(brooding piano music) - Stories that resonate, there again, there are so many layers to that statement, right?

What resonates with some people will not resonate with others so how do we make sure that we're addressing all of it?

We have to start somewhere and we're not gonna be able to tackle everything all at once.

So I think that we need to look at it as the long game of how we continue to address and expand the repertoire.

If we approach each other as artists first, and start with how we relate to each other in the art form, and how we tell our stories through the art form, I feel like that's going to be the bridge that we want coming over the words of underrepresented peoples because that, in and of itself, already creates a hierarchy, or a layer, and if we say we're all artists and how do we wanna tell our stories, and how do we include everyone's stories, and in what fashion?

- Hi.

- [Priti] Maybe that's a better place to start.

- Can I give you a hug?

- One of the things I'm so excited about, with the "96-Hour Opera Project," is this idea of transformation.

Transformation comes from hearing new experiences, celebrating new cultures, saying, I'm not familiar with that culture, but what I am familiar with is the idea of love, the idea of holding a baby, the idea of loss, and that is our common humanity that is explored, celebrated, rejoiced in, with the "96-Hour Opera Project."

- Diversity is not just color, or it is, it's things like age and to see the youth, and to see the youth there on stage, to see new generations of people being interested in opera and being interested in this art form that honestly has not been synonymous with diversity, in age, race, or anything, and so I think that if nothing else is also a huge win for a project like this is with diverse stories and with engaging underrepresented communities, you really do garner and engage new generations of people within these art spaces that may not otherwise engage.

And so I think as we think about even history, and think about how do you connect people, history and culture, there has to be a recognition that we don't have all of the stories, we don't have all of the answers, and we don't have to, but when we are able to engage communities there are treasure troves of under-told stories and stories that may never get told if we don't seek them out.

And so I think that is a huge win for a project like this one.

(background opera singing) (upbeat digitized music) (background opera singing) - Well only one piece will win the competition and one composer and librettist team will go on to work with us on a commission, all of the composers and librettist tier are having a chance to have their voices heard and these stories are being told many times for the first time.

So this is very important work that we're excited to do and I believe that all of the stories will continue to have a life beyond this competition and that all of the composers and librettists are very excited to have their work told on GPB.

I mean we're certainly excited to be partnering with GPB and to have these stories being told there, so I think that the project as a whole will continue to have a life and these stories will be heard and we're very excited about that.

- Through one little droplet of change, that ripple effect is happening.

We hear these underrepresented voices, we get to experience the talent, the gifts that they bring, and through one voice at a time the canvas expands, opera slowly opens up the landscape, and we see that there are so many stories ready to be celebrated and rejoiced in and that's the power of what this great "96-Hour Opera Project" brings.

(singing in another language) - I feel extremely lucky to be among the talent that is here today.

The composers and librettists that are here, I'm in awe of the work that they do.

It's amazing and to think that I can be among this cohort is extremely gratifying and I can't say that I don't have a little bit of imposter syndrome, but it just, it makes me feel great, 'cause they are great and whoever wins today it's gonna be somebody who deserved it, period.

And I love that you say, you put yourself in this position, because it's one of my favorite lines from (indistinct) "La Vie Boheme" who, of course, he's an incredible writer, really artist in general, but there's a line in there, (speaking in foreign language) I chose this craziness, and it's true, I did, I chose it (laughing).

- I think I'm just a gluten for punishment so I keep signing myself up for these kinda things.

(laughing) You know I think that there is a resilience and I've always been a person who wanted to be challenged and rise to the occasion of the challenge, you set the expectation, I wanna blow the expectation out and I think that that's only shown in this situation, right?

I even had an expectation for myself of what this work could be in the limited timeframe, what you could do in 10-minutes of storytelling, that's opera, because singing takes up a lot more time than just speaking.

So where I've written a 10-minute play before you can't get that much text in opera, you know, so it's learning kinda the boundaries of like how far can I push this and it still accomplish what I need it to.

How far until I need that extra little bit of time, or how far until the story begins to suffer because of the lack of air being pumped into it.

I think we're all learning that and that's something that I'll take away with me for sure.

(laughing) - It's all good.

- I honestly, I already miss this place (laughing).

I feel like I'm gonna, yeah, I am already like feeling sad that I have to leave tomorrow.

