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ANOTHER SUNRISE &
BEFORE IT ALL GOES DARK
Piedmont Opera presents the North Carolina premieres of two powerful one-act operas by Grammy Award–winning composer Jake Heggie and Pulitzer Prize–winning librettist Gene Scheer.
Performed together in one unforgettable evening, Another Sunrise and Before It All Goes Dark explore memory, resilience, hope, and the enduring power of the human spirit.
Another Sunrise tells the extraordinary story of Holocaust survivor and resistance writer Krystyna Żywulska, whose poems and songs became acts of defiance inside Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Before It All Goes Dark follows Vietnam veteran Gerald "Mac" McDonald as his search for his family's past uncovers a stolen Holocaust-era legacy, inspired by the reporting of Chicago Tribune journalist Howard Reich.
A centerpiece of Piedmont Opera's 50th Anniversary Season, this landmark production features North Carolina-based artists, with stage direction by Tonya McKinny and innovative projections by acclaimed bass-baritone Ryan McKinny. Performances take place at Hanesbrands Theatre, operated by the Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County—the nation's first arts council and the oldest established arts council in the United States.
Piedmont Opera is partnering with local Jewish organizations, Holocaust education leaders, Wake Forest University, and the North Carolina Council on the Holocaust to expand the experience through educational programming, panel discussions, and curriculum resources supporting Holocaust education across North Carolina.
Funding provided in part by the Tri-M Foundation and the Winston-Salem Foundation.
COMPOSED BY
Jake Heggie
LIBRETTO BY
Gene Scheer
ANOTHER SUNRISE
PREMIERED
May 14, 2012 in Nordstrom Recital Hall, Seattle, Washington
BEFORE IT ALL
GOES DARK
PREMIERED
May 19, 2024
Joseph Mechavich conducted the premiere.
Both operas were commissioned by Music of Remembrance, a Seattle-based organization dedicated to preserving and promoting music composed by Holocaust survivors and prisoners of concentration camps, as well as commissioning new works on Holocaust-related themes
Sung in English
Performed at
Hanesbrands Theatre
209 N Spruce St, Winston Salem, NC 27101
Surrounding events:
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October 27, 12:00 PM – La Lunch at Second Harvest Food Bank of NWNC
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November 7 at 1:00 PM- Piedmont Opera at the Movies! a/perture will screen The Woman in Gold at 1:00 PM. Tickets here.
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November 11, 7:00 PM – Student Night
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During the run of Another Sunrise and Before It All Goes Dark:
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Free pre- and post-show discussions will be offered in conjunction with every performance.
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Wake Forest University will display a table featuring items recovered from the Holocaust.
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The Winston-Salem Symphony will present the Violins of Hope, with one of the historic violins featured in our performances.
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Fragile instruments from the Violins of Hope collection will be on display at Hanesbrands Theatre.
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November 12 – Opening Night
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5:30 PM – Opening Night Dinner at Young Cardinal
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6:00 PM – Pre-opera discussion
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7:30 PM – Opening Night performance (Tickets here.)
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Post-opera discussion with Gene Scheer
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November 13, 6:30 PM – An Evening with Gene Scheer at Wake Forest University’s Rare Books Library
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November 14
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1:00 PM – Q&A with Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer at UNCSA (FREE)
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6:00 PM – Pre-opera discussion
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7:30 PM – Performance (Tickets here.)
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Post-show discussion with Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer
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November 15
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Pre-opera discussion
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3:00 PM – Matine Performance (Tickets here.)
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Post-show discussion with Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer
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November 16, 7:30 PM – Art Songs of Jake Heggie at Wake Forest University’s Brendle Recital Hall, featuring Cathy Levy, Edward Cho, Caryn Greco, Elizabeth Pacheco Rose, Joey Mechavich, and Jake Heggie (Free)
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November 17
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Pre-opera discussion
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4:00 PM – Viva Verdi film screening at the Intergenerational Center. Information here.
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7:30 PM – Performance (Tickets here.)
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November 20
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Pre-opera discussion
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7:30 PM – Performance (Tickets here.)
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Post-show discussion
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November 21, 1:00 PM – Viva Verdi with Piedmont Opera at a/perture. Board member Gail Phillips will sing, accompanied by Joey Mechavich on piano. Tickets here.
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November 22 – Final Performance (Tickets here.)
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Pre-opera discussion
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3:00 PM – Final performance
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Post-show discussion
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Composer
Jake Heggie
Librettist
Gene Scheer
Cast
Krystyna Żywulska
Jodi Burns
Gerald "Mac" McDonald
Keith Phares
Misha/Sally/Emil
Kathrine Pracht
Creatives
Conductor
Joseph Mechavick
Stage Director
Tonya McKinny
