About the Performance In April 2018, Juventas New Music will produce the world premiere of Dan Shore’s opera Freedom Ride at The Strand Theater in Boston. Through lush, beautiful harmonies, Freedom Ride celebrates and communicates a critical historical moment for America’s Civil Rights Movement. The themes and issues at the heart of Freedom Ride are still incredibly relevant today as our society grapples with the persistent presence of institutional racism in America. Freedom Ride tells the story of Sylvie Davenport, a young African-American student from New Orleans, as she slowly becomes involved in the Civil Rights Movement in the summer of 1961. The Congress of Racial Equality is looking for volunteers to help desegregate transportation in the South by riding to Jackson, where they face imprisonment for these actions. These journeys later become known as “Freedom Rides”. Initially reluctant, Sylvie becomes infatuated with activist Clayton Thomas and tentatively agrees to join the Freedom Rides, despite catastrophic personal consequences. This showcase production features an abbreviated version of the opera, with selections from several scenes from Acts 1 and 2. The showcase follows Sylvie as she gains the courage to both confess her love to Clayton and embark on her Freedom Ride, despite warnings and admonishments from friends, families and strangers. The excerpts feature several soloists and the chorus, and taken together, they reflect not only the rich musical language of the opera but also the moving emotional arc of the story. The opera calls for an African-American cast of principals, a mixed-race chorus, and African American Production Team. In a field that remains predominantly Caucasian, operas that insist on full racial representation are essential.
