By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
Not many people would say they heard music as they read Supreme Court cases, but Derrick Wang easily admits he did.
“So, I am in law school, studying constitutional law,” said Wang during a 2016 TedX program. “I am also a composer. I have to read Supreme Court opinions, as one does, and I am reading case after case after Supreme Court case when suddenly I come upon the three magic words: Scalia J. dissenting.
“I realized that every time I read one of these deserting opinions, I would start to hear music: specially a rage aria about the constitution…Then I heard the counterpoint. The words of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.”
Through these readings, Wang hit upon something else. “They disagreed on a number of issues, yet they were also very close friends.”
There friendship formed, according to OperaGR Executive Director Emilee Syrewicze, over their love of opera. So it makes sense that Wang would write a one-hour comedic opera about the two and their friendship titled “Scalia/Gingburg.”
Released this year for performance, OperaGR is one of just a handful of U.S. opera houses that will present “Scalia/Ginsburg.” The OperaGR performances are set for March 14 and 15.
“We had a couple of reasons of why we wanted to present this opera,” Syrewicze said during a recent phone interview. “The first is it is a one-hour comedic opera so for an audience that has had little or no exposure to opera, it is a nice introduction.
“The other reason is because Derrick wrote poplar themes into the show so if you are not an opera lover, you will enjoy it because of the familiarity of the music and themes. Infact, in one scene, he has the characters singing to the ‘Star Spangle Banner.’”
Based on and inspired by the writings of former Chief Justice Antonin Scalia and current Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the opera follows the the two as they discuss various constitutional law issues while trying to get Scalia out of jail for dissenting too much.
The opera will be perform 7:30 p.m March 14 and 2 p.m. March 15 at the Betty Van Andel Opera Center, 1320 E. Fulton St. Tickets are $50. Student tickets are $5 with a valid student I.D. For more information, visit operagr.org or call 616-451-2741.
