Opera Performance to Examine Homelessness

Homeless Coalition St. Johns County. May 11 -- First Coast Opera and the Romanza St. Augustine present a free performance of The Stranger's Tale on Friday, May 17, 2024, at noon, at Ancient City Baptist Church, 27 Sevilla St.

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. Donations will be collected to benefit the Homeless Coalition St. Johns County.