The VocalEssence production of The Radio Hour snagged a national debut in May on American Public Media’s YourClassical.org. Whether you missed the Midwest premiere performance in March or want to enjoy it all over again, take a look at this video of the 40-minute choral opera by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer.
The VocalEssence production was called “a new kind of looking glass” by the Star Tribune, nostalgic but “also an experimental mashup of different art forms that sounds quite modern.” It weaves the story of a middle-aged woman (Christina Baldwin) transformed through the power of song—provided by the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers. Stage direction and choreography by Nikki Swoboda, music direction by Philip Brunelle, and scenic and prop design by Scotty Gunderson.