SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
L

yricist Michael Korie believes 
that every new work of art should 
speak to the issues of the day but 
not in an obvious way. 
Composer Ricky Ian Gordon agrees.
Together, they worked that goal 
into the development of an opera, 
The Grapes of Wrath, based on John 
Steinbeck’
s Pulitzer Prize-winning 
book, carried into John Ford’
s movie 
adaptation, about the plight of 
migrant workers.
While the storyline takes place during 
the Dust Bowl and Depression of the 
1930s, when displaced Oklahoma farm 
workers sought daily sustenance and 
opportunity in California, the two hope 
their musicalized production encourag-
es insight into the desperation and striv-
ings of today’
s migrant workers.
The writing team will be in Detroit 
for the technical week and opening of 
the opera, running May 11-19 at the 
Detroit Opera House. Plans are in the 
offing for at least one of the show’
s cre-
ators to hang out in the lobby and talk 
to audience members reacting to the 
production.
“I like the dawning of awareness, 
and I feel that people begin by watch-
ing a work that they think is historical 
as it catches up on them that very 
little has changed,” says Korie, whose 
other projects, with a range of com-
posers, reach from musical theater that 
includes Grey Gardens to opera that 
includes Harvey Milk.
“Some people respond to the issue 
of immigration or a wall. Other people 
respond to a sort of hidden power that 
runs the system. Others respond to 
family tragedies — loss of jobs, loss of 
income, loss of hope. 
“It’
s all very relatable because [the 
characters] are based on real people 
whom Steinbeck lived with. He followed 
them on the road for years as he kept his 
journals.
”
The commission for the opera, 
reduced to two acts as presented 
by the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, 
originally was the idea of Minnesota 
Opera. The project launched with 
Gordon, who brought in Korie. 
Together, they set up some general 
ideas, but lyrics preceded music.
“There was a moment in my life 
when I suddenly realized I wanted to 

Subtle 
Parallels

Grapes of Wrath opera 
explores plight of migrant 
workers in Steinbeck’
s time, 
encouraging insight today.

KEN HOWARD

A scene from the opera 
Grapes of Wrath

theater
arts&life

continued on page 34

32 May 2 • 2019
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