09/05/2023
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Curtis Tucker
September 5, 2023
[email protected] (518-817-0256)
Opera Performance to Aid Homeless Coalition
MOUNT DORA, Fla. – Curtis Tucker Music will present the Central Florida premiere of The Stranger’s Tale, an opera examining the issue of homelessness and the stigma experienced by those it affects. The one-hour performances will take place at First United Methodist Church in Mount Dora, www.mtdorafumc.org on Saturday and Sunday, October 21 & 22, at 2:00pm, and be followed by Question-and-Answer Sessions featuring the performing artists and representatives of regional homeless coalitions. Performances are free and open and appropriate for all ages. Donations will be collected to benefit the Mid-Florida Homeless Coalition, www.midfloridahomeless.org
A story of faith and hope, The Stranger’s Tale examines modern homelessness through music and drama. Set around a park bench, the one-act opera centers around an unnamed man apparently experiencing homelessness. His interactions, sometimes unwanted, uplift other park goers who encounter him. Are the effects accidental, coincidental, or divine? According to Tucker, “that is for the audience to decide.”
The cast of six features soprano Megan Warburton from South Carolina, baritones Dirk McCoy from Saint Augustine and Jacob Pence from Orlando, tenor Aaron Smith from Arizona, who also doubles on violin, and local Mount Dora actors Roy Hamlin and Troy Cox.
This is the opera’s first performance in Central Florida. About its Ohio premiere, American Record Guide described it as “an immense hit with the audience” and a “sincere, humane tale [with] easily accessible music, mainly tonal with an occasional dash of dissonance, neatly effective and supportive of the text.”
This project is funded in part by United Arts of Central Florida, home of OrlandoAtPlay.com, UAArtsEd.com and Orlando Arts magazine. Additional support has been provided by First United Methodist Church of Mount Dora, the Mid-Florida Homeless Coalition, and First Coast Opera of Saint Augustine.
About Curtis Tucker Music
Curtis Tucker Music presents the original works of composer Curtis Tucker. His compositions include three operas and numerous songs and choral works. He has been a recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and state arts councils in Massachusetts, Ohio, Florida, and California, and his The Trial of B. B. Wolf was recently performed at the National Opera Association annual conference. Mr. Tucker currently serves as General and Artistic Director for First Coast Opera in Saint Augustine and resides in Mount Dora.
For more information, visit http://www.curtistuckermusic.com or call 518.817.0256.
