Before It All Goes Dark • 2024
Libretto by Gene Scheer
Based on “Mac’s Journey” by Howard Reich, a Chicago Tribune series published in 2001/2002 (used by permission)
Opera
in one act
World Premiere: May 19, 2024
Commissioned by Music of Remembrance, Mina Miller, founder & artistic director
Duration: 60’
About
Music of Remembrance celebrates its 25th Anniversary with a three-city tour of Before It All Goes Dark, a new opera by Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer based on reporting by legendary Chicago journalist Howard Reich in the Chicago Tribune.
The opera tells the compelling true story of Gerald “Mac” McDonald, a gravely ill and deeply troubled Vietnam War veteran, which was first reported by Howard Reich in the Chicago Tribune. Mac grew up poor, angry, and disenfranchised in the suburbs of Chicago, his family’s Jewish ancestry hidden from him – until Reich tracked him down as part of an investigation inspired by his own family’s experiences during the Holocaust. When Mac learned that he was heir to a priceless art collection stolen by the Nazis, the two men embarked on a quest to Eastern Europe to uncover secrets of the past.
“The impact of Before It All Goes Dark could hardly have been more potent. The story of Mac explores antisemitism on subtle levels. Thanks to Heggie’s evocative music, the wounds he suffers along the way resonate long after we leave the theater.”
Premiere Cast & Creative Team
Conductor: Joseph Mechavich
Director: Erich Parce
Scenic Designer: Peter Crompton
Music of Remembrance Ensemble: Demarre McGill, flute; Laura DeLuca, clarinet; Mikhail Shmidt, violin; Susan Gulkis Assadi, viola; Eric Han, cello; Jonathan Green, double bass; Jessica Choe, piano
Gerald “Mac” McDonald: Ryan McKinny
Misha/Sally/Emil: Megan Marino