Dead Man Walking
Jake Heggie talks with LARB's Stephen Rohde about his opera, "Dead Man Walking" and its treatment, musically and dramatically, of the death penalty.
March 6, 2015
Keep LARB free.
Donations to LARB keep us paywall-free. If you’ve read a piece of ours, tuned in to the LARB Radio Hour, attended an event: please consider giving today. Through January 9, all donations will be matched.
Jake Heggie has been called "arguably the world's most popular 21st century opera composer" by the Wall Street Journal. His most famous opera, Dead Man Walking, a story about a death row convict based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean, makes its Los Angeles debut on March 7th at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. LARB contributor and civil rights lawyer Stephen Rohde talked with Jake about his opera and its treatment, musically and dramatically, of the divisive issue of the death penalty.
"Dead Man Walking" will play at the Broad Theater on March 7 and 8.
¤
Stephen Rohde is a constitutional lawyer, lecturer, writer, and political activist.