The Memory Stone
Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera
Composer: Marty Regan
Libretto: Kenny Fries
Original production directed by Matthew Ozawa
After the March 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami, the powers of a mysterious woman who has appeared with a memory stone in Houston’s Japanese garden, cause two Japanese American women to relive a crucial moment from their past, and to bond over their ancestry as they question how they can support those who have been affected by the devastation of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
“This enchanting chamber opera is a gorgeous and stirring piece that examines the power and necessity of memory for the advancement of the human species. . . . Marty Regan’s score intertwines Western notions of music with traditional Japanese stylings to create a sound that is wholly familiar and unique at the same time. . . . The gripping libretto is skillfully written by Kenny Fries. His lyrics are profound and poignant, moving the various emotions with ease . . .and completely affect the audience at both an emotional and spiritual level. As he explores the themes of memory and transcending tragedy, Kenny Fries’s libretto causes the audience to escape our current conditions and personally experience the emotion, pain, and triumphs of his cast of characters.”
— David Clarke, BroadwayWorld.com
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