Elmer Gantry: A New American Opera

This is going to be a blog devoted to the new opera ELMER GANTRY, with entries from me, the librettist; Bob Aldridge the composer; and other people connected to the opera. Keith, our Elmer, and Jenny, our Sister Sharon, will certainly be posting (if I have anything to say about it.) Keep an eye on this space as we move towards our opening in Nashville on November 16.
Herschel Garfein

It's not just The New York Times or The Wahington Post that invoke the name ELMER GANTRY as an archetype.
I found a fascinating article online that shows just how much significance the name still holds for the Christian right. Here's an online article from a Christian Broadcasting website that uses the name ELMER GANTRY as a shorthand for all dishonest evangelists, just as the Times or the Post would. The surprise is that the article goes to great lengths to praise the book (and movie) in a sly, calculating way. And it includes lots of good quotes from the book...

I'd also like to welcome everyone to our new blog. I'm ashamed to admit that I've never before written a blog, and so far, it's great fun!

It's going to be a very exciting fall, with the co-premieres of ELMER GANTRY in Nashville and in Montclair. We have an amazing cast, and an amazing production team...

My name is Jenny Rivera and I'll be singing Sister Sharon Falconer in both Nashville and Montclair. This is the first time I've ever written a blog of any kind, but I feel like if Sharon were around, or Amy Semple, the character on which Sharon was based, she would be a master of the blogosphere since she had pretty much conquered the media as it existed at that time. I am excited to be a part of this project for so many reasons.....