DESCRIPTION

A series of site-specific operas that adapts to each host community, these shows weave hometown documentation with Squonk’s aural and visual trickery. This meta-civic celebration, with an original score, is a heartfelt toast and a punk-vaudevillian roast.

We enjoy discovering how each city sees itself, as a whole and within its diverse communities. In having fun with this format of a celebration of the host city, we talk about the broader issues of shared humanity and the need for self-definition. Community is a vital issue and a comic creative challenge, allowing us to explore what makes opera life-like and life operatic…or not.

Wherever we go, there we are.

Created in 2006.

Visit our Store to purchase or download a CD of the music from this production.

REVIEWS

“Show me Baltimore, this show says to the people who live here, and I’ll show you what you’re missing.” - The Baltimore Sun

“a zany but serious look at Charleston…dance, song, cinema and theater – all flavored with a bit of circus.” - The Charleston Gazette

“What one saw and heard blended the clever and the corny, the catchy and the kitschy, but one could not be left unmoved by the content, shaped so that the best about Bloomington, the vitality of its present and the nostalgia engendered by its past, could bask in the spotlight. The memorable and the simply amusing unfolded side by side in panorama fashion” - The Herald-Times

“a healthy dose of civic celebration mingled with a friendly roast of hometown pride… uplifting and completely over-the-top” - Times Union

“noisy, colorful, funny, outrageous” - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“a funny, frank and sometimes sentimental ode to Albany…a multimedia extravaganza of music, song, dance and video”- Albany Sunday Gazette

“College Park gets its own opera – finally! – and it’s a doozy!” - Washington Post Express

“They struck out to tailor their opera to any city, anywhere in America. The project was genius, as the 90-minute work is not only portable but relevant to every hometown audience.” - Albany Sunday Gazette

“The result is an unusual 90-minute ode to the Maryland suburb, including but not limited to rock-and-roll, projected videos, aerial footage, dancers and a puppet show. The elements blend together onstage to create a show that is at once playful and polished. A group of six musicians take the stage in tracksuits, pretending to be Olympic athletes at an over-the-top welcome-home ceremony. Then they sit down and play stunning, sophisticated music.”
- The Washington Post

“a surreal dreamscape, alternately sweet, silly, satiric and cool…with a soulful, driving, melodic score.” - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“a quirky, playful, music- and image-driven piece of performance art that offers a nontraditional view of a place you thought you knew” - pittsburgh tribune Review

Videos

Squonk Opera's Hometown Series - Those Who Have Gone & All Eyes On You

Two scenes from "Pittsburgh: The Opera" - about the connections that link people to each other. These scenes are from our Hometown Opera Series, which premiered in 2006 and toured through 2012. We created nearly 25 site-specific versions, from "Pittsburgh: The Opera" to "Baltimore: The Opera" to "Busan: The Opera" in South Korea.

Created by Squonk Opera, Artistic Directors - Jackie Dempsey and Steve O'Hearn.

Music by Jackie Dempsey, Lyrics by Christina Acosta.
©Squonk Opera 2006.
This is a mixture of 2 songs from the CD entitled "You Are Here."

Squonk Opera's Hometown Series - Telecity/White Noise

Telecity/White Noise is about the loss of a sense of place caused by media and telecommunications. The scene relates to being isolated, overwhelmed with information and without the anchor of a home.

This scene is from our Hometown Opera series which premiered in 2006 and toured until 2012 with nearly 25 site-specific versions completed during that time - from "Pittsburgh: The Opera" to "Baltimore: The Opera" to "Busan: The Opera" in South Korea.

Created by Squonk Opera, Artistic Directors - Jackie Dempsey and Steve O'Hearn.

Music by Jackie Dempsey, Lyrics by Christina Acosta.
©Squonk Opera 2006.
This is a mixture of 2 songs from the CD entitled "You Are Here."

Squonk Opera's Hometown Series - Interviews

Just a few of the diverse videotaped interviews from 20-25 citizens in each town that are woven into the fabric of the show.

