Fierce
World premiere!
July 6 & 10, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
July 9, 2022 | 3:00 p.m.
SCPA’s Corbett Theater
Music by William Menefield
Libretto by Sheila Williams
Sung in English with projected lyrics
Four teenage girls gather for a workshop on writing an effective college essay. The teacher asks, “Tell me who you are,” prompting each young woman to share her story. One mourns the loss of a special friend, while another hides behind her popularity. The third feels constrained by her parents’ expectations, and the last faces a troubled homelife. Despite the chorus of trolls that taunts them, the girls unite, embarking on a transformative journey toward empowerment and self-assurance. With authenticity and sensitivity, Northern Kentucky-based novelist Sheila Williams interviewed local teens to inspire the opera’s libretto, while Cincinnati native William Menefield employs jazz, modern, and classical music styles in its high-energy score.
Fierce is presented in collaboration with community partners WordPlay Cincy, The Music Resource Center—Cincinnati, and i.imagine.
GALLERY
Cast & Creative Team
Rumer Megan Graves
Nyomi Victoria Ellington
Morgan Alicia Russell Tagert
Vesta Lauren McAllister
Ms. Lee-Adler/Mary/Troll 4 Wendy Hill
Jackie/Margaret/Troll 3 Indra Thomas
John/Troll 1 M. Andrew Jones
Jim/Troll 2 Antonio Cruz
Composer William Menefield
Librettist Sheila Williams
Conductor Joseph Young
Stage Director D. Lynn Meyers
Production Designer Samantha Reno
Lighting Designer Thomas C. Hase
Projection Designer Jessica Drayton
Wig & Makeup Designer James Geier
Featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
New production from Cincinnati Opera
NEWS & REVIEWS
“Menefield wrote an upbeat, eclectic score for a colorful pit orchestra of 12 musicians from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. It was seamlessly staged by D. Lynn Meyers … Williams’ libretto never strayed from the youth of these characters and was often poetic.”
Read more at the Cincinnati Business Courier
“William Menefield and Sheila Williams – both with personal ties to the region – have perfected Fierce, a compelling new work that brings real-life stories to the operatic stage and another feather in the Cincinnati Opera’s cap.”
Read more at All About the Arts
Movers and Makers: A Fierce new opera inspired by teenage girls
CityBeat: Cincinnati Opera’s Fierce and Castor and Patience give voice to underrepresented stories
WVXU’s Cincinnati Edition: Cincinnati Opera's Summer Festival is back with a Fierce new performance
About Our Partners
DISCOVER MORE
Opera Insights
Enhance your Fierce knowledge with a pre-curtain lecture one hour before each performance in SCPA’s Corbett Theater. Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director, provides overviews and insights into the opera's history, music, and production. Free to all ticket holders. No reservations required.
The company debut of D. Lynn Meyers was partially supported by OPERA America’s Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors, generously funded by the Marineau Family Foundation.
Fierce World Premiere and Community Outreach received funding from a Civic Practice Grant from OPERA America’s Opera Fund.
