Willie Stark
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Willie Stark is an opera in three acts and nine scenes by Carlisle Floyd to his own libretto, after the novel All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren. The work was written in 1981 and was first performed on March 24, 1981.
The opera was commissioned by the Houston Grand Opera who premiered it in a production directed by Harold Prince and conducted by John DeMain. As is his usual practice, Floyd wrote his own libretto based on the source book. The opera was remounted in 2007 by the Louisiana State University Opera, where Mr. Floyd himself came and added final touches to the performance. The production was directed by Dugg McDonough (assisted by Andrea Mouton & Michael Dunavant), and conducted by John Keene. The role of Wille was sung by baritone Dennis Jesse. Other principal characters were Leanne Pettit (Sadie), Katherine Drake (Anne), Adam Holcomb (Jack), Travis Richter (Duffy), Zachary Bruton (Sugar Boy), and Noel Bouley (Judge Burden). The production was recorded and released on DVD.
The work generated some small controversy among music critics, as it draws upon elements of Broadway musical theater more than Floyd's other more traditionally operatic works. The involvement of Broadway director Harold Prince in the initial production contributed to the emphasis of these elements of the work. In the years since its premiere, this sort of blurring of boundaries between opera and Broadway musicals has become commonplace.
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The character of Willie Stark also appeared in the film adaptation of 'All The Kings Men' (2006) and was played on-screen by Sean Penn.