Each show in the hometown series is made site-specific through community residencies with Squonk artists. We created nearly 25 hometown operas from 2006 to 2012, from "Pittsburgh: The Opera" to "Baltimore: The Opera" to "Charlotte: The Opera" and even one in Busan, South Korea.

Created by Squonk Opera, Artistic Directors - Jackie Dempsey and Steve O'Hearn.

©Squonk Opera 2006, 2007, 2008.

Squonk Opera's Hometown Series - Dancers

We created nearly 25 hometown operas from 2006 to 2012, from "Pittsburgh: The Opera" to "Baltimore: The Opera" to "Charlotte: The Opera" and even one in Busan, South Korea. Here you can catch a glimpse of the wonderful array of amazing dancers who have performed with us over the years. They make the performance and the entire experience more special and meaningful for the audience and for the Squonkers.

Created by Squonk Opera, Artistic Directors - Jackie Dempsey and Steve O'Hearn.

Music by Jackie Dempsey, Lyrics by Christina Acosta.
©Squonk Opera 2006.
Song title is "Urban Machine" from the CD entitled "You Are Here."
Video edited by Buzz Miller.

Squonk Opera's Hometown Opera Series - Pittsburgh

The 'Belly Full of Fire' scene from "Pittsburgh: The Opera."

We created nearly 25 hometown operas from 2006 until 2012, from "Pittsburgh: The Opera" to "Baltimore: The Opera" to "Charlotte: The Opera" and even one in Busan, South Korea.

Created by Squonk Opera, Artistic Directors - Jackie Dempsey and Steve O'Hearn.

©Squonk Opera 2006.

Squonk Opera's Hometown Opera Series - Bloomington

The 'Belly Full of Fire' scene from "Bloomington: The Opera."

We created nearly 25 hometown operas from 2006 to 2012, from "Pittsburgh: The Opera" to "Baltimore: The Opera" to "Charlotte: The Opera" and even one in Busan, South Korea.

Created by Squonk Opera, Artistic Directors - Jackie Dempsey and Steve O'Hearn.

©Squonk Opera 2008.

Squonk Opera's Hometown Opera Series - Baltimore

The 'Belly Full of Fire' scene from "Baltimore: The Opera."

We created nearly 25 hometown operas from 2006 to 2012, from "Pittsburgh: The Opera" to "Baltimore: The Opera" to "Charlotte: The Opera" and even one in Busan, South Korea.

Created by Squonk Opera, Artistic Directors - Jackie Dempsey and Steve O'Hearn.

©Squonk Opera 2007.

Squonk Opera's Hometown Series - Driving

Take a drive around town, actually around many towns, in this video compilation of our Hometown Opera series. From "Pittsburgh: The Opera" to "Baltimore: The Opera" to "Charleston: The Opera" and many others, Squonk Opera has been exploring the landscape and many treasures of towns across America and overseas. Hop in!

Created by Squonk Opera, Artistic Directors - Jackie Dempsey and Steve O'Hearn.

Music by Jackie Dempsey.
©Squonk Opera 2006.
Song title is "Driving" from the CD entitled "You Are Here."
Video edited by Buzz Miller.

Squonk Opera's Hometown Series - Map of the Heart

A scene from "Pittsburgh: The Opera" - the premiere production of our touring series "(put your hometown's name here): The Opera. For this scene, we ask the kids of the town to draw for us what we call "imagination maps" of their hometown.

Created by Squonk Opera, Artistic Directors - Jackie Dempsey and Steve O'Hearn.

Music by Jackie Dempsey.
©Squonk Opera 2006.
This songs is from the CD entitled "You Are Here."

Squonk Opera's Hometown Series - Finale

The hometown planet is rolled onstage by the audience for an exultant and overblown ode to the town, as the center of its own universe of family and community. We created nearly 25 hometown operas from 2006 to 2012, from "Pittsburgh: The Opera" to "Baltimore: The Opera" to "Charlotte: The Opera" and even one in Busan, South Korea.

