By Nancy Plum

The story of San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk is one of the most tragic in American politics. Known as “The Mayor of Castro Street,” Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California and was assassinated (along with the city’s mayor) in November 1978 by Dan White, a former supervisor who had been refused reinstatement to office. The aftermath of the untimely deaths of these individuals changed the face of San Francisco politics, and White’s subsequent suicide created a trinity of loss of both life and potential.

If Harvey Milk’s rise and fall seem operatic, conductor, composer, and lyricist Andrew Lippa has created a musical celebration of the politician’s legacy in I Am Harvey Milk, a semi-staged theatrical oratorio presented this past weekend by Princeton Festival. Staged at the Morven Museum & Garden performance pavilion and conducted by the composer, the 16-movement work featured four soloists, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and Princeton Festival Men’s Chorus. I Am Harvey Milk came about in 2012 from a commission by a number of choral ensembles, including the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, and premiered with Lippa as Harvey Milk on June 26, 2013, the same day the U.S. Supreme Court declared legislation affecting same-sex marriage unconstitutional. Last Friday night’s performance (the production was repeated Saturday night) marked both the world premiere of Lippa’s revised version of the score and his debut conducting the piece.

The libretto, also by Lippa, captured scenes from Milk’s life, often with the assumption that the audience knew the story. Friday night’s audience seemed not only to be very familiar with the historical events, but was also well acquainted with both Lippa as a Broadway composer and some of the actors onstage. 

The four lead performers in Friday night’s production brought a wide range of theatrical, recording, and television experience to the Morven stage. Twelve-year-old Benjamin Pajak, a veteran of New York Broadway productions, played Harvey Milk as a young boy, with award-winning actor Adam Kantor as the adult Harvey. A Speaker, portrayed by Stacey Stevenson, provided commentary on the times by such historical figures as Anita Bryant, minister Phil Snider, and Dan White offering justification for his actions. Veteran theater performer Scarlett Strallen sang the roles of several women in Milk’s life, ranging from his mother to an influential teacher. 

As a young Harvey, Pajak was clearly comfortable onstage, with a voice that could easily be heard in the back of the house, even over a full orchestral sound. He could easily hold his own vocally with Kantor as the adult Harvey, and the two voices created a strong and appealing vocal combination. Kantor communicated well with the audience, showing a great deal of personality in his portrayal, particularly capturing the impact of a moment in describing the signing of key legislation in Milk’s tenure as city supervisor. 

Among her vocal selections, soprano Strallen performed an especially eloquent soliloquy, gracefully accompanied by pianist Paul Staroba and flutist Scott Kemsley. The register for Strallen’s vocal lines was often quite high, but she had no trouble maneuvering the range and succeeded in serving as a calming influence in the onstage action. As the Speaker, Stevenson conveyed a range of commentary from diverse political stances and characters. Two key readings were her portrayal of Dan White explaining his actions and the character of California politician John Briggs, who unsuccessfully attempted to legislate removal of gay and lesbian school employees from their jobs in California.

Lippa also assigned social commentary to the 40-member Princeton Festival Men’s Chorus, prepared by Vinroy D. Brown Jr. The chorus showed clear diction and a well-blended sound, particularly when singing a cappella. Five chorus members — Carlos Encinias, Noah Zachary, Hansel Tan, Derrick Cobey, and Javier Ignacio — provided high-energy solos in the scene describing the Milk’s home base of the Castro neighborhood, most notably Cobey, who seemed to have his own following in the audience. Playing from the stage rather than a pit, Princeton Symphony Orchestra effectively brought out Lippa’s rich orchestration and imaginative instrumental effects. 

Harvey Milk died more than 40 years ago, yet his story is as far-reaching and contemporary today as it was in 1978. Princeton Festival has presented a piece which might be more Broadway than opera, yet has the same impact and power as the most complex works from the operatic repertory.