American Lyric Theater Showcases Libretto Reading of 'La Reina' As Part of Composer Librettist Development Program

The American Lyric Theater showcased its first libretto reading Sunday as part of its Composer Librettist Development Program.

The libretto showcased on Sunday was “La Reina” by Laura Sosa Pedroza. The work will be set to music by Jorge Sosa and tells the story of a cartel leader who must come to terms with the sins that she has committed. As the libretto begins, Regina Malverde is behind bars and awaiting her judgment. She is visited in her cell by the Santa Muerte, an occult figure venerated in Mexico and some parts of the US. The Santa Muerte gives her a chance to relive her crimes and change her past in hopes of redeeming herself.

The reading on Sunday was performed by a number of stage actors. After the reading, audience members were engaged in a critical discussion with Sosa and Pedroza. Moderating the discussion was ATL’s Producing Artistic Director Lawrence Edelson who stated in a later interview that the project fascinated him because it was an opportunity to promote a work in Spanish and English and “embrace the richness of what makes up our society.”
Edelson also remarked that one of the most exciting features of producing La Reina was the opportunity to see composer Jorge Sosa develop. Edelson told Latinospost that when the one year program began, he enjoyed Sosa’s music, but as the composer developed his admiration only grew.

Sosa is known for combining traditional acoustics with electronic music and stated that this was his plan for this opera. He has composed only some parts of the work including an aria for the opera’s lead character. That aria was performed at the Opera America Conference in Philadelphia where the response was remarkable. According to Edelson, interest from opera companies was generated from this performance.

Librettist Sosa Pedroza told Latinospost that this was her first libretto. A veteran in television and film, Sosa Pedroza was the story producer for the first season of Capadocia (HBO-Argos). The show was nominated for best drama series in 2009 at the International Emmy Awards. Sosa Pedroza noted that the experience of writing an opera libretto was unique and extremely difficult for her. What troubled her most was balancing the poetic sections of the work with the more direct recitative moments. However, she did note that she would definitely consider writing another libretto in the future.

According to Edelson, it is likely that the opera has its premiere in 2015 as a number of opera companies have expressed interest in producing the work. Edelson did not mention which, but a representative from the Fort Worth Opera was in attendance at the libretto reading.

The Composer Librettist Development Program started in 2007 and aimed to provide a professional mentorship for opera writers. Edelson noted that there was no other full-time program in the United States like ALT’s, which provides over 70 classes and over 200 hours of personalized instruction to admitted individuals. There is an open application process every other year and six to eight artists are selected including three to four composers and the same amount of librettists.