Hook Up had a development period of about five years, and was Michael Mori’s first commission as Artistic Director of Tapestry Opera.

It began in August 2013 as part of Tapestry Opera’s LibLab program (where Chris and Julie met) and was titled Cindy + Mindy = BFs 4EVR, a story about two girls using Facebook Messenger to slut-shame one another. This was then developed into Selfie, a seventy-five minute piece exploring cyberbullying, meant for a middle school audience.

Development of Selfie ultimately stalled in 2015, but both Thornborrow and Tepperman were committed to telling a story with complex and complicated women centre stage. In 2016, they brought on dramaturge and director Richard Greenblatt for inspiration and re-invigoration. They re-focused the work to explore the themes of consent and rape culture on university campuses.

Thornborrow has experience in several genres, and utilized his knowledge of chamber writing and film music to tell the “story underneath the story.” As the piece evolved, he adjusted the vocal lines farther from an operatic style to a more contemporary musical theatre aesthetic. He also included in his soundscape typical noises from campuses and parties to further evoke the setting.

 

“...we’ve been very careful to not turn this opera into a brochure or a tidy lesson with a concrete resolution; we intentionally end in a place where there are more questions than answers, with the hopes of sparking rich conversations. From the very beginning we, along with Tapestry, have been committed to engaging professionals to facilitate talkbacks and provide resources after the performances. For us, it’s not about portraying ‘victims’ and ‘perpetrators,’ but hoping that the art we put out into the world can contribute to a larger conversation and narrative.”

- Julie Tepperman

 

"This is opera at its most socially engaged and political. Often this is a recipe for theatrical disaster. But almost miraculously, Hook Up actually works. …It is serious and thought-provoking theatre that speaks to a pressing social issue. But it's also nice to have our brows unfurrowed by lines such as, "those Cheetos are nasty."

- John Terauds, Toronto Star

"All I'm saying is: I heard belting in a show produced by a company with opera in its name and I'm HERE FOR IT. #LIVING"

- Greg Finney, Schmopera

“The talented people at Tapestry Opera have done something seemingly impossible: they made an entertaining, deeply moving and powerful modern opera about campus rape. Worth your time."

- Sarah Fulford, Toronto Life

"The story and production packs a punch... Hook Up looks at issues that teens are dealing with and treats them with respect, compassion and generosity of spirit. It's an important work."

- Lynn Slotkin, The Slotkin Letter

"Beautiful, gut-wrenching and absolutely riveting."

- Keira Grant, Mooney on Theatre

"Tepperman's libretto is incredible, because it's real. So true it hurts."

- Jenna Simeonov, Schmopera

"An exceptional show...Rich characters. Urgent theme. Powerful production."

- Glenn Sumi, NOW Magazine

"composer Chris Thornborrow and librettist Julie Tepperman’s new work had a powerful effect on the audience... an artistically accomplished piece of music theatre, [and] a must-see event."

- Jennifer Parr, Wholenote

"The operatic, yet accessible treatment of such an affecting topic should make Hook Up a creative powerhouse that brings new audiences to the artform. Beyond that, it should provoke thought, spark discourse and shed light on the true meaning of consent. Everyone should experience it."

- Arpita Ghosal, Sesaya Preview

 

Webpage Link

Program

Press Package

Preview: Shedoesthecity

Preview: Schmopera

 

Hook Up: Selected Audience Responses

“I was left thinking about how we as young women have the confidence to set our boundaries as we explore our sexuality until that agency is taken away through sexual violence, guilt, and shame.”

" I could not stop thinking about it all night. It was so incredible to see it with my daughter. We have had some really deep discussions these past two days."

“I want to tell you how much I was moved by your show – literally, to tears, several times. The words were so stunning, so simple, so clever, and so heart-wrenching. Thank you so much for telling these stories in a way that makes us all, especially men, question our own implication in a perpetual cycle of blame, abuse, and a baffling lack of accountability.”

“I thought it was fantastic and daring and respectful through every complex moment, and always searingly honest and full of heart. Extraordinary.”