Co-production with Diablo Symphony Orchestra

Tales from the Briar Patch

Composer: Nkeiru Okoye

Librettist: Carman Moore

April 2, 2023 - 2:00 PM

Hofmann Theatre 

Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek

This short opera is family friendly and full of fun, while paying tribute to the African tradition of storytelling for all ages. Sister Sparrow, Sister Robin, and Madame Partridge retell the antics of Br’er Rabbit and his nemesis Br’er Fox. The music blends African American musical styles of jazz, blues, and gospel with contemporary concert music sounds.

The stories in Tales from the Briar Patch are derived from African folk tales. The character “Br’er Rabbit” is a parallel to the trickster, “Anansi the Spider,” of ancient Ghanaian folklore. While many people associate him and his friends with Joel Chandler Harris’ Uncle Remus stories, the stories predate Harris. The creators Okoye and Moore updated the language, using animals to portray the story, with a trio of spirited birds narrating.