Skywatchers’ upcoming presentation of Towards Opulence, the Opera is a celebration of dance, song, and spoken word co-created with Tenderloin residents. This premiere performance weaves together the stories of belonging, resilience, and hope that all too often go untold. This new work features original music and choral direction by Melanie DeMore, co-created with contributing artists Jennifer Johns, Valerie Troutt, and many more.
“We have woven a piece about dreams that might become reality. While living this art, some of us have moved into—and past—their dreams,” said Skywatchers Lead Artist Joel Yates. “We carry with us our families along with the blessing of our stories. It is our hope that this process of being human needs no great explanation, but in this humble presentation we all might be reminded of the greatness of our process. Come find rest and see yourselves standing with us in Opulence.”
Towards Opulence, the Opera is part of an ongoing act of creative resistance and imaginative reclamation. Skywatchers believe that Tenderloin residents — and other marginalized people — are the truth tellers of our society, akin to the mythical Cassandras. By breathing life into often overlooked or discredited truths, we remember our interdependence and expose the roots of power and oppression. Towards Opulence invites us to conjure and claim our most audacious and glorious selves and step into a future where we truly belong to each other.
“Our Skywatchers community has been dreaming, talking, and creating together for 13 years. Towards Opulence, the Opera bears the fruit of that creative exchange, placed into our unique embodiment of the operatic,” said Skywatchers Lead Artist Anne Bluethenthal. “Skywatchers is a deeply relational art-life-making community. When you come to one of our shows, you will not only be gifted a generous and extraordinary piece of performance, you will also be entering a relationship with all of us. And we are all changed by that exchange.”
Towards Opulence, the Opera is supported in part by Dance Mission Theater, the National Endowment for the Arts, SF Grants for the Arts, SF Arts Commission, California Arts Council, Sam Mazza Foundation, and the Zellerbach Family Foundation.
Tickets are $20-$100 sliding scale at bit.ly/opulencetheopera
The performance on Friday, May 31st will feature live audio description by Gravity Access Services and a haptic tour for blind and low vision audiences
The performance on Saturday, June 1st will feature ASL Interpretation
NOTAFLOF tickets available at the door, as available