Hairpiece
Libretto by Sam Norman, Score by Joy Redmond
Jonathan Pierce Rhodes as Ari
Hairpiece is a chamber opera originally commissioned by the Kennedy Center as part of the American Opera Initiative 2023-4.
On the verge of a solitary retirement, wigmaker Esther knows everything there is to know about her craft: you start by laying a lace foundation, then match the client’s hair with a frontal and stitch in the wefts by hand. And yet she doesn’t know how to save her studio. Or preserve the dying art. Or find meaning in her life’s work.
But when an eye-catching young stranger shows up unannounced at her door, an unexpected alliance will emerge.
Hairpiece received its world premiere in January 2024 at the Kennedy Center, performed by Cafritz Young Artists and players from the Washington National Orchestra. American Opera Initiative (AOI) mentorship is led by Director Christopher Cano, Artistic Advisor and librettist Kelley Rourke, librettist mentor Deborah Brevoort, composer mentor Kamala Sankaram, and conductor David Bloom. (Photo credits to Bronwen Sharp.)
Tiffany Choe as Esther
Jonathan Pierce Rhodes as Ari, Justin Burgess as Gale
What Critics Say
“I was especially moved by “Hairpiece,” a smartly situated study of otherness from composer Joy Redmond and librettist Sam Norman… Well-paced and keenly sharpened… Buoyed by a welcome lightness and a hopeful note… Color me teased” — The Washington Post
“An edge-of-seat human drama exploring themes of love, identity, industrialization, and more… Musically and dramatically excellent… It would be hard to not be moved by the story alone… Heart-tugging score” — Twin Cities Arts Reader
“Hairpiece cleverly uses the strands of a wigmaker’s craft as a metaphor for the different musical threads of the piece… The story is very strong… The need for connection and sense of community shines through the work” — BroadwayWorld
“The volume of artistic talent in the Terrace Theater must have caused the sides of the building to bulge… Fun and exciting” — OperaGene