FULL COLD SASSY TREE (Carlisle Floyd) Santa Clarita CA 2024 Mission Opera

Information on the Performance

• Work Title: Cold Sassy Tree  
• Composer: Floyd Carlisle   
• Libretto:  Libretto Text, Libretto Index
• Venue & Opera Company: Canyon High School Performing Arts Center, Santa Clarita, California, Mission Opera  
• Recorded: October 26 & 27, 2024
• Type: Staged Opera Live
• Singers: see cast below
• Conductor: Charlie Kim  
• Orchestra:
• Chorus Master: Hugo Vera  
• Stage Director: Joshua Wentz  
• Stage Designer: Andreas Theoharides, Shawn Taylor  
• Costume Designer: Nia Heinrich  
• Lighting Designer: Brian Nielson  

Information about the Recording

• Format: DVD
• Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
• Subtitles: yessubs, ensubs, gensubs  

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE

  Synopsis:
  Rucker Lattimore, proprietor of the general store, announces he intends to marry his employee Love Simpson. He explains the marriage will actually be a “business arrangement.” Love will cook and clean in exchange for the house and its contents. Rucker’s grown daughters, Mary Willis and Loma, are aghast—Rucker has buried his wife, their mother, just three weeks before, and Love is half his age. Only Rucker’s grandson, Will Tweedy, is happy about the impending marriage.

  Soon after Rucker’s marriage to Love, he asks Will to accompany her to church, hoping to show the town the family has accepted her. But the congregation shuns her, and they leave the service defiantly. Rucker responds by setting up a makeshift church in his parlor and preaching his own sermon, creating further public outrage.

  Much to Mary Willis and Loma’s displeasure, Love’s presence brings about many changes: she redecorates the house and Rucker shaves his beard and mustache. One day a Texas rancher comes to see Love—her former fiancé, Clayton McAllister—but she sends him away. In private, Rucker offers to step aside if Love is still interested in Clayton, but she tells him the relationship is over.

  While Love is away on a buying trip for the general store, Rucker equips their house with electricity and plumbing. She is surprised and delighted, and Rucker confesses he has loved her from the moment he saw her. He tries to kiss her, but she shies away. She reveals that she was violated as a young girl; when she told Clayton about it, he ended their engagement. Rather than rejecting her, Rucker tenderly proposes that she become his wife in every sense of the word.

  At the store, Love uses her artistry as a milliner to win over the town gossips. As Rucker closes the store for the day, he is critically wounded in a robbery attempt. Love desperately tries to tell the dying Rucker that she is expecting his child. Will carries out his grandfather’s final wishes, which include a funeral party in the town square. Love discloses to the townspeople that Rucker is to be a father again and most of the townspeople are won over at last. Love and the other members of Rucker’s family, finally united, receive the congratulations of the crowd and celebrate Rucker’s legacy.

  CAST
  Rucker Lattimore – Phil Meyer
  Love Simpson – Meagan Carlson
  Will Tweedy – Robert Dunlap
  Lightfoot McClendon – Jiayang “Becky” Zhang
  Clayton McAllister – David Ingram
  Loma Williams – Rose Kreider
  Mary Willis – Carol Winston
  Effie Belle Tate – Adrien Raynier
  Thelma Predmore – Constanze Bonelli
  Lula – Leanna Crenshaw
  Myrtis – Julia Powers
  Campbell Williams – Steve “Mor” Moritsugu
  Hosie McClendon – Frederic Lee
  Mayor – Ben Cross
  Sheriff – Frank Arend
  Dr. Lomax – Pyrec Parker
  Rufus Buford – Alexei Helmbock
  Luther – Anthony Villanueva
  Cornelia (Chorus) – Vivianne Taylor
  Daisy (Chorus) – Jamila Friedrich
  Annie Sue (Chorus) – Sue Brekka
  Walker (Chorus) – Dick Hughes
  Hunter (Chorus) – Javier Posadas Gonzalez
  Colt (Chorus) – Kelvin Li

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