Fallujah

 Fallujah: The First Opera about The Iraq War

Libretto: Heather Raffo/Composer: Tobin Stokes

Marine Sergeant, Philanthropist, Woman of Iraqi Descent and City Opera Vancouver Collaborate to Launch Stunning Tale About PTSD and War

Breaking The Mold, Performances and Vignettes to be Showcased in Weekly Selections While its Creators Consider Destination of World Premiere

In a war where every heart is blown open, Fallujah questions who we become when bearing witness to violence and what relationships piece us back together

Santa Monica, CA, New York, NY and Vancouver, BC –USMC Sergeant (ret) Christian Ellis was a machine gunner in Iraq whose platoon was ambushed, leaving him with a broken back and only one of a few survivors. He returned home to join millions of Americans who struggle with piecing their lives together in the shadows of post-traumatic stress. After four suicide attempts and with the help of a philanthropist, an acclaimed New York librettist of Iraqi descent, an accomplished composer and City Opera Vancouver, Christian helped turn the demons of war into Fallujah: the first opera on the Iraq war.

Fallujah, a preview of which can be seen here, provides a rare glimpse inside real hearts and minds before one of the biggest battles of the Iraq War. The score is created by acclaimed composer Tobin Stokes, who has created an adrenaline-fueled lyrical opera where poignant melodies soar against driving rhythms and threads from electric guitar to Iraqi oud. The script, written by New York-based librettist of Iraqi descent, Heather Raffo, is a culmination of tireless work with Ellis, as well as hours of interviews with American soldiers and Iraqis, including her family members living in Iraq.

I’ve tried to create a unique musical vocabulary influenced by compelling characters from disparate cultures,” said Stokes. “The orchestration takes us from deadly tensions to yearnings for inner calm”.

“This is not just a story of pain and struggle but of hope and redemption,” said Raffo, who also wrote and starred in critically acclaimed and nationally produced 9 Parts of Desire, a one person play that delves into the lives of nine Iraqi woman.

Through youth on both sides of battle, the opera follows mothers and sons reconciling with a war that changed their relationships forever and acutely exposes a daily fight for identity and belonging. The result is a heart-wrenching, mind-opening story that questions who we become when bearing witness to violence, and looks closely at the relationships which help piece us back together.

“Bringing my experiences to life in Fallujah has given me hope, inspiration and a pathway to healing,” said Christian Ellis. “My hope is that the music, the words and the emotions are woven together in such a way that Fallujah touches not just servicemen who come home to experience deep turmoil, but anyone who is suffering”.

With the script and score now complete, its creators will begin reviewing opera houses in the United States for a grand premiere, while also breaking the traditional mold of opera production in the process. Beginning July 2nd and through Sept 11th, Fallujah will be showcased in a series of special weekly performance videos and vignettes on explore.org, a philanthropic media organization and division of the Annenberg Foundation, founded by Charlie Annenberg Weingarten.

“Fallujah will connect with everyday people who are living through the wars we still find ourselves in- and it will transcend traditional opera audiences,” said Weingarten. The vignettes will culminate in the Fall with a full length documentary.

More on Fallujah, the Story:

The opera spans a 72-hour holding period in a veterans’ hospital following USMC Philip Houston’s third suicide attempt. His mother waits to see him outside his hospital room, but Philip has not been able to face her since he returned from war. The loyal marines he served with stand vigilant, more equipped to care for his particular demons than she. In these 72 hours, Philip’s battle is as vivid and deadly as the Battle of Fallujah in which he fought. In the opening scene, a young Iraqi boy enters his hospital room and in a befriending gesture, writes his name on Philip’s hand. Suddenly one of Philip’s most humanizing memories becomes the catalyst through which he remembers how to live.

Assuming heavy losses ahead, we see Philip and his fellow marines make final calls home to their families to say goodbye, without hinting at the horror to come. Nearby, an Iraqi mother and son must abandon their family home of five hundred years. The two scenes are joined in a tour de force of layered ensemble singing where each lingering “goodbye” reminds us of just how much each character has to win or lose.

How Fallujah Became an Opera:

When philanthropist and filmmaker Charlie Annenberg Weingarten first heard former USMC Sergeant Christian Ellis sing, they were accepting an award for a short film on war veterans who turn to the healing powers of nature to deal with the physical and emotional pains of war. Deeply moved by the courage and soul Ellis displayed and the complex issues modern service members face at home and abroad, Annenberg issued Ellis a new challenge: to turn the horrors of war into a body of work that anyone who suffers could learn and be inspired from. He then emailed conductor, Charles Barber to introduce him to Ellis and issued another challenge: assemble a world-class team capable of transforming one marine’s story into an opera on modern war and the post-traumatic stress experienced not just by servicemen but by everyone whom war touches. Two years later, together in partnership with City Opera Vancouver, The Annenberg Foundation and its multi-media division, explore.org, Fallujah is set to become the first opera on the war in Iraq.

“Christian Ellis’ story is representative of thousands of Marines from around the world returning from the horrors of war,” explained Weingarten. “Christian paints a vivid picture of the harrowing realities he and his comrades faced in Iraq. He tells of his experiences with emotional honesty, and with deep compassion and understanding for the opposing side.”

Media Contact: Jason Damata | (917) 279-8706 | jason@fabricmedia.net

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