It was a really, really good experience.

I mean, we got basically integrated into the Atlanta Opera family, we got to meet a lot of awesome people.

So it's almost an emotional thing to have to leave them.

- It feels like it's like a century ago that I wrote this piece because of all the things that has happened, the last few days, but yeah, the work is done and we can just trust.

- I've learned from this experience that I can write faster than I thought I could.

I think that's the biggest lesson for me, the biggest accomplishment, I think, to be able to put this together in so little time to acknowledge that I can do something like this.

I feel validated, more validated as, to call myself a librettist, an opera librettist.

- For me, it was very important to empower, Morris Robinson, my team at the Atlanta Opera.

The judges to make their decision on their own.

I'm very excited to hear the folks that was selected, the six teams.

I didn't have any saying, I did not listen to anything, or read anything, I want to come to it completely open-minded and to empower the team that is responsible for the selection and I look forward to hearing the talents.

- I like to think that someone will come into the opera house feeling one way and leave transformed.

That's the beauty of opera, it invites us to transformation, it invites us to conversion, it invites us to our catharsis, and that's the beauty of the "96-Hour Opera Project" is that we are experiencing something anew through new voices that are propelling us forward into opera's new landscape.

- The workshop process is something that so many of us are getting familiar with now, and especially in my journey in administration, I became familiar with the workshop processes from previous posts at other companies, so I'm also still getting familiar with that process.

What I'm looking forward to, first of all, is talking to the creators and finding out about their process, what they're wanting to express, and then knowing that and then hearing the rehearsals and then the final performance, did they achieve what they were hoping to express so that I know what was their goal and as an audience member, of course, being filtered through my own lens as well, did I feel that from them?

And then it's my job to give them the feedback.

Yes I did, but here's what we could do more, or I felt this instead and it was an interesting layer, this is maybe something you want to explore.

And then as a singer I also hope to talk about how to write for the voice and everyone will be bringing their experiences into that and how do I feel it served the story and the human voice as they wrote it.

- I think it's important in this context to actually be really specific about what you're looking for, which is a moment of connection, a moment of transcendence, and I hate to sound obvious, but the music has to, I have to feel to myself more than a poem, more than a sculpture, more than a piece of body work, this needed to be sung, this needed to be sung.

And if I understand why it was so necessary and imperative for the human voice to interact with the story, it's actually obvious, but a very high bar to meet.

There are so many different ways of telling stories and every year it feels like new ways are invented and so what can opera do that other forms can't do and is this the context where this will be best served and is it authentic to the form?

- I don't know what I'm looking for, actually, what I do believe and what I do think when I'm going into the space, how I will be is to see what is capturing my attention.

One of the things that I look for when I look at any production, or anything, is like what are the authors trying to say?

So the authors in this case is the composer and the librettists, what are they trying to say and then how well are they saying what they wanna say?

So I wanna look at it on their terms, not on my imposed aesthetics and values, but what are they saying that's important and how well are they doing that and I think also how much potential is in it?

If there's an opportunity to expand what they've done, then does it have potential, can it handle that?

- What story captivated me and I wanted to see how it might play out, that's really why I think we go to opera and why the operas that really work, still work.

You wanna hear more of the music, you wanna hear this music again, if something is just a wonderful moment in the music that you can't forget and you wanna go back and hear it again.

And also how is the story told, how are you drawn into the story?

How are you gripped from the very opening and compelled to keep listening and I don't know if they can do it in 10 minutes, but we will find out (laughing).

(audience clapping) - Welcome to the "96-Hour Opera Project."

(audience clapping) (audience exclaiming) I'm your host, Morris Robinson, and I am proud to be the Artistic Advisor to The Atlanta Opera and to this showcase.

Our first piece is written by composer, Jorge Sosa, and librettist, Alejandra Martinez.

The story partner is, "We Love Buford Highway," and they have written a story about Guillermo (indistinct) of Atlanta Warriors Marshall Art Studio, you can clap.

(audience clapping) (cheering) (singing in foreign language) (piano accompanying) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) ♪ Guillermo, are you okay ♪ ♪ What's wrong ♪ ♪ Isn't it obvious, Sunyoung ♪ ♪ I can't see ♪ - I hope that our judges, no matter what they end up choosing, I hope that they will recognize that we have created a real microcosm of a story.

