If a Beat Poet and an Avant-Garde Composer wrote an opera, what would it be like? Unlike any opera you've ever attended, that's what. Hydrogen Jukebox combines Allen Ginsberg's reflection on the times set to the music of Philip Glass. Don't miss it.

Contains adult subject matter; parental discretion advised.
m=matinee

Um…yeah…our website program automatically assigns a ‘synopsis' tab to each opera – with good reason, most operas have a synopsis. Not this one though.

We're assuming, however, that you clicked on this page because you want to learn more about Hydrogen Jukebox and/or have at least one of the following questions in mind:

• Do I want to see this piece? 
• Should I bring my kids?

Let's get the second question out of the way quick. Unless you feel your children are ready for (and should) experience controversial, sexually and politically-charged, "out there," artistic material we suggest you leave the kids at home for this one and bring them something else, like The Mikado.

If you are considering going yourself, but are deeply concerned by the above paragraph, then Hydrogen Jukebox is probably not a good bet for you either. We suggest you stick with Trovatore, Mikado and Julius Caesar this year.

However, if you are instead intrigued with the idea, then Hydrogen Jukebox may very well fall under the "must see" category for you. Read on.

ABOUT HYDROGEN JUKEBOX
Hydrogen Jukebox is the result of a collaboration between Beat Poet Allen Ginsberg and the king of Avant-Garde opera, Philip Glass. It premiered in 1990 at the Spoleto Music Festival in Charleston, SC. The original production had six members in its cast, each one representative of an American archetype. The idea was to present a portrait of America, from Ginsberg and Glass's point of view, from the 1950s to the late 1980s.

The musical style that encompasses Philip Glass's compositions is often referred to as "minimalism." According to his biography, he prefers to speak of himself as "as a composer of music with repetitive structures." Whatever you want to call it, it is definitely not your traditional classical music and purposely does not follow expected melodic patterns. Unless you are already a fan of minimalism, Hydrogen Jukebox will probably challenge your expectations of music and of opera.

The libretto consists of a compilation of several of Ginsberg's poems, including the one he is most famous – or infamous for depending on your perspective – Howl. The poem became the subject of an obscenity trial because of what was called by 1950's standards, "filthy, vulgar, obscene, and disgusting language." Ginsberg's right to freedom of speech was upheld and the resulting publicity helped make Ginsberg one of the most well-known Beat Poets in the public eye.

In case you are not familiar with the Beat Poets, they were a group of American writers who came to prominence in the 1950s following the end of World War II. They were the voices of what is now referred to as "the Beat Generation" (or Beatniks), the generation that immediately preceded and inspired the Hippie Movement. They grew up in the shadow of war and were characterized by a general distrust of convention, militarism and materialism. They were also known for their desire to reach a higher level of consciousness, often through use of drugs and meditation and Eastern religions. The Beat Poets warred against sexual repression and the laws that forbade both homosexual and heterosexual freedoms.

Today, Ginsberg's poems don't carry the same shock value for most Americans as they did in the 1050s and 1960s, but pieces like Hydrogen Jukebox can still pack a punch, both musically and thematically. Of Hydrogen Jukebox, Ginsberg said, Those of you who have reached this point of our non-synopsis will most likely fall in one of two categories:

• Oh my, I can't wait! 
• Oh my, why? Why?

For the "can't waits": You may want to consider buying a season ticket subscription. We love all our buyers, but our season ticket holders are very dear to us and support us on a deeper level. We always give them first dibs on purchasing extra performances and such. We're not sure, but they may buy up all the tickets as we only have 900 or so available. If there are remaining tickets, we will let our Facebook fans and email subscribers know about it first – so sign up.

For the "whys": We understand, we really do. This isn't your cup of tea. We try to produce enough variety each year to satisfy a broad range of tastes and musical styles. While this not be to your taste, there are many who can't wait to see it, really. As an arts patron, you shouldn't have to go to New York or Europe to sample a variety of operatic styles. We strongly feel that as a local steward of the arts, we owe it to our audiences to give them a choice and a chance to experience opera in all its many forms.

But we also do it for the art form itself. Classical arts as you may know are facing a crisis that is expected to grow over the next several decades. Younger audiences aren't connecting with opera in the numbers that they did prior to 1970. Classical opera does have a message for them and its appeal is not limited to people of a certain age or generation – you know that and so do we. But new audiences need to be introduced to opera in a format and with issues and stories they find relevant and interesting. It's vital to the continuation of the art form. If opera as an art form is not worthy of new creations and new works then it's not going to hold value for future generations. We must support modern opera and the creation of new operas. We hope you'll join us – if not by attending then at least by donating. Let's make sure opera lives!

It's a surpise! What? Don't you like surprises? Because we sure do!