Iowa inmates to perform at New York City opera
CORALVILLE, Iowa — Inmates from an eastern Iowa prison have spent weeks learning German and perfecting inflections to make their New York City opera debut in a broadcast performance of Beethoven’s “Fidelio.”
Heartbeat Opera invited the Oakdale Community Choir of the Iowa Medical and Classification Center to perform the “Prisoner’s Chorus” for its New York City live production in May.
Production Director Ethan Heard travelled to the medium-security prison in Coralville, Iowa, on Wednesday to record the choir, comprised of 40 inmates and 30 community members. It’s among six choirs being recorded singing for a pivotal scene.
Heartbeat Opera’s modern-day performance of “Fidelio” is about a woman’s journey to free her falsely imprisoned husband, a black activist. Video and audio from choirs such as Oakdale’s will be projected during a scene in which prisoners are released into a courtyard to breathe fresh air. Each choir performs a different portion of the “Prisoner’s Chorus.”