Supreme Court justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg not only stirred up public debate with their legal opinions, they rather unexpectedly inspired an opera.
“Scalia/Ginsburg” will have its regional premiere Friday in a production from Central Florida Vocal Arts‘ Opera del Sol at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
Scalia, who died in 2016, was a staunch conservative; Ginsburg, who died in 2020, took a far more liberal view. But the two had one passion in common — both were opera fans — and, despite fierce public disagreements, maintained a private friendship.
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In 2015, composer Derrick Wang became intrigued by the pair and wrote the 70-minute opera “Ginsburg/Scalia.” In it, he pays tribute to notable legal decisions along with memorable opera music. The Alterity Chamber Orchestra, led by music director Philip King, will perform the score, which includes jazz and contemporary sounds alongside nods to Mozart and Rossini.
“I think audiences will enjoy the homages to operas they know and love,” said Central Florida Vocal Arts artistic director Eric Pinder, “but I think what will really stay with them is the affection that Scalia and Ginsburg genuinely had for each other.”
In fact, both Scalia and Ginsburg approved of Wang’s opera. Each wrote prefaces to the work, in which Ginsburg called it “a dream come true.”
In the lead-up to the show’s local premiere, Central Florida Vocal Arts has hosted public discussions on using the arts for social change and how to work toward political harmony. The latter event featured guest speakers, including Orange County Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell and State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani.
“We have had some incredible panelists give of their time to help take the impact of this show beyond the four walls of the theater,” said Central Florida Vocal Arts executive director Theresa Smith-Levin. “In both panels, a few central themes have consistently been discussed, including connection, collaboration and authenticity.”
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Local officials had a particularly interesting insight into being true to oneself while performing public service, Smith-Levin said.
“They consistently have to weigh their own personal values against the existing laws, alongside their constituents’ priorities, as they make decisions and cast votes — while also striving for collaboration with those with differing views,” she said. “They honored the possibility of maintaining their own integrity while cultivating friendships across the aisle because they can recognize a shared humanity, which is one of the central messages in ‘Scalia/Ginsburg.'”
While Wang makes serious points, his opera is designed to be comedic. Jacqueline Pileckas, who portrays Ginsburg opposite Alex Mansoori’s Scalia, is enjoying that aspect of the show while being true to the late judge.
“Ginsburg once said, ‘If I had any talent that God could give me, I would be a great diva,’ and I think that really leaning into the operatic references, with some very over-the-top movements and body language, is a way of personifying that dream,” she said. “However, within the opera, there are a lot of quieter moments pertaining to her friendship with Scalia, where my focus has been on drawing out her humanity by grounding my moments and expression.”
Stage director David Bracamonte thinks “Scalia/Ginsburg” will offer audiences plenty to laugh about but also food for thought.
“What people will really love about this opera is just how silly it is,” he said. “The staging and the music bring out this playful side that perfectly balances out the more intellectually stimulating text.”
‘Scalia/Ginsburg’
- What: Opera del Sol staging of the 70-minute comic opera
- Where: Pugh Theater at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave. in Orlando
- When: 8 p.m. March 15-16, 3 p.m. March 17
- Cost: $35 and up
- Info: Drphillipscenter.org
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