This is what the bad guys did in WWII: rounded up entire families of innocent citizens on the basis of inherited group identity, tore them from their homes, businesses, schools, and jobs, and sent them to concentration camps.
The opera, with music by genre-blending composer Jack Perla, and libretto by Jessica Murphy Moo, was commissioned by Seattle Opera, where it was first performed in 2015. (The cast here includes So Young Park as Setsuko; Nina Yoshida Nelsen and Ao Li as her parents; and Christopher Magiera and Catherine Martin as the buyers of their home; Daniela Candillari will conduct.) It largely grew out of two true stories, elicited by this question put to Seattle-area residents: “If you had to leave your home with no warning, what one item would you take with you?”
“My father, growing up, was taught to be as assimilated as possible, as American as possible. They tried to distance themselves as far as possible from Japanese culture.”
Fri 3/15, 7 PM, and Sun 3/17, 2 PM, Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph; lyricopera.org/American Dream, 312-827-5600, $55-$125.
