The Stranger's Tale

Intended as a companion piece to Stravinsky's faustian A SOLDIER'S TALE.

Friday, May 17, 2024 at noon

Ancient City Baptist Church

27 Sevilla Street, St. Augustine FL

This free performance is part of the Romanza Festivale. Donations will benefit the Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County

Saturday, May 18, 6 to 9:00 PM

Fostering Connections Night of Arts Gala

First Coast Opera will be participating in Fostering Connections’ annual Night of the Arts Gala which will be held at Friday Musicale on May 18th.

Get all the details and ticket information at Fostering Connections website.

Opera Performance to Examine Homelessness

First Coast Opera will present The Stranger's Tale, an opera examining the issue of homelessness and the stigma experienced by those it affects. The one-hour performances will take place at Ancient City Baptist Church in Saint Augustine on Friday, May 17, at noon, as part of the Romanza Festivale of the Arts. The free performance is appropriate for all ages.

A story of faith and hope, The Stranger's Tale examines modern homelessness through music and drama. Set around a park bench, the one-act opera centers around an unnamed man experiencing homelessness. His interactions, sometimes unwanted, uplift other parkgoers who encounter him. Are the effects accidental, coincidental, or divine? According to Tucker, "That is for the audience to decide."

About the opera's premiere in 2005, American Record Guide described it as "an immense hit with the audience" and a "sincere, humane tale [with] easily accessible music, mainly tonal with an occasional dash of dissonance, neatly effective and supportive of the text."

The opera features an original libretto by Nelson Sheeley and music by FCO Artistic Director Curtis Tucker. This project is funded in part by the Romanza Festivale of the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.