FOLK OPERA at Amnesia w/ Hello, Folly! Revue 2 April 20, 2010

The Folk Opera (as yet untitled) is a performance piece written & composed by Annie Bacon. It was composed entirely on the ukulele during a 6-week trip to the Middle East and Southern Africa, and uses the operatic form lyrically (as in all text is sung, and themes are drawn out hyperbolically), and folk music form musically (simplistic and repetitive melodies and rich harmonies that tell stories of folks).

“Folk Opera tells of Elizabeth, a caretaker in her twenties in charge of Aunt Sara, an ornery old bird afflicted with Alzheimer’s. Their car breaks down, and in one short afternoon their fates become enveloped in the entrenched personalities and histories of a small town. Tragedy ensues, but not before love can enter the scene, strangers have a chance to win each other over, small town antics abound, and Rita the waitress serves her coffee. And while death sits at the doorstep of this short tale, the fact that Bacon composed the entire opera on her ukulele lends a lighthearted tone to the whole affair.” [Maddie Oatman]