Dissonance and Consonance (KY Opera)
- stagedoorlouisville
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Scalia/Ginsburg
An Opera by Derrick Wang
Conducted by Everett McCorvey
Directed by Audrey Chait
Review by Jeanne-Marie Rogers
Entire contents are copyright © 2026 Jeanne-Marie Rogers. All rights reserved.
The Kentucky Opera’s production of Scalia/Ginsburg is a delightful and surprisingly poignant take on art, friendship and constitutional law. With score and libretto by Derrick Wang, the one-act opera interweaves the words of the two Supreme Court Justices with musical references from the great operatic composers.
The plot itself is drawn from several operatic tropes, most obviously the ending of “Don Giovanni” (well known from the play and movie “Amadeus), where a mysterious figure appears to render judgment. This is the Commentator, portrayed by towering and impressively coiffed bass Ron Dukes. When he’s not bringing the thunder, he navigates not one, but two patter songs with dexterity. The role of Scalia (“Nino” to his friends) is portrayed as equal parts hero and villain by Louisville-based tenor Jesse Donner, whose singing is positively incandescent in his epic origin-story aria. Ginsberg is last to appear on the scene, exploiting the loophole in the Commentator’s directive that no man may enter or leave the judgment chamber. Soprano Jennifer Zetlan sings very musically despite the often dry nature of her expository text, and charmingly embodies the “notoriously” quirky and intelligent RBG.
On a set emblazoned with the words of the Constitution, the Justices set forth their dearly held convictions, sometimes at odds with one another but always showing respect. Rather than a “closing argument,” Nino and Ruth join in a duet that shifts between dissonance and consonance as they sing of unity and friendship. Of course, it wouldn’t be an opera without a plot twist, and in the final moments the story loses its way a bit. Ginsberg has the final word, reminding us that the work of justice continues.
The production was directed by Audrey Chait, New Works Manager at Cincinnati Opera, with the small orchestra of strings, keyboard and percussion conducted by Everett McCorvey of the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre program. Performances continue through April 17 at the Kentucky Opera Center for Cultural Health.
Scalia/Ginsburg
Kentucky Opera
The Kentucky Opera Center for Cultural Health
708 Magazine St. Louisville, KY 40203
April 12, 2026 | 2pm
April 16, 2026 | 7:30pm
April 17, 2026 | 7:30pm