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:: Saturday, May 08, 2004 ::

Salt of the Earth Silver City Daily Press, NM
As in the film, 'Salt of the Earth,' the story of 'Esperanza' is told principally through the changes in the relationship between Ramon and Esperanza, a miner and his wife.

The opera premiered in August 2000, on the University of Wisconsin campus. It originated as a project of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO and the Wisconsin Labor History Society. UW-Madison Music Professor Emeritus Karlos Moser of Musicians Local 166 was artistic director. Musical theater composer David Bishop of Musicians Local 802 composed the music. Librettist was Carlos Morton, Hispanic playwright and professor of theater in Los Angeles.

''Esperanza' is written as part of the movement to re-create a culture of union organizing in the country, a battle in which the arts, with their ability to stir emotions and evoke important truths, can play a critical role,' McElroy, manager of the original production, said. 'The opera deals with the enduring issues faced by our society, issues of race and class, and the relationship of men and women - all in the context of the gripping story of a strike whose outcome will determine the fate of an entire community.'

posted 7:33 AM :: reference link :: 0 comments ::

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