ABOUT THE OPERA

The opera is driven by two characters. Sam and Suzy begin with a tense exchange in Suzy’s apartment. Sam storms out, leaving her door open. The next time we see Sam, Suzy is dead.

Sam is fractured into an array of memories (doorways). This comes to life by 7 different actors + 7 on-stage solo instruments playing Sam. Our shared humanity is central to the show. As a diverse array of Sams enter and exit, we see that inside each one of us—is all of us. After she dies, Suzy returns but can only sing— this represents a new form of communication we must learn to stay connected to those we have lost. Between the scenes, a 7-movement chamber work titled, "Requiem of the Routines" unfolds, communicating the sounds of death and grief that become a secular ritual.

Spoken-sung dialogue, stories, arias, ensembles, and a 80's pop-style duet—culminate in a quiet intimate moment at Suzy’s funeral.

This opera is unlike anything that has been done before. 

Over the course of the show, the seven Sams and Suzy treat the audience to a playful, sometimes cynical, sometimes remarkably innocent exploration of our deepest feelings, disguised as talking and singing about elusive sleep, disruptive refrigerators, chunky ice cream, moldy bread, aggravating flies, brilliant toddlers, and humiliating poets. 

As Sam and Suzy come to terms with their old and new relationship, we are invited to admit our own inner conflicts and yearnings about death and loss. The opera is touching, funny, surprising, resonant, and truly entertaining.