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The Stonewall Operas
90
English
Synopsis
Four short operas created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall uprising. 1. Nightlife (TJ Rubin / Deepali Gupta): Inside the Stonewall Inn, a police raid exposes a closeted lesbian, a reclaimed slur, addiction, and a coming‑out. 2. Outside (Bryan Blaskie / Seth Christenfeld): In a bar near Stonewall on the night of Judy Garland’s funeral, police extortion and sexual abuse lead to an uprising. 3. The Pomada Inn (Brian Cavanagh‑Strong / Ben Bonnema): Two gay couples – one in 1969 New York, another in 2019 Madrid – are compared; the bar as sanctuary, safety concerns and police raids. 4. The Community (Kevin Cummines / Shoshana Greenberg): 400 years in the future, after an apocalypse, the only surviving artefact is a book about Stonewall, which has become a cult; polyamory is the norm, “queens” are sacred, dissident characters want monogamy and solitude – a queer utopia turned dystopia.
Composer
Nightlife: TJ Rubin; Outside: Bryan Blaskie; The Pomada Inn: Brian Cavanagh‑Strong; The Community: Kevin Cummines
Lyricist / Librettist / Playwright
Nightlife: Deepali Gupta; Outside: Seth Christenfeld; The Pomada Inn: Ben Bonnema; The Community: Shoshana Greenberg
Year of composition/publication / premiere
2019
Genre
Opera
LGBTQAI+ category
Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Queer, Trans
Level of centrality
Main character
Characters
Nightlife: unnamed lesbian patron, drag performer, bartender; Outside: Mark (drag performer), Kenny (his boyfriend); The Pomada Inn: two gay couples (1969 & 2019); The Community: dissident characters who reject the norm of polyamory
Voice type
Bass-Baritone, Contra-tenor
Pronouns
she/her, he/him, they/them
Publisher / Rights holder
The cycle was commissioned and produced by American Opera Projects (Brooklyn, NY). Individual scores may be held by each composer.
Where to buy / access the work
Performance rights
For performance rights, please contact the composer and/or publisher to ensure legal compliance.
Official website
Audio recording(s)
Video performance(s)
Keywords
Stonewall, mini‑opera, LGBTQ+, police raid, drag, Judy Garland, polyamory, queer dystopia, American Opera Projects, 50th anniversary