On the 25th anniversary of its San Francisco Opera world premiere, Jake Heggie’s opera “Dead Man Walking” was presented again at the site of its first performance. The conductor of the world premiere, Maestro Patrick Summers, returned for the anniversary revival, as did mezzo-soprano Susan Graham who created the role of Sister Prejean in the first performances. In the revival, she assumed the role of Mrs Patrick de Rocher, mother of the condemned man of the opera’s title.
The revival brought together a distinguished cast of veterans of past San Francsico Opera performances. I attended the opening performance of the revival. The opening performance was the occasion for General Director Matthew Shilvock to host Sister Helen and to award the esteemed San Francisco Opera medal to composer Jake Heggie.
Jamie Barton’s Sister Helen Prejean
[Photo: Jamie Barton as Sister Helen Prejean; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francsico Opera.]
The protagonist of the opera is Sister Helen Prejean. The operatic character is based on the published 1993 memoirs of the “real-life” Sister Helen, a nun in a Louisiana-based Roman Catholic order [See her photo at the end of this review].
Her memoirs detail her commitment to abolishing the death penalty, as a result of her interactions as spiritual adviser to two convicted murderers. (These two men were consolidated into one character, named Matthew Poncelet in the 1995 Hollywood movie “Dead Man Walking”. In Heggie’s 2000 opera (incorporating plot revisions) the condemned man was named Joseph de Rocher.
For the revival, Sister Helen was played by Georgia mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton. Possessed with a voice with the power to perform principal roles in Wagnerian opera and the vocal flexibility to excel in the bel canto works of Donizetti and Bellini, Barton proved an excellent casting choice for this role. Her vocal power and vocal expressiveness was in evidence throughout her performance
Barton is onstage throughout most of the opera. Much of character’s arc is concerned with the consequences of her conviction that the killing of a human being should never be sanctioned, no matter what the criminal act of which that person has been proven guilty.
Sister Helen’s decision to meet and in turn involve herself as a spiritual advisor to de Rocher is challenged in consecutive scenes with a member of her order, the chaplain of the prison in which de Rocher is incarcerated, the prison’s warden and the families of de Rocher’s victims. Ultimately, she is given permission to become de Rocher’s spiritual adviser. In a poignant climactic scene Sister Helen is allowed to touch de Rocher’s head as he is led away for execution.
[Photo: As Joseph de Rocher (Ryan McKinny, right) is led away to be executed, his spiritual adviser, Sister Helen (Jamie Barton, left) is permitted to touch the condemend man’s head as a farewell gesture; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.
“Dead Man Walking” is the seventh San Francisco Opera production in which Barton has appeared, which includes her debut as Adalgisa [Review: Sondra Radvanovsky’s Stunning Season Opening “Norma” – San Francisco Opera, September 5, 2014]. Other roles included Fricka [Review: Francesca Zambello’s Iconic “Walküre” – San Francisco Opera, June 20, 2018] Sara [Review: World’s Best Ever “Roberto Devereux” Performance: Radvanovsky, Thomas, Barton, Frizza – San Francisco Opera, September 8, 2018] and Jezibaba [Review: “Rusalka”- Beautiful Singing, Insightful Drama – An Opera “Not to be Missed” – San Francisco Opera, June 16, 2019].
I have praised Jamie Barton’s perfornances in many diverse roles. Her performance history includes roles in two unjustly neglected mid-20th century works – the Maharanee in Menotti’s 1963 comedy [Review: Loving “The Last Savage”: Over the Top Menotti Charms at Santa Fe Opera – August 5, 2011 ] and Elizabeth Proctor in Ward’s 1961 dramatic opera [Review: Mulligan, Barton, Zambello, Paiement Make the Case for “The Crucible” – Glimmerglass Festival, August 5, 2016].