Created by Squonk Opera, Artistic Directors - Jackie Dempsey and Steve O'Hearn.

Music by Jackie Dempsey, Lyrics by Christina Acosta.
©Squonk Opera 2006.

Song title is "Right Here" from the CD entitled "You Are Here."

Squonk Opera's Hometown Series - Those Who Have Gone & All Eyes On You

Squonk Opera's Hometown Series - Telecity/White Noise

Squonk Opera's Hometown Series - Interviews

Squonk Opera's Hometown Series - Dancers

Squonk Opera's Hometown Opera Series - Pittsburgh

Squonk Opera's Hometown Opera Series - Bloomington

Squonk Opera's Hometown Opera Series - Baltimore

Squonk Opera's Hometown Series - Driving

Squonk Opera's Hometown Series - Map of the Heart

performances

NC Blumenthal PAC
Charlotte, NC

Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Bloomington, IN

Busan International Performing Arts Festival
Busan, South Korea

Columbia Festival of the Arts
Columbia, MD

CenterStage
Reston, VA

Baltimore Theatre Project
Baltimore, MD

Raritan Valley Community College
Branchburg, NJ

Michigan Tech’s Rozsa Center
Houghton, MI

University at Albany
Albany, NY

Hardin County Schools PAC
Elizabethtown, KY

Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville, IL

Bradford Creative & Performing Arts Center
Bradford, PA

Lively Arts at IUP
Indiana, PA

FestivALL Charleston
Charleston, WV

University of Delaware
Newark, DE

Kelly-Strayhorn Theater
Pittsburgh, PA

First Night St. Louis
St. Louis, MO

South Orange PAC
South Orange, NJ

Shady Side Academy
Pittsburgh, PA

Algonquin Arts Theatre
Manasquan, NJ

Central College
Pella, IA

Delaware Valley Arts Consortium
Kennett Square, PA

Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of MD
College Park, MD

Kelly-Strayhorn Theater
Pittsburgh, PA

Photos

Photos by Larry Rippel

ARTISTS

The Artistic Directors
Steve O’Hearn & Jackie Dempsey

The Band
Vocals*
Autumn Ayers

Keyboard & Accordion
Jackie Dempsey

Acoustic & Electronic Percussion
Kevin Kornicki

Flute, Sax, Wind Synth & Manybell Trumpet
Steve O’Hearn

Electric Guitar
David Wallace

Upright & Fretless Bass
Nathan Wilson

The Team
Music
Jackie Dempsey

Design & Staging
Steve O’Hearn

Concept Development
Steve O’Hearn, Jackie Dempsey, Buzz Miller, David Wallace & Rick Kemp

Video Design
Buzz Miller with Steve O’Hearn & David Wallace

Lighting Design
Bob Steineck

Additional Music & Assistant Musical Direction
Kevin Kornicki

Stage Direction
Rick Kemp

Lyrics
Christina Acosta & Jackie Dempsey

Text
Steve O’Hearn, Rick Kemp & Jackie Dempsey

Video Operation
Jessi Sedon-Essad

Sound Engineering
George Powell

Stage Management
Heidi Nagle

Additional Video Design
Bonnie Bogovich, Sara Haig, Dean Mougianis, Jim Mueller, Caroline Savage,
Tanya Stadelmann, Dylan Stern, Cara Thompson

Set & Prop Artists
Sharky Schutte, Chris Letzelter, Demmler Schenck, Elizabeth Rishel, Ben McDonald

Costumes
Candy Callery

Opening Voiceover
Rick Kemp

Steve and Jackie would like to acknowledge everyone involved in this production for their creative contributions, especially the Squonk musicians for adding their own individual flavor to the music, and the designers, builders and technicians who added detail and richness to the production.

*Prior to late 2007, Christina Acosta was the vocalist in our Hometown Opera Series and appears in the videos on this website.

Hometown Opera Series