A Special Event Presented in Collaboration with Springfield Chamber Chorus
Music and Lyrics by Craig Hella Johnson
Text by Michael Dennis Browne, Lesléa Newman, Craig Hella Johnson
Music Directed by Alex Huff, Staged by Rick Dines
Featured Soloists include Rebecca Claborn, Taylor Dunkel, Amanda Hake, Theron LePage, Jaxson Marte, Kelly Osborne, Robert Reed, Sharon Reed, Chris Thompson, Tabitha Tracy & M. Colin Years
In October of 1998, Matthew Shepard, a young gay student at the University of Wyoming in Laramie was kidnapped, severely beaten, tied to a fence and left to die in a lonely field under a blanket of stars. Five days later, when Matt passed away, the world was watching. Honoring the 25th Anniversary of Shepard’s passing, SCT and Springfield Chamber Chorus present this Grammy-nominated fusion oratorio which speaks with a fresh and bold voice, incorporating a variety of musical styles. Johnson sets a wide range of soulful texts by poets including Lesléa Newman, Michael Dennis Browne, and Rumi alongside passages from Matt’s personal journal, interviews and writings from his parents Judy and Dennis Shepard.
October 12-13, 2023
Evenings at 7:30 p.m.
Historic Fox Theatre, 157 Park Central Square