The Grapes
of Wrath

MasterVoices | American Symphony Orchestra | Ted Sperling, Conductor

This all-star cast from opera and Broadway comes together to present the NY premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie’s beautiful setting of Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck’s epic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath. Called “The great American opera” by Musical America, Gordon’s opera incorporates American popular musical styles of the ‘20s and ‘30s, such as song-and-dance, sweet and rousing love songs, ballads with banjos, jazz choruses and a barbershop quartet. Just like the novel itself, the work is both heart-wrenching and uplifting. Gordon and Korie have collaborated with The Chorale to shorten the length of the original opera, while composing new material for chorus – this will mark the world premiere of the new version. And if that starry cast isn’t enough inspiration to see the show, the role of Tom Joad’s young sister, Ruthie, will be sung by Nathan Gunn’s own daughter, Madeline!

Director – Eric Simonson
Lighting Designer – Frances Aronson