Composer Ricky Ian Gordon’s youthful passions were reading poetry, listening to the music of 20th century composers and devouring foreign movies. The fruits of these influences blossom in his melodic and imaginative repertoire encompassing opera, song cycles, solo piano pieces, string quartets and musical theater.
If you go
“Sycamore Trees”
Where: Signature Theatre’s MAX Theatre
When: Through June 13
Info: $52 to $76; signature-theatre.org
Fresh from standing ovations given the concert version of his opera “The Grapes of Wrath,” narrated by Jane Fonda at Carnegie Hall, he is preparing a commission from Minnesota Opera for a work based on “The Garden of the Finzi-Continis,” another from the Metropolitan Opera about Victor Hugo’s daughter, “Adele in Nova Scotia,” and a song cycle, “Rappahannock County,” with librettist Mark Campbell for Virginia Opera and the Virginia Arts Festival. But foremost in his mind this week is the world premiere of his commissioned musical “Sycamore Trees” opening in Signature Theatre’s MAX theatre for a monthlong run. Part of Signature’s American Musical Voice Project, the story was inspired by Gordon’s memories of growing up in a Long Island suburb where his family moved to realize the dream of living happily ever after in a post-World War II environment. The dream was lost somewhere along the way as each member struggled to be understood.
“I’m proud of the piece,” Gordon said. “I had a revelation about myself when I was growing up and obsessed with foreign films. Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu often told a story in different seasons, such as early spring, late spring and late autumn. I needed another way to tell the story I’ve already told in “Orpheus and Euridice” (Obie winner) and “Green Sneakers” (termed “a masterpiece” by Opera Today).
“It was not until my life took a particular turn that I knew I had to write this. As you keep writing something, there’s a moment when you realize you have achieved what you wanted. At that point, I had 20 more songs than I could use, so I called in Tina Landau to give me the courage to cut from this process that had been percolating since 1994. Afterward, I began wondering if what ends up on the stage is what should be there and if years and years of history are simply brush strokes.”
Along with giving Gordon the courage to make the needed cuts, Landau was the logical person to direct the production. As his collaborator on other projects, she understands him and the story he is telling about one family and the ties that bind them during troubling events of mid- to late 20th century America.
She directs a cast of Broadway veterans headed by Marc Kudisch as the Father, Farah Alvin as the Youngest Daughter, Judy Kuhn as the Middle Daughter, Jessica Molaskey as the Oldest Daughter, Diane Sutherland as the Mother, Tony Yazbeck as the Son, and Matthew Risch as the Man. Fred Lassen, music director of Broadway’s “South Pacific” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” conducts Gordon’s music that is orchestrated by Tony Award winner Bruce Coughlin.