Functionally, the story has a beginning, a middle and an end.

It has the shape of a story that is recognizable and I think that that's something that makes the story strong and I think that, what I hope is that the judges will recognize that and that they'll find value in that.

(singing in foreign language) - For this project we're not trying to reinvent the wheel, we wanna tell first and foremost, Jorge and I have been on one mind, first and foremost we wanna tell a good story so that's just something I hope they recognize.

♪ How did you move on ♪ ♪ I was terrified ♪ - I think that I would love to hear that they really connected with the characters, they felt emotionally invested.

We can quibble over words, we can say, oh, you know, was this turn of phrase effective or not?

The way that I'll know if it's effective is if they feel something for Guillermo and Sunyoung.

(singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) - The best compliment is always that they wanna work with me again, that they'll invite me back, that they'll ask me to do more work, because that is confidence in my artistry, in me as an artist, so the validation always comes with, with support, a pat on the back and support, and say, okay, well, this is something that is worth fostering, that is worth pursuing.

So I hope that, that would be ideal, even more ideal than cash prizes.

It's the possibility of doing more work in the field at a higher level, with larger companies, that's what I'm aiming for really.

(singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (audience clapping) - Next up we have composer, Johanny Navarro, and librettist, Deborah D.E.E.P.

Mouton, with their partner, The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, they explore the trauma of the 1906 race massacre, a part of Atlanta's history that, like the events in Tulsa, was hidden for far too long.

(piano playing introduction music) ♪ Jeremy, Jeremy, you are going to be late ♪ ♪ Mrs. Reed you're rushing me again ♪ ♪ Well, what will Morehouse ♪ ♪ Think of their newest professor showing up late ♪ - I think whether I win or not, I'm an ambassador for why BIPOC artists should be heard in opera, right?

I think my presence says a lot.

I think when I walk in the door, into certain spaces, it is a statement whether or not I wanna make it and it's why I always try to look cute, right?

(laughing) But either way it goes we're making a statement with our existence and so I would love to win, let me be really clear, right, but if I don't I think I still have the responsibility to be the ambassador, right?

Unfortunately, there is no way out of my skin color, and I say that in the way of, when I walk into a room the lens that society will see everything that I say through, will be as a Black woman, love it or leave it.

I love it, right, but that if I know that I have two options, which is to run from it and try to be someone else, or to use it as a point to push things forward, I choose to do the latter, right?

It's saying that if I'm here, and I'm here all the way, then I'm gonna come and bring my full self to the work and then let my full self affect the work in the ways that are the most positive for myself and other people who look like me.

♪ Has since turned against itself ♪ ♪ Haunted in darthadian walls ♪ ♪ He is not (indistinct) ♪ - The thing that I want is like they, they had the chance to remember my face, my name, and after all, my music.

Like they can remember that that's the style of Johanny Navarro, that's how she wrote music, and hopefully get a commission, or something, like the opportunity to work with other opera companies.

So I'm hoping that they can get a sense of who am I through the scores, through the music, and that opens me like a new opportunities to work with an artist.

♪ Rose ♪ ♪ Jerry ♪ ♪ Rose ♪ ♪ Jerry ♪ ♪ Jerry ♪ ♪ Rose ♪ ♪ Not my regard ♪ ♪ Oh (indistinct) ♪ - I think for me the greatest compliment an audience member could give me is, I felt that, because I think that what you felt is up to you, but the fact that you felt something resonates on a soul level, right?

If that comes from a judge, I would love it, I'd love 'em more if they said, I felt that and you won.

(laughing) But I'll take an, I felt that.

♪ (indistinct) ♪ (piano playing somber music) (audience clapping) (audience cheering) - In 1939, Atlanta celebrated the premier of, "Gone With the Wind," with their partner, the Atlanta History Center, composer, Marcus Norris, and librettist, Adamma Ebo, highlight a performance of the Morehouse Glee Club at the Junior Lee Ball.

