ClintonBPhotography)

: Laurie Williamson, Michael Mays, and cast (ClintonBPhotography)

: Laurie Williamson, Michael Mays, and cast (ClintonBPhotography)

: Laurie Williamson, Michael Mays, and cast (ClintonBPhotography)

: Michael Mays and cast (ClintonBPhotography)

: Laurie Williamson and Michael Mays (ClintonBPhotography)

: cast (ClintonBPhotography)

: Laurie Williamson, Michael Mays, and cast (ClintonBPhotography)

: Laurie Williamson, Michael Mays, and cast (ClintonBPhotography)

: Laurie Williamson and Michael Mayst (ClintonBPhotography)

: Laurie Williamson, Michael Mays, and cast (ClintonBPhotography)

: Laurie Williamson and Michael Mays (ClintonBPhotography)

: Laurie Williamson and Michael Mays (ClintonBPhotography)

: Laurie Williamson, Michael Mays, and cast (ClintonBPhotography)

: Laurie Williamson and Michael Mays (ClintonBPhotography)

Purchase

Perusal Materials

“By Keeping Things. . .” with piano

A version of “By Keeping Things Exactly the Way That They Are” for soprano, baritone, and piano

Full score:

Download PDF

The amazing singer/actor Zachary James asked for a piano version of “By Keeping Things Exactly the Way That They Are” for his Performing Contemporary Opera course in the Musical Theater Program at Ithaca College. Here’s what two amazing kids in the program did with the number. I’m blown away!