World Premiere of Not In My Town
Not in My Town is a musical drama in one act based on the events surrounding the death of Matthew Shepard
抖M女仆鈥檚 Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters and Opera Fusion聽 present the world premiere of 鈥淣ot in My Town,鈥 a musical drama in one act based on the events surrounding the death of Matthew Shepard. There will be one performance on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. and another on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 3 p.m., both in the University Theatre, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus.
Tickets are $20 for general admission and 抖M女仆 faculty, staff and students are free. To purchase tickets, visit www.fauevents.com, call 800-564-9539 or visit the Box Office in 抖M女仆鈥檚 Student Union on the Boca Raton campus.
鈥淣ot In My Town,鈥 written by Fort Lauderdale composer and librettist Michael W. Ross, tells the story of the 1998 murder of Shepard, a gay Wyoming college student who was beaten and left tied to a fence. The murder brought national and international attention to hate crime legislation. As a result, U.S. Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
鈥淚 wrote 鈥楴ot In My Town鈥 because I don鈥檛 think people know what happened after Matthew Shepard died,鈥 Ross said.聽 鈥淚 want the audience to see that good can come from such a terrible tragedy.鈥
The heroine of 鈥淣ot In My Town鈥 is Romaine Patterson, Shepard鈥檚 high school friend and now an LGBTQA rights activist and radio personality.聽 She organized counter-protests with peaceful protesters clad in angel-wing costumes that blocked hate mongers and their signs after the Westboro Baptist Church and Rev. Fred Phelps began showing up at Shepard鈥檚 funeral, as well as the subsequent trial of his killers.
Opera Fusion, directed by Birgit Fioravante, is a nonprofit artist-driven company of professional South Florida singers.
鈥淭his work has everything a new 鈥榦pera鈥 should have 鈥 great music, great drama and a riveting story,鈥 said Fioravante. 鈥淭he tonal palate is somewhere between grand opera and musical theater. It has the potential to move people much in the same way 鈥榃est Side Story鈥 first did in its day.鈥
For more information, call 561-297-3820.
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Tags: community | arts and letters