(piano playing introduction music) ♪ It's that day ♪ ♪ Can you sense it ♪ ♪ Look at all these fancy cars ♪ ♪ Look at all these fancy clothes ♪ ♪ Look at all these fancy folks ♪ ♪ Out here from the West Coast ♪ ♪ Start it ♪ ♪ Can you start it ♪ ♪ Can you start it ♪ ♪ Can you start it ♪ - I think that we have something, not only like interesting things to say, but I think a really unconventional way to say them and I think it's something that opera needs in order to remain relevant, but also to become more accessible and I think that's how art survives, it's access to it.

The more accessible opera is the longer it'll live and the more relevant it will be to society and that's what I think that Marcus and I could bring.

♪ (indistinct) Stand it ♪ ♪ I can't stand it ♪ ♪ I can't stand it ♪ ♪ All this traffic ♪ - I think a strength that Adamma and I share is that we're both very fearless about that in that we don't shy away, we don't try to be diplomatic to save feelings, we say how we feel unapologetically and we both agree on we think that's the role of artists.

And I do agree with what you said, in everything we do we're bringing our voice.

When you hear our music, or you hear these stories, you don't have to guess or wonder, there's no doubt in your mind that this is Black art, you know what I mean, and I think that's needed, especially in opera.

♪ We're here with no Black actors ♪ ♪ Look at where they have you ♪ ♪ It should be me ♪ ♪ It should be someone like that ♪ ♪ All was (indistinct) attack ♪ ♪ Should it be me ♪ ♪ It should be (indistinct) ♪ - [Adamma] Walking away from this the highest compliment for me would be if the judges were like, man, that was funny.

- And I think the highest compliment that I always aim for is if like a couple days later, when this is all forgotten about, and everybody's on the next project they're working on, I'm hoping to get a message from the judges, man, it's been a couple days and I still just can't get that melody outta my head.

(laughing) I got something for Morris, I mentioned that to her today after we met him, 'cause he's thinking about things a lot of things that he was saying that he's looking for, I was like he's thinking about it the same way I think about it.

And so I told to her earlier, I was like, "I think Morris is really gonna like ours."

(laughing) ♪ You made me for a downer ♪ ♪ (indistinct) There's no Black actors ♪ ♪ Know good and well that I'm not ♪ - Maybe it's because I'm not there, but we keep forgetting it's a competition until you say it's a competition.

It doesn't, I'm not sensing any competitive spirit in a bad way, or anything like that.

- Yeah.

- We met with the judges and just felt like love, you know what I mean, they just seemed like, hey, I'm here, I wanna be resources for you, or they wanted to know about us and how we're thinking about art and it was just good, good energy.

♪ (indistinct) ♪ ♪ (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Save it for us ♪ - [Marcus] It was inspiring to see all of them are looking forward in some way.

- That's true.

- [Marcus] It's all different ways, but all of these people are thinking about the future of opera in a way that's exciting to me.

(audience clapping) (audience cheering) - Adamma and Marcus can't join us today, but let's give them a big round of applause also.

(clapping) (audience cheering) Composer, Roydon Tse, and librettist, Marcus Ye, have written a work about 96-year-old Georgian, Jimmy Doy.

Doy's story highlights the experience of Japanese Americans who served in the U.S. military despite being forced to internment camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

The team's story partner is the, Japan American Society of Georgia.

(piano playing introduction music) ♪ In 1931 ♪ ♪ I was six ♪ ♪ My dad was (indistinct) ♪ ♪ I had known first tormentor ♪ ♪ I wanted him to be proud ♪ ♪ When I took him to see the place ♪ ♪ I found he stepped into ♪ ♪ There was a stormiest night ♪ ♪ And I forgot to sink the plant ♪ ♪ I started to (indistinct) ♪ ♪ They say the path ♪ ♪ (indistinct) ♪ ♪ That's for your protection ♪ ♪ They say the blood path ♪ ♪ It's gonna guard this place ♪ ♪ (indistinct) ♪ - I hope that the judges will hear the emotion in the work.

I think that's what opera is the words that just kind of come off the page and become something else, something that's living, and so I feel that throughout the 10-plus minutes, of this show, who knows, and that it happens that this could be really impactful, that it could touch the judges and also the audience in many different ways that they can relate to Jimmy as a character, and also see his hardship and how he's kinda come through that and found love at the end, so that's my hope.

