SALT LAKE CITY — Most people are familiar with Handel’s Messiah, a beloved oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel with text taken from the King James Bible and Coverdale Psalter. It is one of the most performed choral works in the world, often comprising massive forces to perform what was essentially written as a chamber piece. Production Creator and Director Clara Hurtado Lee saw a production of Messias in Berlin that paired The Messiah with a story of a woman diagnosed with brain cancer advocating for assisted suicide. After seeing this, she had a desire to mount a similar production. She one day had the thought of pairing this with the story of Dr. Melissa Inouye who was diagnosed with colon cancer and battled it for 7 years. She published two books, and put out numerous podcasts detailing her journey and struggle, and with the permission of her husband, Clara was able to use her journals to craft a production that tells her story interwoven with the music of Handel’s masterpiece. Opera Contempo is presenting the world premiere of this work. I attended a press night/dress rehearsal for this production.
Melissa is portrayed by Alyssa Liu Bryner, a beautifully clear voiced soprano, with a grace and composure that establishes a solid through-line for the evening. The story of her life is told through recorded narration taken directly from Dr. Inouye’s journals, and also gives insight into her parent’s lives, as well. Her mother, Susan Inouye, portrayed by mezzo-soprano Jin-Xiang Yu, who also died of cancer, her father, Charles Ichiro Inouye, portrayed by Bennett Chew, baritone, who was interned at Heart Mountain Camp in Wyoming, and her husband, Joseph McMullin, portrayed by Thomas Glenn, tenor. Each of these singers perform the various solos in the score. The choral sections are sung by the Sound of Ages Choir, and the several numbers are also performed by the Fem Dance Company. Musical accompaniment is provided by chamber ensemble conducted by Dr. Brandon Horrocks.
Only a selection of the arias and choruses from The Messiah are used, but Clara Lee Hurtado has very deftly selected and combined them to support the story being told at that moment. Of particular note is the paring of “He Was Despised” with the section telling of Melissa’s father’s struggle to find work and subsequent internment during World War II, and also the paring of “The Trumpet Shall Sound” with Melissa’s death. The use of Handel’s music and the lyrics of the particular songs used helped to create an emotional and poignant structure to the work. The soloists all performed excellently, but of particular note were the performances by Alyssa Liu Byner and Bennett Chew. As I noted earlier, Alyssa has a clear, ringing tone and a command to her upper register that rings out over the musicians, Her performance of “I Know The My Redeemer Liveth” was a particular highlight of the second act. It was an emotional high point, and her control of her voice was superb. Also in the second act, was the stellar performance by Bennet of “The Trumpet Shall Sound.” His powerful baritone voice and crisp diction, along with the stunning trumpet performance by Keith Davis, was quite breathtaking.
The lighting design by Reilly Merrill was well-crafted and helped highlight the varying scenes and keep the focus on the story in the sparsely decorated stage. Although the program does not list who was created the projections for the production, the use of classic and contemporary art work, and of family photos helped to maintain the pace and connect the action onstage to the amazing story of this incredible woman.
As noted before, the performance I attended was a final dress rehearsal, and as such some rough edges existed that will no doubt be sanded off before final performance. This did not, however, detract from the overall artistry evident onstage. A few things did stand out, however, and I feel they would have solidified this production. I felt that the relationship between Melisssa and her husband could have been better developed. Having said that, in a 90 minute production you have to pick and choose what points you want to tell. Also, it would have been nice to have some of her published writings included in the narrated dialog. This may have been a rights issue with the publishers, however, and so the focus on the journals is understandable.
This production only has one performance on April 10th, which is a true shame. A lot of time, effort and dedication went into creating, rehearsing and putting all this on stage. My sincere hope is that there can be a subsequent production that will last longer and allow more people to experience this magnificent work. Anyone who has a love for The Messiah or the works of Dr. Inouye should enjoy this production and it should be seen by many more than will be able to attend it’s one performance. Opera Contempo has brought a wonderful new work to the stage.
Opera Contempo’s production of Messiah: One Woman’s Sacred Struggle performs at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (138 Broadway, Salt Lake City, UT) in the Leona Wagner Black Box Theatre April 10, 2026 at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $36.50. For more information, go to operacontempo.com.
