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Staggerwing
Composer:Lisa DeSpain
Librettist:Rachel J. Peters
Synopsis
Staggerwing is a dramatization of the historical flight of Louise Thaden and her co-pilot, Blanche Noyes, as they compete and win 1936 Bendix Trophy Race; the first year the prestigious aviation competition allowed all-female teams to compete. The Bendix Trophy was a grueling transcontinental race fraught with danger as competitors pushed the boundaries of aeronautics. Staggerwing also highlights the contributions of Olive Ann Beech of Wichita’s Beech Aircraft Company as a powerful advocate for women in aviation. Olive Ann Beech insisted that female pilots debut the company’s new Staggerwing biplane in the Bendix Trophy Race and despite fierce objections, engaged Thaden and Noyes. The Staggerwing score pays tribute to the music of the 1930s - in particular, the territory jazz bands of the Midwest (Walter Paige, Benny Moton, Count Basie) blending blues, jazz and Tin Pan Alley song, with classical voice and opera.

Title Information

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Approximate Runtime (hh:mm)
1:10

 Number of Acts
1


 
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