♪ (indistinct) ♪ ♪ I don't know if his (indistinct) ♪ ♪ We have every tool ♪ ♪ I saw (indistinct)- ♪ ♪ May I... ♪ ♪ I will see you again, how long has it been ♪ ♪ Too long ♪ ♪ Too long ♪ - If I get to win, and we're going on to do another project with the Atlanta Opera, may be a bigger commission.

I definitely think I want to continue in the way of maybe even expanding Jimmy's story, bringing in Asian American representation, however, I think as a composer, sometimes there's a lot of pressure that comes from just being Asian, being an ambassador for culture in general and I don't see myself, when I write I feel it's not necessarily helpful to see myself as an ambassador, I'm just trying to communicate my emotions in the most honest and direct way so that people can understand the story that's behind it.

I think that's what draws people in is that your craft is good, your music is good, and your music is honest, and people will naturally gravitate towards you, whether you're Black, Chinese, or white, I think that's the most important thing.

And having a person of color doing it, it makes, that's the last 10% I feel, but the 90% is really the content that needs to be just perfect.

(singing in foreign language) (audience clapping) - Modern history also gives us some incredible stories.

Many of us remember how we felt when Atlanta was chosen to host the 1996 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

Composer, Saman Shahi, and librettist, Isabella Dawis, tell the story of a chance encounter in Piedmont Park in front of a sculpture.

Their story was inspired by a discussion with the Fulton County Library system.

(piano playing introduction) ♪ When I was a kid ♪ ♪ Dad showed me an old tape ♪ ♪ Black and white ♪ ♪ Some famous baseball player ♪ ♪ I didn't even know this ♪ ♪ He only had ♪ ♪ One ♪ ♪ Hand ♪ ♪ From the dawn ♪ ♪ I only played two-handed sports ♪ - I think Saman and I are both proud of the piece and we were laughing and saying, "We keep patting each other on the back," but I think both of us pushed each other while writing this piece, not in a negative way, but in a positive way.

And the fact that we can both agree that we're proud of the piece, I think that really means something.

Not all collaborations are like that.

Sometimes you have to kind of accept limitations and say, I did my best with what I had.

♪ I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry ♪ ♪ I'd only been a planter anymore ♪ ♪ They forced us out, me and my son, no choice ♪ ♪ Our family was turned down to make way (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Make way for (indistinct) ♪ ♪ I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry ♪ - We wanted to illuminate the history of Atlanta.

We wanted to create a role for a singer with a physical challenge, or disability.

We wanted to create a 10-minute opera that had a beginning, a middle, an end, and also to have a good time and I feel like we did accomplish all of those things over the weekend and that's no small feat.

- [Saman] I'm proud that under this, the pressure, and the limitedness of time and resources, we still managed to churn out something that's genuinely beautiful.

It's one of those things, it doesn't happen every day, as a composer you write, some of the stuff you write is good, technically fine, whatever, but I feel like I'm actually emotionally invested in this piece.

I feel like I have an attachment to it.

And again, that doesn't happen every day and I think that's valuable, I'm really proud of that I think.

♪ That's why we are here ♪ - I hope that by looking at the score and watching what's happening in front of them, they see that we manage to make a perfect marriage of the text and the music and that they're not two separate things that we put together, but literally they came out of each other.

You can almost not tell where one begins and the other ends, the text and the music are one element, that's what I hope they see.

♪ I wish for (indistinct) ♪ - [Together] (indistinct) We are one.

- [Together] We are one.

(audience clapping) (audience cheering) - Our final team is composer, Carlos Castro, and the librettist, Diana Solomon-Glover.

The Atlanta History Center has an incredible collection of artifacts from the Civil War that inspired our artists.

The United States Colored Troops Collection contains a regimental flag that speaks to the battles that we continue to fight this very day.

(piano playing introduction) ♪ Her voice ♪ ♪ Just won't come to me ♪ ♪ But her face ♪ ♪ I see it clear ♪ ♪ The day they tore me away ♪ ♪ Like the ground was moving under her ♪ ♪ She (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Like the ground was moving under ♪ ♪ That's why we had (indistinct) of her ♪ - The best compliment I think that I could ever receive by anyone, is that you told a good story, that you're a good storyteller.

