5 episodes
Don Henry - an Opera by Frank Nawrot Frank Nawrot
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- Music
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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PREMIERING AUGUST 23 2022 - This is the recording of Frank Nawrot’s first opera, Don Henry. It is based on a true story, told here in four parts. - Don Henry was a Dodge City native and University of Kansas student whose ideals led him to fight fascism in the Spanish Civil War of the late 1930s. Don was a young man when Mussolini and Hitler established fascist governments in Western Europe. He and others from around the world traveled to Spain to help prevent a fascist government from taking hold there as it had in Italy and Germany. He became a member of the International Brigade that fortified the leftist Spanish Republicans (also referred to as the Loyalists). Don knew the dangers of his ambition and so hid his real intentions by telling his family he was taking a vacation in Europe. On his first day of battle, Don was mortally wounded by a gunshot to the chest as he tended to an injured comrade. - In this recording, the story of Don Henry is told from three asynchronous perspectives: 1) a 21st-century 24-hour news channel program, 2) a letter written by Don Henry to his family in Kansas, and 3) the frontlines of the war as told by Salaria Kea, a nurse from Akron, Ohio. - The words of this opera are taken from historical documents, poems written by British international brigaders, and original lyrics by Frank Nawrot. The historical documents are the University of Kansas Board of Regents press release commissioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee and Don Henry’s letter. - Don Henry stars Neal Long, Gretchen Pille, Rachael Rule, and Frank Nawrot. Listen to Don Henry wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. - If you’d like to learn more about the staged version of this opera or donate to the International Brigade Memorial Trust and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives, please visit https://franknawrot.com/donhenry/
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Ep. 1 - Don Henry
Don Henry - an Opera by Frank Nawrot stars Neal Long as Don, Gretchen Pille as Salaria and Don's mother, Rachael Rule as Megan O'Reilly, and Frank Nawrot as Duke Prospero. Music, mixing, production, and sound design by Frank Nawrot.
Episode 1 song credits:
"Oh, Kansas" - lyrics by Frank Nawrot
"Die for me" - lyrics by Frank Nawrot
"To Spain" - lyrics by R.E. Rule
Poems by international brigaders were found in the book Poems From Spain, edited by Jim Jump
All other original lyrics and dialogue written by Frank Nawrot and R.E. Rule
Duke Prospero's lines are based on the University of Kansas Board of Regents press release commissioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee
If you’d like to learn more about the staged version of this opera or donate to the International Brigade Memorial Trust and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives, please visit https://franknawrot.com/donhenry/
Artwork by Shawn Womack -
Ep. 2 - Don Henry
Don Henry - an Opera by Frank Nawrot stars Neal Long as Don, Gretchen Pille as Salaria and Don's mother, Rachael Rule as Megan O'Reilly, and Frank Nawrot as Duke Prospero. Music, mixing, production, and sound design by Frank Nawrot.
Episode 2 song credits:
"We Who Work" - lyrics by Frank Nawrot
"Full Moon at Tierz" - based on a poem by John Cornford, an international brigader
"Split Wide Open" - based on a letter written by Don Henry
Poems by international brigaders were found in the book Poems From Spain, edited by Jim Jump
All other original lyrics and dialogue written by Frank Nawrot and R.E. Rule
Duke Prospero's lines are based on the University of Kansas Board of Regents press release commissioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee
If you’d like to learn more about the staged version of this opera or donate to the International Brigade Memorial Trust and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives, please visit https://franknawrot.com/donhenry/
Artwork by Shawn Womack. -
Ep. 3 - Don Henry
Don Henry - an Opera by Frank Nawrot stars Neal Long as Don, Gretchen Pille as Salaria and Don's mother, Rachael Rule as Megan O'Reilly, and Frank Nawrot as Duke Prospero. Music, mixing, production, and sound design by Frank Nawrot.
Episode 3 song credits:
"A Moment of War" - based on a poem by Laurie Lee, an international brigader
"They That Have the Power/I Have Lived in a Time of Heroes" - based on poems by David Marshall, an international bridager, and Shakespeare
Poems by international brigaders were found in the book Poems From Spain, edited by Jim Jump
All other original lyrics and dialogue written by Frank Nawrot and R.E. Rule
Duke Prospero's lines are based on the University of Kansas Board of Regents press release commissioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee
If you’d like to learn more about the staged version of this opera or donate to the International Brigade Memorial Trust and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives, please visit https://franknawrot.com/donhenry/
Artwork by Shawn Womack -
Ep. 4 - Don Henry
Don Henry - an Opera by Frank Nawrot stars Neal Long as Don, Gretchen Pille as Salaria and Don's mother, Rachael Rule as Megan O'Reilly, and Frank Nawrot as Duke Prospero. Music, mixing, production, and sound design by Frank Nawrot. This episode features percussionist Luke Helker.
Episode 4 song credits:
"The Internationalist" - based on a poem by an anonymous international brigader
"Ebro Crossing" - based on a poem by James R Jump, an international bridager
"Enough is Enough" - lyrics by Frank Nawrot, inspired by Huey P. Newton's autobiography
Poems by international brigaders were found in the book Poems From Spain, edited by Jim Jump
All other original lyrics and dialogue written by Frank Nawrot and R.E. Rule
Duke Prospero's lines are based on the University of Kansas Board of Regents press release commissioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee
If you’d like to learn more about the staged version of this opera or donate to the International Brigade Memorial Trust and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives, please visit https://franknawrot.com/donhenry/
Artwork by Shawn Womack -
Trailer - PREMIERING Aug. 23 2022
This if the official trailer for Frank Nawrot’s first opera, Don Henry. - PREMIERING AUGUST 23 2022 - It is based on a true story, told here in four parts. - Don Henry was a Dodge City native and University of Kansas student whose ideals led him to fight fascism in the Spanish Civil War of the late 1930s. Don was a young man when Mussolini and Hitler established fascist governments in Western Europe. He and others from around the world traveled to Spain to help prevent a fascist government from taking hold there as it had in Italy and Germany. He became a member of the International Brigade that fortified the leftist Spanish Republicans (also referred to as the Loyalists). Don knew the dangers of his ambition and so hid his real intentions by telling his family he was taking a vacation in Europe. On his first day of battle, Don was mortally wounded by a gunshot to the chest as he tended to an injured comrade. - In this recording, the story of Don Henry is told from three asynchronous perspectives: 1) a 21st-century 24-hour news channel program, 2) a letter written by Don Henry to his family in Kansas, and 3) the frontlines of the war as told by Salaria Kea, a nurse from Akron, Ohio. - The words of this opera are taken from historical documents, poems written by British international brigaders, and original lyrics by Frank Nawrot. The historical documents are the University of Kansas Board of Regents press release commissioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee and Don Henry’s letter. - Don Henry stars Neal Long, Gretchen Pille, Rachael Rule, and Frank Nawrot. Listen to Don Henry wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. - If you’d like to learn more about the staged version of this opera or donate to the International Brigade Memorial Trust and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives, please visit https://franknawrot.com/donhenry/