Dead Man Walking is about human beings on an amazing journey, and people from ordinary circumstances thrown into an extraordinary circumstance. --Jake Heggie Premiered in 2000 in San Francisco, Dead Man Walking is one of those rare modern operas that has caught hold, receiving numerous productions in the U.S. and abroad, all to rousing acclaim. Based on the writings of Sister Helen Prejean, the opera borrows heavily from the Tim Robbins movie adaptation of the same name, which featured Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. But Jake Heggie’s remarkable score probes the depths of the emotional cores of the characters in ways that mere words cannot express. My responsibility was to find the music that that person would sing. Not the music that I want them to sing, but the music that they would sing. --Jake Heggie Through a series of letters, Sister Helen Prejean has befriended a death row convict, Joseph De Rocher. He now requests to see her in person, asking the nun to become his spiritual advisor. The task is a difficult one, for he is unwilling to confess to the two brutal murders for which he is no doubt responsible. With the date of the execution looming ever nearer, can Sister Helen lead Joseph to accept responsibility for his crime? An opera for our times, Dead Man Walking does indeed raise the issue of capital punishment. Is there justice to be found in a lethal injection? In this story, no one’s feelings are wrong. We’re not trying to preach. We’re giving perspectives from everyone. --Jake Heggie In a series of eighteen scenes Heggie, and librettist Terrence McNally introduce the families of both the criminal and his victims, moving us through self-doubt, exultation, prayer, vengeance, tragedy, self-discovery, repentance, forgiveness, and ultimately redemption. Forgiveness is the big journey in life - the one thing that will give a person peace of mind. --Jake Heggie Heggie’s score combines American jazz, rock-and-roll, and spiritual music with the composer’s remarkable gift for sweeping melodies and sensitivity to text, all with an evocative rhythmic energy that intensifies and propels the story relentlessly forward. Staged by UNL Director of Opera, William Shomos, Dead Man Walking will feature many of UNL Opera’s finest voice students. Tyler White conducts the UNL Philharmonia and Laurel Shoemaker provides the powerful set design. Due to the subject matter and language, the opera is recommended for mature audiences. Tickets: Adults $20, student/senior $10. Available thru the Lied Center box office, 402/472-4747 or 1-800/432-3231.