'Harvey Milk Reimagined', co-written with librettist Michael Korie, condenses the original opera from three acts to two, providing a poignant reflection on Milk's complex life. The performance highlights key moments, including Milk's awakening as a gay rights advocate and his journey to self-discovery in San Francisco. Michael Kelly portrays Milk compellingly, though he misses the exuberance typical of Milk. Wallace's modern score, paired with Korie's insightful libretto, successfully encapsulates both the humor and gravity of Milk's experiences, alongside powerful supporting performances that enrich the narrative's emotional depth.
In an effective juxtaposition, Milk's mother recalls horrors of the holocaust, singing "they made our skin into lampshades," while in a split scene, Milk indulges in his first late-night pleasures of the flesh.
Wallace's score is welcomingly modern-but-not-cumbersome, with copious portamentos and bent notes. (If this is meant to imply "not straight," my hat is off.)
Milk's achievements are worth celebrating and his bridge-building strategy worth studying at a time of despair and precariousness.
As Milk, Michael Kelly is skilled and convincing, although he lacks that contagious, wild-eyed giddiness so inherent to Milk's personality.
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