Roosevelt opera hits primetime

ROOSEVELT — An upcoming episode of New Jersey Network (NJN)'s State of the Arts goes behind the scenes to show how two borough residents created a new opera.

The show, featuring Roosevelt residents Mark Zuckerman and David Herrstrom talking about their creation of their opera "The Outlaw and the King," airs on NJN Public Television at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 16, with a rebroadcast on at 11:30 p.m. Jan. 21.

Five years ago, Zuckerman, a composer, wandered across the street to chat with his neighbor of 25 years, Herrstrom, a poet. Zuckerman wanted to write his first opera and wondered if Herrstrom would like to write the libretto.

Herrstrom wasn't particularly familiar with opera but he seized on the idea, and they collaborated on a two-act, full-length opera based on the Old Testament story of Jonathan, David and Saul.

In December 2008, Act II of the opera was presented in concert form at Rutgers University's Nicholas Music Center in New Brunswick. The opera, called "The Outlaw and the King," focuses on the story of David, who was brought before Saul, the king of Israel, after slaying Goliath. The king's eldest son, Jonathan, falls in love with David and the story begins.

State of the Arts producer Eric Schultz will take viewers behind the scenes to see all that it takes to produce a new opera. The show is a 29-time Emmy award-winning, half-hour program. The current episode can be viewed online at www.njn.net. The New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation provide funding for State of the Arts, which is produced by Susan Wallner and executive producer Nila Aronow.

For more information, visit www.njn.net.