Ryan McKinny’s Joseph de Rocher
[Photo: Ryan McKinny as Joseph de Rocher; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph; courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
California baritone Ryan McKinny has recently been associated with the role of Joseph de Rocher, performing it for 2019’s performances of the opera at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and for the opening of the New York Metropolitan Opera’s 2023-24 season. He is one of five members of the 2023 Met opera production (also including Susan Graham, Chad Shelton, Raymond Aceto and Rod Gilfry) participating in this San Francisco Opera revival.
In the revival performance, McKinny proved to be a physical performer. He used his dramatic baritone to effect a convincing portrait of a dangerous man seething with anger. (Composer Heggie and his librettist, the late Terrence McNally, created a scene at the opera’s beginning, showing two teenagers being murdered by Joseph de Rocher and his brother Anthony, so as to confirm their guilt from the opera’s start). Over time, Joseph’s interactions with Sister Helen, and the failure of all his appeals of his death sentence, allows him to respond to Sister Helen’s spiritual counseling.
“Dead Man Walking” is the second San Francisco Opera production in which McKinny has appeared, having created the role of Clarence [World Premiere Review: Adams’ “Girls of the Golden West”, San Francisco Opera, November 21, 2017].
See my reports on McKinny performances elsewhere in such roles as Leone [Review: Domingo’s Towering “Tamerlano” Bajazet -Los Angeles Opera, November 22, 2009], Rigoletto [Review: Dramatic, lyrical and powerful: Ryan McKinny’s Rigoletto Role Debut – Houston Grand Opera, January 24, 2014], Count Almaviva [Review: An Elegant “Marriage of Figaro” – Korea Opera Festival (Seoul Arts Center) May 10, 2015] and Don GIovanni [Review: Outstanding Cast for “Don Giovanni” in Kasper Holten’s Vibrantly Visual Production – Houston Grand Opera, April 27, 2019].
See also my interview [Rising Stars: An Interview with Ryan McKinny] and also his thoughts based on his performances as Amfortas in Wagner’s “Parsifal” at Germany’s Beyreuth Festival [Guest Commentary by Ryan McKinny: Why We Need Parsifal].
Susan Graham’s Mrs. Patrick de Rocher
[Photo: Susan Graham as Mrs de Rocher; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
This is the second time that Susan Graham has appeared in “Dead Man Walking” at San Francisco Opera, the first time as Sister Helen in the 2000 world premiere. Graham’s appearances are powerful, vocally and histrionically, in any role she undertakes. She was a forceful presence in scenes in which, at her son’s request accompanied by Sister Helen, she pleaded for her son’s life, even while surrounded by the relatives of the teenagers her son murdered.
Susan Graham’s debut role at the San Francisco Opera was Minerva in Monteverdi’s “Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria” in 1990, the first of nine roles (including two in “Dead Man Walking”) over the past 35 years. These include the roles of Iphigénie [Review: Night at the Museum – “Iphigénie en Tauride” Springs to Life at San Francisco Opera – June 17, 2007], Ariodante [Review: Graham, Swenson, Prina Luminous in San Francisco Opera’s Stellar “Ariodante”, June 15, 2008], Xerxes [Review: Graham, Daniels, Prina Excel in Elegant, Witty “Xerxes” – San Francisco Opera, October 30, 2011] and Dido [Review: Susan Graham, Hymel, Antonacci in a Magnificent “The Trojans” from Sir David McVicar – San Francisco Opera, June 7, 2015]..
See my reports on Graham performances as Marguerite [Review: Berlioz’ Faust Fantastique – Lyric Opera Does “Damnation” – Chicago, March 8, 2010], the Composer [Review: Goerke, Claycomb, Graham in Stylishly Accessible “Ariadne auf Naxos” – Houston Grand Opera, April 29, 2011], the Grand Duchess [Review: Susan Graham’s Star Glows in Offenbach’s Sexy, Witty “Grand Duchess of Gerolstein” – Santa Fe Opera, June 28, 2013 ] the Witch [Review: A joyous “Hansel and Gretel” in Doug Fitch’s enchanting production – Los Angeles Opera, December 9, 2018 ] and Geneviève [Review: Passionately Sung, “Pelléas et Mélisande” in Netia Jones’ Attractive, Introspective Production – Santa Fe Opera, July 28, 2023 ].
