In the Wings: Backstage glimpses with Boston Lyric Opera

Boston’s own Lavender Scare: the Harvard Purge of 1920

Prior to World War I, upper-class Protestant gay men and lesbians were accepted into the highest levels of Boston society. But after the War ended in 1918, a shift in public attitudes about homosexual people brought an end to the tolerance and started a series of purges and police actions that lasted through 1920. One of these purges was a secret court set up at Harvard to identify and expel gay students. The swiftness and strong actions of this court underscored a new wave of intolerance that began a 60-year period of repression. […]

By Russell Lopez|2021-09-20T13:48:32-04:00November 12th, 2019|

An Interview with Thomas Mallon, Author of Fellow Travelers

In addition to producing the opera Fellow Travelers, Boston Lyric Opera will partner with WBUR for an evening with author Thomas Mallon, composer Gregory Spears and director Peter Rothstein in its new CitySpace on Tuesday, November 12 at 6:30pm. Moderated by Boston University Music Professor Phyllis Hoffman, tickets are just $10, and available here. Veteran music writer and critic Richard Dyer recently spoke to Mallon about writing the historical novel, and the impressive career he’s forged with stories on the periphery of history. […]

By Richard Dyer|2021-09-20T13:48:05-04:00November 10th, 2019|

Executive Order 10450: Six Decades of Government-Sanctioned Oppression

The overwhelming threat hanging over the heads of the characters in Fellow Travelers was known as Executive Order 10450, which prohibited the federal government from hiring gay and lesbian people. Signed by President Dwight Eisenhower in April 1953, the Executive Order was drafted by Robert “Bobby” Cutler, a noted Bostonian who was the first person appointed as National Security Advisor to the President of the U.S. It remained in full force until 1973 and was only revoked in its entirety in 2017. […]

By Russell Lopez|2021-09-20T13:47:44-04:00November 7th, 2019|

Powerful and Personal: Rothstein on the People in Fellow Travelers

Tragedies abound in opera, but the tragic story in Fellow Travelers is unique. A love story between two men during the McCarthy era, it tells of a complicated illicit relationship and the persecution that impacted it. […]

By Jody Feinberg|2021-09-20T13:47:21-04:00October 24th, 2019|

Arts Matter: The Power of Opera

The arts can send you on a journey, open the heart, mind and soul and see where it can take you. My journey began at age seven, when I first got introduced to singing. A few years later, in addition to my singing, I also taught myself piano which, as you can imagine, wasn’t easy. It took many nights and days of practice, and some frustrating moments to really learn how to get my fingers to flow through the keys. My passion for it stayed strong though. I continued to perform up until my junior year of high school, when [...]

By Thalia Cruz|2021-09-20T13:39:55-04:00August 22nd, 2019|