Opera Santa Barbara’s (OSB) exploration of contemporary American dramas continues in 2023 with the California premiere of “An American Dream” by Jack Perla and Jessica Murphy Moo, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18 at the Lobero Theatre.
Set in the Pacific Northwest during World War II, “An American Dream” examines the lives of two women: a Japanese American forcibly removed from her home, and a German Jewish immigrant preoccupied with those she left in Germany.
As composer Perla states on his website: “’An American Dream’ began as a community storytelling project asking the question: ‘If you had to leave your home today and couldn’t return, what would you take with you, and why is that object – that connection to your past – so important?’
“What evolved from this inquiry was a tale based on the personal experiences of several Puget Sound residents. As the opera begins we see a Japanese American family burning their precious belongings before they are incarcerated during World War II.
“The daughter, Setsuko, hides her beloved Hinamatsuri doll before they are forced to leave their home.
“Newlyweds Jim and Eva move into the home. Eva, a German Jewish immigrant preoccupied by her family’s situation in Germany, doesn’t know the circumstances by which her Irish Catholic husband acquired the home. She slowly discovers the truth – about the family in whose house she moved, and the fate of her own.”
“An immigrant myself, I first learned about the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II when I read David Guterson’s ‘Snow Falling on Cedars.'” said Kostis Protopapas, Opera Santa Barbara artistic and general director.
“Art has a powerful way to illustrate history and cast light into even the darkest corners of the human experience,” he said. “I saw ‘An American Dream’ in Seattle in 2017, and was won over by the sincerity, empathy and tenderness with which it tells a very difficult story. It’s a powerful piece of music theater that I have wanted to produce ever since.”
In the role of Hiroko Kobayashi, the Japanese-American mother, is Nina Yoshida Nelsen, a Santa Barbara-born, Japanese American mezzo soprano. She last performed with Opera Santa Barbara in its double bill of “El amor brujo/Il tabarro” in November 2021. She created the role of Hiroko in the 2015 world premiere and has sung in nearly all subsequent productions.
“Bringing ‘An American Dream’ home to Santa Barbara is an incredible honor for me,” Yoshida Nelsen said. “The aria I sing in the opera was written specifically for me after the librettist interviewed my grandma about her experiences being incarcerated during World War II.
“Not only is this opera a privilege for me to share musically, but more importantly, it feels like it is my responsibility to tell Japanese American history that is not often taught in schools. The opportunity to share this story with my community is extremely powerful and poignant to me.”
Yoshida Nelsen is perhaps best known for her numerous performances of Suzuki in “Madama Butterfly” with opera companies throughout North America and Europe; and for creating roles in seven world premieres.
In recent years she has become a leading advocate for equity in the arts. She serves as president and co-founder of the Asian Opera Alliance, and as artistic advisor at Boston Lyric Opera.
Opera Santa Barbara’s new production of “An American Dream” is directed by Richard Gammon in his company debut. He previously directed two other productions of the piece, with set and projection design by Yuki Izumihara (“Semele” and “Tosca.” 2022).
The cast also features Janet Szepei Todd and Paul Chwe MinChul An portraying the other two members of the Kobayashi family in their OSB debuts, and Audrey Babcock (“The Crucible,” “Carmen in Your Car;” and Ben Lowe, “Il tabarro” and “Tosca,” returning as Eva and Jim.
Houston based conductor Eiki Isomura will conduct the 15-member ensemble from the Opera Santa Barbara Orchestra.
In addition to the public performances, a school matinee will be offered at 10 a.m. Feb. 16. Teachers interested in bringing groups should contact tim@operasb.org.
Coinciding with the performances, Opera Santa Barbara will host a free panel discussion, An Introduction to the Opera ‘An American Dream’ & a Community Conversation Centering on Japanese American Incarceration during WWII,” 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 4 in the Santa Barbara Public Library’s Faulkner Gallery.
In partnership with The Japanese American Citizens League and Santa Barbara Toba Sister City Organization, the conversation is designed to shed more light on the history surrounding the opera through the words of historians and survivors.
The panel hosted by Yoshida Nelsen, will feature Paul Mori from Westmont College, and Hideko Malis and Roke Fukumura, both incarceration survivors.
“An American Dream” is sponsored by The Mosher Foundation and supported by a 2023 Grants for Arts Projects award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more about Opera Santa Barbara, visit operasb.org.