See also my interview, Return to New Mexico: An Interview with Susan Graham.
Brittany Renee’s Sister Rose
[Photo: Sister Rose (Brittany Renee, right and Sister Helen (Jamie Barton, left) discuss Rose’s reservations about Helen’s role as spiritual advisor to a convicted murderer; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Early in the opera, Sister Helen encounters the first of the many persons who will discourage her campaign against capital punishment in general, and her work to save the life the convicted murderer, Joseph de Rocher, in particular.
Sister Rose, portrayed by New York soprano Brittany Renee, advocates for Sister Helen dedicating her energies to their Order’s work with the educational needs of young children, rather than involving herself in such a controversial public policy issue as abolishing the death penalty. Even in disagreement, Renee’s attractive soprano voice and her character Rose’s appreciation for Helen’s sincerity, won her sympathy.
Brittany Renee’s debut role was Julie in “Omar” [See Review: Ovations for “Omar”, Giddens’ and Abels’ Remarkable Opera – San Francisco Opera, November 5, 2023], followed by Musetta [Review: Nicole Car, Evan LeRoy Johnson, Brittany Renee Lead Alternate “La Boheme” Cast – San Francisco Opera, June 13, 2025].
Chad Shelton’s Father Grenville
[Phoro: Chad Shelton, who performs the role of Father Grenville; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.
A proponent of Helen’s Catholic faith who revealed his intolerance for Sister Helen’s connecting with de Rocher was the prison chaplain, Father Grenville. He prejudges de Rocher as incorrigible and unworthy of Sister Helen’s intercession.
Grenville is played by Texas tenor Chad Shelton, who has impressive credentials as both principal tenor and a character tenor, excelling in a wide range of roles.
Chad Shelton made his San Francisco Opera debut as Brigadier General Edward Alexander in the 2007 world premiere of a “documentary opera” [see Review: The Remaking of San Francisco Opera, Part I – Glass’ “Appomattox”, October 14, 2007.]
Shelton’s operatic career includes principal roles in contemporary operas, including Mao Tse-Tung [Review: San Diego Opera’s “Nixon in China” with Pomponi, Kanyova, Kim and Shelton – March 20, 2015], King Charles II, World Premiere Review: A Triumphant “Prince of Players” for Composer Carlisle Floyd, Baritone Ben Edquist – Houston Grand Opera, March 5, 2016 and multiple personages in the life of Lorenzo da Ponte [World Premiere Review: Superb Performances from Thomas Hampson and Luca Pisaroni in O’Regan and Caird’s “The Phoenix” – Houston Grand Opera, April 26, 2019].
Raymond Aceto’s George Benton
[Phoro: Bass Raymond Aceto, who performs the role of prison warden George Benton; edited image of a publicity photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
The fourth veteran of the New York Metropolitan’s 2023 “Dead Man Walking” production is Ohio bass Raymon Aceto, who returns to the San Francisco Opera after an absence of several seasons. Performing the role of the warden George Benton, Aceto’s height and sonorous bass exuded the authority of the prison’s chief functionary.
Raymond Aceto’s San Francisco Opera debut role was Monterone in “Rigoletto” in 1997, the first of 13 roles over 17 seasons, including Hunding [Review: Power Singing, Powerful Imagery in Zambello’s “Walküre” – San Francisco Opera, June 15, 2011], Olin Blitch [Review: Racette, Aceto, Jovanovich in Brilliant New Production of “Susannah” – San Francisco Opera, September 6, 2014] and Fafner in two “Ring” operas [Review: Another Zambello Ring Cycle Begins – Wagner’s “Das Rheingold”, San Francisco Opera, June 19, 2018 and Review: An Heroic, Passionate “Siegfried” – San Francisco Opera, June 22, 2018].