I'm not afraid of whatever responsibility, whether I win or don't win, I'm not afraid of the responsibility, but I think many young people now are bristling at the idea of the commodification of Black pain and I certainly understand that point of view, I certainly get that.

I also think that we cannot move until we fully appreciate where we've come from.

Our history is so complex.

American history is so interwoven, as Dr. King would say, inextricably, that our story, African American story, cannot be separated it's just so woven from the American narrative.

These stories need to be heard we need to know all of who we are.

♪ They paid me this (indistinct) ♪ ♪ I can feel their blessing me, keeping me ♪ ♪ I promise you are (indistinct) ♪ ♪ And I say (indistinct) ♪ ♪ (indistinct) ♪ ♪ I have (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Of my, my name ♪ ♪ For I will make my mark ♪ ♪ Taller ♪ ♪ To my (indistinct) marker ♪ - What I like to do with opera is I want to be very truthful to the libretto, I want the words to be understood.

I want the action to be, the music to be part of the action and to choreograph in some way what's going on.

And I also like my music to be singable, and to be rememberable, you know, so I hope they see that.

I hope, because it's a mini opera with this duetto, with these parts and all that, and opera, I think all of it, all the structure and all of that, has an emotive quality, and a effective quality which is very strong, and I think, I hope that will go through.

♪ Your life mattered ♪ ♪ Our lives matter ♪ ♪ Our lives ♪ ♪ Matter ♪ (audience clapping) (audience cheering) - Let's give all of our finalists another round of applause.

(audience clapping) (audience cheering) Now we'll take about a 10-minute break for the judges to deliberate and we'll gather right back here before the awards ceremony.

- There's gonna be winners and losers, technically, but really there are no losers.

There's gonna be someone that wins and there's gonna be other people that had an opportunity to put their work out.

Other people that are gonna have their work heard by a lot of different opera companies, and a lot of different people.

So whether you win the prize and get granted the opportunity to present your opera here, or not, other people will hear you, your music is being played, your music is being done by a major opera company in front of a large audience of people from varying opera companies all over the country.

So there are no losers, they're just lessons, and I think that's important to remember, there's gonna be a winner, but there are only lessons, not losers, and other opportunities.

It's like this may not be your opportunity, at this particular house, but someone else is gonna hear that and be interested in it and you may have another opportunity.

So, I don't think there are any losers, I think everyone's winning right now, and I think that opera's winning, opera's winning because we are diversifying our offering and we're seeking other cultures to contribute to our literature, so we're all winning.

- Everybody's walking away with really great experience.

I mean anytime you can work on a story, and even the challenge of putting this thing together in a 10-minute piece, that teaches you a lot, and so I think you get something no matter what happens.

- I personally view storytelling as one of the strongest connections that we have as people and, both past and present, and so I think that makes, again, the arts, the perfect place to be able to share these stories.

And Atlanta is a diverse community, it has always been that way, that's the beauty of the city, and it certainly should be represented in the arts.

And so to be able, as an African American woman to be there, and see all of these stories that resonate with me.

It really meant something and I feel like it means, and it meant something to other people who were there and people that will see it.

(audience clapping) - Thank you, everyone.

It is a privilege and an honor to hear and see your work and we can't wait to see what's next.

Now on the main event.

Remember our winning team this year will receive $10,000 and a future commission with the Atlanta Opera.

(audience clapping) (audience cheering) So I won't have a Steve Harvey moment, I wanna look at my notes one more time okay.

(audience exclaiming) I'm just saying, y'all not gonna have me on YouTube.

(laughing) Okay, drum roll, I got the fancy envelope and everything.

Our winner of the "96-Hour Opera Project" is, "Go On With That Wind," Norris and Ebo.

(audience cheering) (audience clapping) And they are not here to receive their prize so I'm gonna accept it on their behalf.

(clapping) (audience cheering) Thank you all so much for coming out.

God bless every last one of you and good night.

(clapping) (audience cheering) - Congratulations!

- Congratulations!

- Thank you, oh my gosh.

- We are so excited about your piece, congratulations!

- Thank you.

- Thank you.

- We're so excited about the future of working together with y'all.

- It's worth it.

- I know it's been a rough four days for you being stuck wherever you may be, but it was worth it, huh?

- Yeah.

- Very worth it, very worth it.

- That's great.

