The acclaimed creative team of composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer has paired two richly emotional portraits of real people – and their responses to circumstances that defy comprehension. Another Sunrise, starring soprano Caitlin Lynch, is an intimate portrait of one Auschwitz survivor’s struggle to find words capable of describing her harrowing experiences to those who weren’t there. In For a Look or a Touch, bass-baritone Ryan McKinny and actor Curt Branom portray two idealistic young lovers torn apart under Nazi rule. This compelling double bill highlights the redemptive power of memory, helping us appreciate those touched by the Holocaust in all their complicated humanity.
MOR’s stellar instrumental ensemble, drawn from the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, features flutist Demarre McGill, clarinetist Laura DeLuca, violinist Mikhail Shmidt, cellist Walter Gray, double bassist Jonathan Green, and pianist Jessica Choe. Both operas are directed by Erich Parce and conducted by Joseph Mechavich.