Brian Staufenbiel

Based on the tragic 1996 Mt. Everest disaster, the opera focuses on three climbers as they attempt the ill-fated summit. A new genre, the animated graphic novel puts you inside the pages as the tale drives on.

Flicka reflects on her life as a child, mother and singer, and we learn about her through the experiences of colleagues Renée Fleming, Susan Graham and Jake Heggie and in conversations with her family. In archival footage of performances from stages around the world, we celebrate her talent as one of the best mezzo-sopranos in the repertoire. During the journey, we try to answer the question, “Why does everyone want to be in the room with Flicka?” Quickly one realizes it’s because, from family to friends, colleagues to opera fans, and those whose lives she touches in her community, all feel she is a hero, friend and mentor.

Everest follows the true story of three climbers—Rob Hall, Doug Hansen, and Beck Weathers—during the ill-fated 1996 Mount Everest expedition. As the mountain crackles with wind and ice, we move between their present struggle for survival and memories of loved ones far below. Rob, the expedition leader, summits thirty minutes past the safe turnaround time while Doug collapses nearby. Beck, stranded lower on the mountain, drifts between consciousness and visions of his daughter in Texas. As a violent storm descends, the climbers face impossible odds, revealing the fragility of life, the endurance of love, and the power of human conviction.

Out of the Dust is told through ghosts of Manzanar Detention Camp who come to life through the poetry of Janice Mirikitani, the music of Miles Lassi and Paul Chihara, and the Japanese American folk dance “Ei Ja Nai Ka” (meaning “Ain’t it good?”) choreographed and composed by PJ Hirabayashi. After the closing of the camps, who and what memories were left behind in the windy dust-laden desert of Manzanar?