Sean Pflueger
 Bass-Baritone & Composer

I’ve been wanting to write a show about the gay experience. It takes a lot of faith and perseverance to write an opera. I’ve been searching for a collaborator for 5 or six years who understood the tone and content of the piece. It took some perseverance to find my collaborator, Michael Vegas Mussman. When I pitched the show to him, I found an experienced librettist who knew all the classical and musical theater references. I can talk about Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Sondheim, and Jerry Herman and he knows what I’m talking about. We spent a lot of time talking about our own experiences as LGBT men, the camaraderie, the struggles, and the love. He understands theater and loved my pitch for a show on the gay experience, so we decided to start a collaboration. 

After outlining the plot of a potential show, we wrote some trial arias. We are excited by the outcome and decided we want to produce this show at Capital Fringe July 2023. We could get the help of various artists I know to help shape the work, from characterization to orchestration. I’d be able to rent space for rehearsal and hire professional musicians for the run of the show and recording. I consider each chance to write a show a learning experience. I’m a performing opera singer without a lot of spare time in between productions. When Covid canceled all my upcoming contracts, I used the time to take classes on orchestration, music theory, and arranging with teachers across the country. I know I’ve grown as an artist and I want to write a new show that exemplifies all I’ve learned.

My goal for this show is to engage all LGBT artists to shape and perform the show. LGBT people are not represented in the standard cannon of opera. Many of the performers have never gotten the opportunity to play a character that is reflective of their own experience in the world. It will be meaningful to have LGBT people singing about their own experiences in a contemporary society. I know so many talented performers who do all the music jobs they can get. Doing a show about the LGBT experience would have a special meaning to them. This type of small chamber opera will still require financial backing to fully realize it's potential. We need rehearsal space, musicians, scenery (artwork), photography, and audio/video recordings. The more funding the show can secure, the more the show can be fully realized. The plan is to do a workshop of the opera in April 2023 and perform at the 2023 Capital Fringe Festival.