Aceto’s credits in other venues include the Comte de Grieux [Review: Kaufmann Astonishes, Dessay Enraptures, in McVicar “Manon” – Lyric Opera of Chicago, October 15, 2008], Sparafucile [Review: 21st Century Verdi – Hvorostovsky, Ciofi, Kim, Aceto in McVicar’s Illuminating “Rigoletto” – Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, October 11, 2010] Baron Scarpia [Review: Echalaz, Jagde, Aceto Open Santa Fe Opera Season in Wonderfully Sung “Tosca” – June 29, 2012] and Ashby [Review: Impressive, Compelling – “Girl of the Golden West” at Santa Fe Opera, July 1, 2016].
See also Rising Stars: An Interview with Raymond Aceto, Part 1 and Rising Stars: An Interview with Raymond Aceto – Part 2 and A Discussion of Susannah’s Olin Blitch and Tosca’s Scarpia (and other subjects) with basso Raymond Aceto
Rod Gilfry’s Owen Hart and Other Cast Members
[Photo: Baritone Rod GIlfry, who performs the role of Owen Hart; edited image, based on a publicity photograph.]
Another “Dead Man Walking” veteran associating his prestigious career with the 25th anniversary revival is California baritone Rod Gilfry, playing Owen Hart. As father of the murder victims, Hart expresses his fury at de Rocher’s actions. As the execution nears, Hart shows sign of a change of mind on whether de Rocher’s execution should occur. Gilfry is a superb singing actor, who is totally believable in the roles he chooses.
Rod Gilfry’s San Francisco Opera debut rooe was Valentin in Gounod’s “Faust”, the first of ten roles in ten seasons, including Lionel [Review: Zajick is Victor in “Maid of Orleans” – San Francisco Opera, June 18, 2006], Mr. Potter [Review: Jake Heggie’s Revised “It’s a Wonderful Life” – San Francisco Opera. November 25, 2018], and the father-in-law [American Premiere Review: Saariaho’s and Oksanen’s “Innocence”- a Milestone in the Dramatic Possibilities of Operatic Performance – San Francisco Opera, June 1, 2024].
Elsewhere, I have praised Gilfry performances at the Glimmerglass Festival as Frank Butler [Review: Deborah Voigt, Rod Gilfry Romp in Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun” – Glimmerglass Festival, August 12, 2011], at the Santa Fe Opera as Don Alfonso [Review: “Cosi Fan Tutte” – World Class Singing, Deconstructed Staging – Santa Fe Opera, July 26, 2019 and at the Los Angeles Opera as Eurydice’s Father [World Premiere Review: Matthew Aucoin’s “Eurydice” at the Los Angeles Opera, February 1, 2020].
Tennessee bass-baritone Philip Skinner was the Second Prison Guard. (Skinner, who made his San Francisco Opera debut in 1985, was an 1986 and 1987 Adler Fellow with over 380 performances with the company, earning the San Francisco Opera Medal during the company’s centennial year. At the San Francisco Opera medal ceremony for Jake Heggie, General Director Martin Shilvock noted that Heggie was sharing the stage with two other San Francisco Opera Medalists, Susan Graham and Philip Skinner.
Adler fellowship graduate California mezzo-soprano Nikola Printz was Jade Boucher. Current Adler fellows were Missouri soprano Caroline Corrales as Kitty Hart, South Carolina tenor Samuel White as Howard Boucher, Delaware baritone Olivier Zerouall as a Motorcycle Cop, Michigan baritone Samuel Kidd as the First Prison Guard, and Utah soprano Mary Hoskins as a Paralegal.
