Article by Joe Sioufi - Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking is a story of compassion and redemption originally commissioned by the San Francisco Opera, and it's based on a novel by Sister Helen Prejean.

It's the story of "Joseph De Rocher (Philip Cutlip) leads a lonely life on death row until Sister Helen Prejean (Joyce DiDonato) arrives as his spiritual advisor. Legendary mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade marks her farewell to the operatic stage with these appearances as De Rocher’s mother and Measha Brueggergosman makes her HGO debut as Sister Rose. 

The real achievement of Dead Man Walking is that everyone witnessing it will feel they have walked that journey with Sister Helen, with De Rocher, his mother and the parents of his victims.

To tell you the truth, rarely has any opera produced such profound empathy for so many on all sides of a complicated and terrible dilemma.

Make sure to be ready for some nudity, it contains strong language and depictions of sexual activity and violence.

Have a great Opera time my friends!!

Joe Sioufi
www.joesioufi.com
www.paintingforyou.com