- We're glad we worked through it.

- Congratulations!

(laughing) - Oh my god!

Oh my god, (passing kisses).

- Congratulations!

- Yes, yes.

- Thank you.

Thanks so much.

- Thank you so much.

(background talking) - Alexandra wants to get in.

- Yes, we gotta meet up in person.

(background talking) - Congratulations!

- Congratulations!

- I'm so proud of y'all.

- Congratulations!

- Thanks (indistinct).

- I just wanna say, congratulations, congratulations!

- Thanks (indistinct).

- [Woman] Wish you were here.

- It's had to make time.

- We expect great things from both of you.

- I got y'all's money- - Thank you.

- What's up?

(laughing) - Come on, Marcus, show me.

- Y'all shoulda been here I'm taking the money home.

(laughing) The line of the night, "If she had slapped me like that I would've slapped her right back."

(laughing) Delivered (indistinct) by you.

(laughing) - Chris is here from the Atlanta History Center.

- Yes, congratulations!

- Thank you, thank you.

- It's amazing, so happy for you.

- Thank you, you gave us an alley-oop.

(background talking) - It's wow, and I think it feels surreal, mostly because we're not there, but we got to hear the performances and it was I think everything we could've hoped for from our singers and the audience responded in a favorable way, just how I think we imagined it, and so it feels lovely and I feel better today.

This is the best day health wise.

(laughing) - I feel the same, it is, I'll be real about it, it's heartbreaking to not get to be there and I'm such a, and she asked me during, are you okay?

Because I'm such a people person, and an energy person, and for me you can't separate it from the concert experience and- - Yeah.

- But we felt the love and there was so much effort being made on your end to make sure we were included- - Yeah.

- And feeling the love.

So I'm excited and this whole week, as you know in all these interviews, I've been like, you know, next time, next time and so it's- - It's official.

- It's great, it's official 'cause there's officially gonna be a next time and that's awesome, and it'll be in person, knock on wood.

- Yeah.

It was really important to me, I think, to choose a story that felt very Atlanta, but also one that, because I'm from here, that I could connect to and so as soon as I saw the Morehouse bit of it, I was like, I can do this, I can latch onto this and I think that authenticity, and that I think excitement, really came through in the work that we produced.

I think it feels particularly meaningful because Marcus is from Atlanta, I'm from Atlanta, and so it feels like this was a story that would resonate with the Atlanta Opera and the audience for the Atlanta Opera.

- And our singers.

- Yeah, our singers.

- Can we talk about those singers?

- Monsters, monsters.

(laughing) I think our brand of comedy, or our tone, is very specific and it's not always for everyone and so the fact that the judges and the audience reacted the way that they reacted is best case scenario.

- I agree wholeheartedly.

That's what it's about for me is just, like I've been saying all week, the people man, the people, and does it stick with you in some sort, that's all I could hope for.

- Yeah.

I will say that as an advantage is that we not only knew each other prior to this, obviously, but have, this isn't our first creative endeavor.

- Yeah.

- And so I will say that is likely an advantage.

We operated on such a short timeline and I think we could do that because we have a lot of shorthand.

- Shorthand and then that ties back to that trust.

- The trust.

- Like we were talking about- - Yeah.

- Earlier where it's just like, we don't have to have huge debates, or you don't have to be, I don't have to send a bunch of stuff back to you and these and this and this, you know what I mean, it's just I trust you, I know it's gonna be good, she trusts me, she know it's gonna align with her taste.

- And a lot of the other teams had to get to know each other.

- Yeah.

- Which is a task when you're trying to create something together in such a short period of time.

Marcus didn't have to ask me would I mind if one of the characters said something about a slap?

(laughing) Like he already- - I just wrote it, I just wrote it.

- He already knew that I was- - Yeah.

- Going with it.

- I know I was thinking was, I knew you'd be down.

- Yeah.

- But I didn't have to ask her if I could go like.

- But when you're first starting to get to know someone, in general and creatively, that's something that you should probably talk about.

And so that has to have been a feat to have to do that in 96 hours.

I'm probably the most proud of Marcus because I did not make it easy on him- (laughing) Getting that libretto together.

It did not happen quickly.

(laughing) And he had been bugging me about it.

