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Synopsis
Surrender Road is an opera about a down-on-his-luck boxer and a young struggling artist, Emily, whom he meets on a subway one fateful evening. Manuel, the young boxer with a big heart and dreams to match, is unfortunately caught up in the corruption of the fight game, and seemingly predestined for a life of near misses, fixed fights, disappointment, even tragedy. He is like many of us, perhaps most of us, a poor player, a loser.
The opera begs the question: is Manuel's plight any less tragic than that of Hamlet, or Lear? Is his love for Emily any less doomed than Romeo's love for Juliet? It became clear that the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" that beset even the meanest life are ultimately, Shakespearean. Shakespeare's work has become synonymous with classicism, distinct and distant for many, from the populism of our culture. And yet, in Shakespeare's time, the plays were clearly written as much for the groundlings standing for tuppence, as they were for the royals in their elevated box seats.
Productions
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Title Information
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Approximate Runtime (hh:mm)
01:15
Number of Acts
2
Musical Style
Mixture of styles from classical, jazz and Broadway to soul and pop
Vocal & Musical Forces
Tenor, Mezzo-Soprano, Baritone and Bass, 18 member ensemble
Original Cast
Hugo Vera as Manuel, Pilar Cragan as Emily, Richard Drews as Manuel's mentor, Alonzo Murphy-Johnson as Vito, Ben Ward as Contender, Bart LeFan as Marco, Joey Jackson as Boss, Brit Savage as Bartender, Scat Springs as Max
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