"Clarence and Anita" produced by the Center for Contemporary Opera. Wednesday 29, 2008, 8pm, The Cell, 338 West 23rd St, NYC, 10011

Clarence and Anita. Following the political drama surrounding the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, this opera belongs to the new genre of contemporary works often known as "CNN Operas". Composer Ben Yarmolinsky calls it a "docu-opera" as its libretto is direct from the transcript of Clarence Thomas' Senate hearings. which featured salacious charges from his former employee Anita Hill that he sexually harassed her, nearly blocking his conformation. The cast includes Senator Joseph Biden, current Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate and a veritable "Whiffenpoof" chorus from Yale Law School affirming Ms. Hill's character and professional standing.
The price of admission includes a wine reception following the performance.