- [Marcus] Wait till y'all hear what we do at full health.

(laughing) - We're vaccinated, boosted, but I haven't been this sick in a long time.

It was really no joke.

I can't imagine the folks who got sick before, before we had these advancements in medicine.

- Yeah, we're gonna pop some DayQuil like champagne.

(background talking) - You know I feel like a lot of aspects of the dream has come true, everything came into fruition and it happened and I think it was very successful.

I think all the artists that participated were wonderful, they worked well, everyone was really professional, we heard some beautiful music and the audience I think was really thrilled as well and I think everyone was thrilled with who we chose to win, because it was the right piece.

- Marcus and a Adamma just impressed us with their innovation.

I mean, it was so completely and wholly original, funny, creative, and had us just laughing and engaged and we just loved it.

It was the perfect ode to Atlanta's history, to pop culture, to society, and to so much of what we're talking about today, which is how we engage with entertainment and they did a wonderful job and we were thrilled to just see, again, the innovation, the fun, the humor, and the unique ways in which they told the story and kept us very engaged.

- [Man] That's more purposeful than winning.

- Six really great pieces, some very talented composers and librettists.

I think our final decision was the right one.

I think it was a piece that is very clear, very beautiful, the vocal writing and the harmonic writing is really strong.

The presentation of the story is very strong, there's humor, but it's also very touching, very relevant, especially to the community.

Sometimes we, composers can get sort of obsessed with complexity and things like that and really often the most simple, the most clear, is the most effective and certainly that was the case of this piece.

And it was clearly the audience's favorite as well which is nice I think when our opinion was aligned with the audience.

- I'm very happy that this piece won.

I think it's terrific, I think it represents everything the "96-Hour Project is.

I think comedy is really difficult to write and I think that the subject matter, "Gone With the Wind," 1939 premier in Atlanta, can show so many different characters and it can be expanded into a full opera and I'm truly excited and happy for the winner, but I'm also really happy to hear all those wonderful pieces that we heard tonight.

There was such diversity, there was such wealth of stories, of music, and I couldn't be happier.

- It was a silver lining of COVID, this librettist and composer pair, were not able to join us live.

They kept the faith, they stayed with the game, and it paid off.

That is what's so gratifying for me personally, is to see this African American couple ushering in new ideas, expanding the canvas, and it's very exciting.

- The other thing is we were talking about what could happen, how could it be expanded into a bigger piece?

And really there are some ideas I mean I think that this company will really run with.

- Despite them being ill, and not being able to be here, the fact that they were able to persevere and still do it for the wonderful project, that even says more, that even says more to their, to outing their ability.

I'd like to see what they write when they're not sick, so (laughing).

- Yes, yes.

- There's so many outcomes.

First outcome, yes, of course, the opportunity to hear somebody's work and to hear their voice.

The opportunity to challenge artists who maybe haven't worked or written for the voice, to try that.

The opportunity for community of many different opera companies coming together in support of this work which really indicates how important it is and vital to our survival, and the opportunity to start a relationship and where it goes nobody knows, but this is an opportunity to start something special.

- I think what Atlanta Opera and Morehouse is doing is a very important exemplary experience for other companies, and for art organizations in other states.

I'm hoping that people will see and understand how this can work marvelously to the advantage of all concerned such that others will wanna pick up the mantle and do likewise.

(bird chirping) - Showing stories of underrepresented people at the Ray Charles Center means a lot.

Shows that art, music, can span the globe and span lots of communities.

Ray Charles did that with his life so for us to do this on that stage 'cause I think it means a lot.

Just like I think diversity on stage, diversity in repertoire, is going to help with the diversity of audiences, I think for our younger audiences it's gonna have a profound effect.

It is not often that young kids that look like me, get to go to the opera and see people that look like me on stage.

They do, but they get to see me sing in other languages, that they don't understand, and represent cultures that they may not comprehend.

It'd be really wonderful to give a young Black kid, a young Asian kid, a young kid from any culture that is underrepresented, and the opportunity to see themselves on stage represented as themselves.

Just think of the hope that you can give them, the inspiration that you can give them, the vision that you can give them that they can too, one day, do that, and be comfortable doing so without having to step so far outside of their box.

(upbeat digitized music) - [Announcer] Made in Georgia.