First Glimpse 2022 - In Front of a New York Hotel
Music by Ania Vu
Text by Isabella Dawis
Aaren Rivard, tenor
Mila Henry, piano
The protagonist encounters a long line in front of a NY hotel and asks everybody who it is that they are waiting for…
Text:
Excuse me? May I ask… What’s going on?
“We saw people in the street, waiting in front of the door. So now we’re waiting too.”
How Long?
“Ten minutes. We Don’t want to miss it.”
Miss what?
“A celebrity. Singer. Senator. Somebody. Hey, why don’t you ask them?”
Excuse me? May I ask…
“We got off the subway…
…I was on my lunch break…
…Me and mommy turned the corner…
…and I saw all these people…
…four of five people…
Tons and tons of people…
…waiting in front of the door. So now we’re waiting too.”
How long?
“Not long…
…twenty minutes…
…five million hours!
…but we don’t want to miss it…
...we wouldn’t…
We have to see them!”
See who?
“An actor…
…a supermodel…
…a really tall man…
Somebody. Hey, they’re opening the door!”
...
“Excuse me! Stand Back! Please keep the door clear!”
What am I waiting for?
I saw people in the street, waiting in front of this door, so no I’m waiting too.
How long?
I don’t know. But I don’t want to miss it.
It’s somebody.
Video - Chris Comfort
Audio - Craig Slon
Production Assistant - Joel Kalow
Recorded on location at South Oxford Space, Brooklyn, NY
Created in Cycle 11 of The American Opera Project’s “Composers & the Voice” Fellowship Training Program
C&V Artistic Director: Steven Osgood
Head of Music: Mila Henry
Head of Drama: Matt Gray
Music Directors: Mila Henry, Kelly Horsted, Ron Robinson
http://aopopera.org/composers-voice
Composers & the Voice is made possible in part by generous multi-year awards from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.