126:, work on the opera began before the book was published. Members of the Ohio Innocence Project (OIP) young professionals committee met in early 2017 with members of Cincinnati's Young Professional Choral Collective (YPCC) to discuss devising choral music based on OIP's work; YPCC's founding director, KellyAnn Nelson, saw the opportunity to create something larger. Cincinnati Opera became involved and commissioned the creation of the opera. The opera was initially workshopped in collaboration with the
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Three, were convicted on the basis of tainted evidence and misidentification by an eyewitness; they served 20 years in prison. Rickey
Jackson served 39 years for a murder he did not commit, based on false testimony. The opera follows their stories from the time of the alleged crime, their time in
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The plot of the opera follows six people wrongfully-convicted and eventually exonerated as well as the work of the lawyers and law students working on their cases. The
Prosecuting Attorney and the Defense Attorney are both based in part on Mark Godsey, co-founder of the Ohio Innocence Project, at
141:
to develop the opera's text in early 2018. Approximately 40 percent of the libretto is drawn directly from interviews with the exonerees; their stories are at the heart of the opera. Adjustments to the libretto were still being made in mid 2019, to reflect exonerees' civil cases for restitution.
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The main characters in the opera are all based on six real people who had been wrongfully convicted and later exonerated by the Ohio
Innocence Project (OIP). In addition to those real people, other characters are less closely based on individuals. There is a single prosecutor, who serves as the
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on July 22, 2019, directed by Robin
Guarino. The narrow stage was flanked by audience members seated on either side, giving it the intimate feel of courtroom. The orchestra comprised members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under the direction of
158:. The score was released bit by bit to the creative team throughout 2018. In November 2018, a workshop was held to introduce some of the musical numbers to the exonerees themselves as well as collect creative feedback.
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by Ohio
Innocence Project co-founder Mark Godsey, and on interviews with those whose stories are portrayed. The opera opened at Cincinnati Opera on July 22, 2019.
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called it a "masterpiece", and declared that the only flaw was the small seating capacity, saying that the opera's powerful message deserved a broader audience.
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prison, the work of the Ohio
Innocence Project (represented through the character of Alesha), and their eventual release from prison.
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Some performances were followed by question-and-answer sessions with the real life exonerees represented in the opera.
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prosecutor for all of the cases, as well as a single defense attorney and one student research from the OIP, Alesha.
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different stages of his career. The prosecutor, representing a younger Godsey (who had been a prosecutor for the
388:, was convicted on child sexual abuse charges. Laurese Glover, Derrick Wheatt, and Eugene Johnson, known as the
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was convicted of two rapes and a murder after a "flimsy identification". Nancy Smith, a bus driver for
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The opera, which consists of one 90-minute act, premiered at the Wilks Studio
Theatre in Cincinnati's
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Classical Voice North
America. Journal of the Music Critics Association of North America
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and composer Scott
Davenport Richards. The libretto was based in part on the book
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The chorus was drawn from
Cincinnati's Young Professionals Choral Collective.
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800:"Cincinnati Opera's World Premiere of 'Blind Injustice' Uncovers Innocence"
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695:"UC's 'Blind Injustice' opera premieres to acclaim, makes national news"
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opened to positive reviews in both local and national publications.
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Alesha, law student working on the Ohio Innocence Project; Ensemble
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noted "Richards's potent music and Cote's hard-hitting words."
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Opera Sets Out to Open Eyes About Wrongful Conviction Rates"
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Godsey, Mark (May 21, 2019). "Voice to the Voiceless".
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Scott Davenport Richards's score includes elements of
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University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
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Opera about wrongful convictions and their reversal
170:. Members of YPCC served as part of the chorus.
410:called it a "powerful piece of music theater."
176:The opera was performed in Colorado in 2023 by
896:Shane, Eric (May 21, 2019). "In Performance".
122:Although the opera is based on Mark Godsey's
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133:Librettist David Cote worked with director,
87:based on the stories of six people who were
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572:Gelfand, Janelle (July 19, 2019).
333:Derrick Wheatt's mother, Ensemble
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827:de Acha, Rafael (July 30, 2019).
798:Arenstein, Anne (July 17, 2019).
718:Makers, Movers and (2021-02-16).
616:Arenstein, Anne (July 24, 2019).
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532:Review: Stories of the Innocent"
526:Waleson, Heidi (July 26, 2019).
991:Operas set in the United States
746:Gresham, Mark (7 August 2019).
355:Earl Mann's Cellmate, Ensemble
986:Operas set in the 21st century
864:de Acha, Rafael (2019-07-24).
693:English, Sherry (2019-07-30).
578:explores wrongful convictions"
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1:
670:"From prison to center stage"
378:Southern District of New York
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309:Rickey Jackson, an exoneree
284:Laurese Glover, an exoneree
271:Eugene Johnson, an exoneree
260:Derrick Wheatt, an exoneree
210:Premiere cast, July 22, 2019
178:Opera Theatre of the Rockies
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574:"Opera's powerful premiere
30:by Scott Davenport Richards
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118:Composition and premiere
996:Criminal justice reform
537:The Wall Street Journal
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137:and CCM faculty member
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279:Miles Wilson-Toliver
124:book of the same title
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618:"Cincinnati Opera's
420:Cincinnati City Beat
344:Earl Mann, Ensemble
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89:wrongfully convicted
724:Movers & Makers
626:CityBeat Cincinnati
622:is a 'Masterpiece'"
290:Terrence Chin-Loy
214:John Morris Russell
168:John Morris Russell
754:. Atlanta, Georgia
397:Critical reception
339:Deborah Nansteel
646:"Blind Injustice"
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758:10 October
729:2023-02-24
704:2023-02-24
679:2023-02-24
655:2023-02-24
631:2019-07-30
587:2019-07-30
543:2019-07-30
467:2019-07-30
426:References
386:Head Start
206:Voice type
163:Music Hall
152:minimalism
135:dramaturge
108:David Cote
105:librettist
61:2019-07-22
39:David Cote
35:Librettist
804:City Beat
358:baritone
347:baritone
312:baritone
263:baritone
371:Synopsis
225:baritone
53:Premiere
45:Language
699:UC News
324:soprano
156:hip-hop
130:(CCM).
59: (
48:English
976:Operas
936:Portal
301:tenor
287:tenor
154:, and
83:is an
70:, Ohio
950:Opera
238:tenor
202:Role
188:Roles
148:blues
85:opera
28:Opera
908:2019
844:2019
811:2019
785:2019
760:2019
144:jazz
93:Ohio
461:NPR
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