Stories of Sacrifi ce

BY BRIDGETTE M. REDMAN

Sound of Freedom Contributing Writer

Based on true stories of injured soldiers, “The Rising and the Falling” tells their tales in operatic format. (Ziggy Mack/ Opera Memphis)

Sgt. Ben Hilget’s path to the military might seem unusual to some, but it led to the creation of a work of art designed to help civilians understand the life of a soldier and the sacrifi ces that are made.

“Th e Falling and the Rising” is an opera centered around an injured soldier who is in a medically induced coma aft er she was injured by a roadside IED. As she goes in and out of a dream-like state, she experiences the stories of other soldiers.

Th e stories are based on real experiences injured soldiers shared at Walter Reed National Medical Center, soldiers who were part of what was then called the Warrior Transition Brigade. Th e opera, which premiered in New York in 2018, is coming to Arizona Opera Friday, October 14, to Sunday, October 16, in Phoenix and Saturday, October 22, and Sunday, October 23, in Tucson.

Before enlisting in the Army, Hilget was an accomplished opera singer who had toured the world. He had done musical theater in high school, but opera became his passion.

“I loved diff erent cultures,” Hilget says. “It was just this way of stepping into this fabulous grand world where you are mixing great literature, great stories, great art — visual art, theater and music. Th ere’s just something about the unamplifi ed human voice carrying over an orchestra and fi lling an opera house.” He even confesses that part of him still misses the opera world. Th ere was something special about traveling the world and always honing one’s craft . But he felt like he was missing something by just serving his own artistic growth. He had just returned from a tour in Germany when an earthquake hit Haiti. He wanted to volunteer to help but was told that he didn’t have the skills. It was a turning point for him. When a friend of his joined the services, he was inspired.

“Th e idea of representing something that is greater than the sum of its parts — service to your country, it really stuck with me,” Hilget says. He told his friend to let him know if there was a spot for him. “And so I found myself in basic training later that fall.”

He says he hasn’t looked back, but he also hasn’t left behind his skills as an opera singer. Th e idea came to him to create an opera about injured soldiers. He reached out to Chicago writer and director Jerre Dye and composer Zach Redler. “Th e Falling and the Rising” breaks ground in its goals and its staging. Th ere are only fi ve characters, and projections play an important role in the production. It is fi lled with humor — the usual opera-going audiences might blink at the full-voiced, passionate operatic performance of such lines as “You’d better get your ass in gear.”

Hilget says he was impressed with Dye and

world. He had done musical theater in high unteer to help but was told that he didn’t have orchestra and fi lling an opera house.” Projections help set that part of him still the scene for the misses the opera world. opera performers Th ere was something in “The Falling and the Rising” about injured soldiers. (Ziggy special about traveling the world and always Mack/Opera Memphis) honing one’s craft . But he felt like he was missing something by just serving his own artistic growth. from a tour in Germany when an earthquake hit Haiti. He wanted to vol-

Redler’s work.

“I’m still stunned to this day when I see the show at how well they realize the aspirational goals of this endeavor — bridging the civilian/ military divide,” Hilget says.

“Th at’s the weird, strange place I’m currently in; I live with a foot in both worlds. I’m still opera singer, Ben, but I am active duty, sergeant fi rst class in the United States Army.”

Tess Altiveros, a soprano, performed the role of Soldier for the Seattle Opera production and is looking forward to reprising the role in Arizona.

“I have a hunch it will feel diff erent doing it in a place like Arizona versus a place like Seattle,” Altiveros says.

“I think that perhaps we might fi nd the ratio of service members in the audience in Arizona is higher than in Seattle.”

Regardless of who comes, she said the music and score draw in audience members whether they are civilians or soldiers. She describes it as being accessible and melodic.

“It’s meant to help us appreciate and acknowledge the sacrifi ces that are made, the good parts and the bad parts about enlisting and the hardships of it,” Altiveros says. Hilget says the opera captures better than anything else he’s ever seen on stage the sacrifi ces that modern service members make. He says he and the other opera creators were immediately fl oored by the stories they heard at Walter Reed.

The cast of the original opera “The Rising and the Falling” sing of injured soldiers and their recoveries. (Ziggy Mack/Opera Memphis)

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard to date more powerful stories of resilience and strength,” Hilget says.

One of the fi rst interviews was with a specialist who had been in a coma aft er being thrown from a Humvee. He dreamt a life that he didn’t have. Even six months aft er he woke up, he was still trying to fi gure out what was real and a dream.

“He gained the power of speech back through music therapy — he actually learned to sing before he could speak,” Hilget says. “He spoke with a profound wisdom for someone of his age and still in the middle of trauma.”

In three days, they spoke to so many people that, he says, they could have written 10 operas.

Dennis Whitehead Darling had just fi nished serving as the inaugural McCleave Fellow in Directing at Opera Memphis, a fellowship designed to fostering the careers of directors of color, when he saw Opera Memphis’ production of the opera. “It’s quite beautiful and poignant and painful and emotional and rich with beautiful themes of sacrifi ce and pain,” Darling says. He is now directing the Arizona Opera production. As someone who contemplated going into the military and whose father, uncle, brother and stepsister are veterans,

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard to date more this opera touches him. He says he feels people this opera touches him. He says he feels people get a better understanding of what it takes to serve in the military and the sacrifi ce, duty and honor involved. “Th ere are no live scenes of people being shot at, but it does deal with injury and that sort of falling that the soldier goes through emotionally and physically,” Darling says. “Th en it’s about this wonderful triumph of the rising of how they somehow fi nd this miraculous strength to overcome any sort of emotional or physical pain. It honors their sacrifi ce.” As someone committed to producing transformative storytelling, Darling says he is honored that he gets to direct it. “When you see this piece, you will understand how beautifully written it is and how universal it is,” Darling says. signed to fostering the careers of directors of color, when he saw Opera Memphis’ production of the opera. ful and poignant and painful and emotional and rich with beautiful themes of sacrifi ce and pain,” Darling says.

A woman named only Soldier experiences fl ashes of other the Arizona Opera production. As someservicemen one who contemplatand women ed going into the milwhile in a coma. itary and whose father, (Ziggy Mack/Opera Memphis) uncle, brother and stepsister are veterans,

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, October 14, and Saturday, October 15, and 2 p.m. Sunday, October 16, in Phoenix; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 22, and 2 p.m. Sunday, October 23, in Tucson WHERE: Herberger Theater, 222 E. Monroe Street, Downtown Phoenix; Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Avenue, Tucson COST: Visit website for ticket information INFO: azopera.org