Members of the San Francisco Opera Regular Chorus were Florida soprano Danielle Cheiken as Sister Catherine, Oregon mezzo-soprano Whitney Steele as Sister Lillianne, Virginia mezzo-soprano Sally Mouzon as the First Mother, California soprano Liesl McPherrin as Mrs. Charlton, California tenor Kevin Gino as the First Inmate, Minnesota baritone William Lee Bryan as the Second Inmate, Missouri tenor Chester Pidduck as the Third Inmate, North Carolina baritone John Fulton as the Fourth Inmate and California baritone Nikolas Hackley as the Fifth Inmate.
Maestro Patrick Summers and the San Francisco Opera Orchesetra and Chorus
[Phoro: Maestro Patrick Summers; edited image, based on an Abby Steinhauer photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Indiana Maestro Patrick Summers, the Artistic and Music Director of the Houston Grand Opera, led the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus in a passionate performance of Heggie’s tonally rich, sophisticated musical score.
Summers, who was on the San Francisco Opera’s musical staff during the years preceding “Dead Man Walking” world premiere, has conducted 35 operas mounted by the San Francisco Opera since his 1990 assignments of Johann Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” and Mozart’s “Cosi fan Tutte”.
Summers has conducted the world permieres of six of the eight operas that Heggie has created so far, including his first, “Dead Man Walking”. Other conducting assignments have included a second San Francisco Opera world premiere [World Premiere Review: Hampson’s Heroic “Heart of a Soldier” at the War Memorial – San Francisco Opera, September 10, 2011], a new Wagner production [Review: Grimsley, Lindstrom Launch a Sonically Lavish, Visually Dazzling “Flying Dutchman” – San Francisco Opera, October 22, 2013] and a new to San Francisco Opera offering [Review: Searing Performances by Brian Mulligan and Stephanie Blythe for San Francisco Opera’s First “Sweeney Todd” – September 12, 2015]
A Few Thoughts on San Francisco Opera’s Administrative Leadership 2000-2025
The 2000 world premiere production of “Dead Man Walking” had been directed by Illinois director Joe Mantello (later of “Wicked” fame) with sets by Connecticut director Michael Yeargan.
San Francisco Opera’s general director at that time was Iranian-born director Lotfi Mansouri, who was in the final months of his tenure. He was to be succeeded by the newly appointed General Director Pamela Rosenberg. It was Rosenberg who expressed a desire to give more emphasis to European opera productions.
Mansouri, in his autobiography, describes the reaction of two German directors visiting the company to prepare for Rosenberg’s announced production of Messiaen’s “Saint François d’Assise”. Mansouri recorded their dismayed reaction to a performance of “Dead Man Walking” as “Das ist so Amerikanisch” and “Das ist so Hollywood”. That reaction suggested a different mindset as to what should constitute contemporary opera.
Whether or not the reaction of these two German guests were reflective of Director Rosenberg’s administration, her successor in 2006 was former Houston Grand Opera General Director David Gockley, whose assistant director was Matthew Shilvock.
Soon after the arrival of Gockley and Shilvock in San Francisco, Heggie’s chamber opera “Three Decembers”, which premiered in Houston in 2008, was presented soon after by San Francisco Opera. Heggie’s operas “Moby Dick” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”, conducted by Summers, followed in 2012 and 2018.
Director Leonard Foglia and Set Designer Michael McGarty
[Photo: Director Leonard Foglia; edited image of a publicity photograph for the Arizona Opera.]
In 2001, less than a year later after its world premiere, a new “Dead Man Walking” production was commissioned by a seven opera company consortium consisting of Opera Pacific, Cincinnati Opera, New York City Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Pittsburgh Opera and Baltimore Opera. The new production was first seen in 2002 at Opera Pacific, a company that existed at that time in Orange County, California.
Opera Pacific hired Massachusetts director Leonard Foglia to direct their new “Dead Man Walking” production , with sets by Michael McGarty. That production also employed creative designers associated with both Heggie’s operas and San Francisco Opera productions, including New York Costume Designer Jess Goldstein and New York Lighting Designer Brian Nason. That production, mounted by dozens of opera companies in the United States and elsewhere in the world, was performed at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2019. The production is now owned by Lyric Opera.
