The Santa Clarita Valley opera company, Mission Opera opens its seventh Season Oct. 26-27 with “Cold Sassy Tree” by Carlisle Floyd, an American opera in English, based on the 1989 historical American novel by Olive Ann Burns.

“Cold Sassy Tree” portrays life in the rural south in the fictional town of Cold Sassy in 1906. Only two performances are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. at Canyon High School Performing Arts Center in Santa Clarita.

Mission Opera produces a new American work every season as part of our mission and vision: Mission Opera specializes in American opera and musical theater producing high-quality, accessible productions to the Santa Clarita Valley and Greater Los Angeles metro area, providing jobs in the arts sector to members of the community at all levels of production, fostering educational outreach opportunities for schools and students and granting participants and audiences a knowledge, enjoyment and deeper appreciation of music and performing arts.

“Cold Sassy Tree” by Carlisle Floyd will be the second work in Floyd’s canon, following “Susannah” in June 2023.

Mission Opera Artistic Director, Dr. Joshua Wentz, who will be directing the show, worked closely with Floyd during his later years.

“I made a commitment to the late composer and his family of producing Floys’a works and keeping his legacy alive for new generations of opera lovers,” said Wentz.

This production marks the Mission Opera debut of conductor Charlie Kim at the helm of the orchestra, as well as veteran Music Director Lindsay Aldana.

Carlisle Floyd is considered the most important American opera composer and librettist in the nation’s history. He is credited with giving American opera its national voice in a series of contemporary classics rooted in American themes. With “Susannah” (1955), “Of Mice and Men” (1970) and “Cold Sassy Tree” (2000), he has more titles in the standard repertoire than any other U.S.-born composer.

Floyd’s operas have been performed more than any other living American composer aside from Gian Carlo Menotti. His expressive clarity, lyricism and realization of the value of song have ensured a dedicated following among both audiences and critics. The element that makes Floyd stand out among other American opera composers is his ability to write successful operas that capture what it is to live in the United States. Whether set in the Appalachian Mountains, Louisiana, a small Georgia town, or California’s central valley, Floyd gave America an operatic voice. Using hymns, spirituals and jazz in sophisticated, lucid and powerful ways, Floyd has helped shape the formation of an American operatic style.

“Cold Sassy Tree” features a multimedia design on the 48’ LED screen, creatively combining traditional theater with contemporary video design and virtual settings, in standard Mission Opera fashion. The entire performance will last two hours and 25 minutes, which includes a 15 minute intermission.

The story of “Cold Sassy Tree” follows Rucker Lattimore, proprietor of the general store, who announces he intends to marry his employee Love Simpson. He explains the marriage will actually be a “business arrangement.” Love will cook and clean in exchange for the house and its contents. Rucker’s grown daughters, Mary Willis and Loma, are aghast, Rucker has buried his wife, their mother, just three weeks before and Love is half his age. Only Rucker’s grandson, Will Tweedy, is happy about the impending marriage.

Soon after Rucker’s marriage to Love, he asks Will to accompany her to church, hoping to show the town the family has accepted her. But the congregation shuns her and they leave the service defiantly. Rucker responds by setting up a makeshift church in his parlor and preaching his own sermon, creating further public outrage.

Much to Mary Willis and Loma’s displeasure, Love’s presence brings about many changes: she redecorates the house and Rucker shaves his beard and mustache. One day a Texas rancher comes to see Love, her former fiancé, Clayton McAllister, but she sends him away. In private, Rucker offers to step aside if Love is still interested in Clayton, but she tells him the relationship is over.

While Love is away on a buying trip for the general store, Rucker equips their house with electricity and plumbing. She is surprised and delighted and Rucker confesses he has loved her from the moment he saw her. He tries to kiss her, but she shies away. She reveals that she was violated as a young girl; when she told Clayton about it, he ended their engagement. Rather than rejecting her, Rucker tenderly proposes that she become his wife in every sense of the word.

At the store, Love uses her artistry as a milliner to win over the town gossips. As Rucker closes the store for the day, he is critically wounded in a robbery attempt. Love desperately tries to tell the dying Rucker that she is expecting his child. Will carries out his grandfather’s final wishes, which include a funeral party in the town square.

Love discloses to the townspeople that Rucker is to be a father again and most of the townspeople are won over at last. Love and the other members of Rucker’s family, finally united, receive the congratulations of the crowd and celebrate Rucker’s legacy.

Tickets

Four tiered level tickets are available for this live show ranging from $30-$65 and sold at www.missionopera.com or through OnTheStage at: https://our.show/coldsassytree.

Student and Senior tickets available for $25 with ID at the box office. Concessions and merch sold before the show and during intermission.

Promo code EARLYBIRD available until Ocr. 1 for $10 off all tickets.