[Photo: A section of sets used for the revival, originally created by Michael McGarty for Opera Pacific in 2002.]
In the section of this review that follows regarding composer Jake Heggie, I list four world premiees of Heggie operas that I covered. Two of these, “Moby Dick” at The Dallas Opera and “It’s a Wonderful Life” at Houston Grand Opera were directed by Foglia, as was the world premiere of Higdon’s “Cold Mountain” at Santa Fe Opera that I also reviewed [See World Premiere Review: All-Star Cast and Crew, Ardent Audience Ovation for Higdon’s “Cold Mountain” – Santa Fe Opera, August 1, 2015].
Opera Commposer Jake Heggie and the San Francisco Opera Medal
[Photo: Composer Jake Heggie, wearing the San Francisco Opera medal that was just presented to him by General Director Matthew Shilvock; edited image, based on a Matthew Washburn photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
In the seasons prior to the “Dead Man Walking”‘s world premiere, both Summers and Jake Heggie were San Francisco Opera employees, Summers on the musical staff and Heggie in public relations.
Heggie’s long association with the San Francisco Opera. was celebrated with the presentation of the San Francisco Opera medal to Heggie by General Director Matthew Shilvock at the conclusion of this opening performance of the 25th anniversary revival.
Over the past 15 years, I have had the privilege of reporting on the world premieres of four of Heggie’s operas, at The Dallas Opera [World Premiere Review: Heggie’s Theatrically Brilliant, Melodic “Moby Dick” at Dallas Opera – April 30, 2010] and [World Premiere Review: Heggie’s “Great Scott” is a Great New Opera, Hilarious, Endearing, Sophisticated, Profound – The Dallas Opera, October 30, 2015] at the Houston Grand Opera [World Premiere Review: Jake Heggie’s Celestial Transformation of “It’s a Wonderful Life” – Houston Grand Opera, December 2, 2016] and at the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program [World Premiere Review: Jake Heggie’s Faustian Fantasy “If I Were You” – Merola Opera Program, San Francisco, August 1, 2019].
In addition, I have reviewed the introduction of “Moby Dick” to the opera companies of San Diego [Review: A Majestic West Coast Premiere for Heggie’s “Moby Dick” – San Diego Opera, February 18, 2012], San Francisco {Review: Another Opera House Conquered – Ovations for Heggie’s “Moby Dick” at San Francisco Opera, October 10, 2012] and Los Angeles [Review: Maestro Conlon Captains Another Successful Launch for Heggie’s “Moby Dick” – Los Angeles Opera – November 22, 2015] and of another Heggie opera to Opera San Jose [Streamed Performance Review: Susan Graham, Efrain Solis, Maya Kherani Shine in Heggie’s and Scheer’s “Three Decembers”, Opera San Jose, December 3, 2020].
San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock and Sister Helen Prejean
[Below: San Francisco Opera’s General Director Matthew Shilvock (right) meets with Sister Helen Prejean (left), whose Memoirs were the basis for the opera “Dead Man Walking”.
As part of the “Dead Man Walking” quarter century celebration, Director Matthew Shilvock invited Sister Helen Prejean to once again honor the San Francisco Opera by appearing with him on the War Memorial Opera House stage, to receive an ovation from the audience, virtually all of whom remained for the ceremonies at opera’s end.
This review is also an opportunity to commend the San Francisco Opera and its current General Director Matthew Shilvock for his dedication and the dedication of the company he administers to contemporary opera. His support of operas with cultural messages, including “Dead Man Walking” Giddens and Abels’ “Omar” and Saariaho and Oksanen’s “Innocence”, reflect well on the important institution he captains.
Recommendation
I recommend the opera, production and cast of the San Francisco Opera’s 25th anniersary mounting of Jake Heggie’s opera “Dead Man Walking”.