Fordlandia

Fordlandia was selected for the Fort Worth Opera Frontiers Showcase 

May 2 and 3, 2018

Bass Performance Hall 

Fort Worth Opera

An Opera in Two Acts 

Composed by William Susman 

Libretto by Stuart Rojstaczer 

Approximate running time: 2 hours 

Edsel Ford, tenor 

Eleanor Ford, soprano 

Henry Ford, baritone 

Clara Ford, mezzo soprano 

Evangeline Dahlinger, coloratura soprano 

Harry Bennett, bass 

Orchestra and Chorus 

Synopsis

Fordlandia is a family drama about the struggle between Henry Ford and his son, Edsel, over the leadership and future of Ford Motor Company. It sheds light on the tragic and dysfunctional family life of the most transgressive businessman of the 20th century and America’s first true business disruptor. Henry's inability to relinquish the control of his company to a son he loves dearly destroys Edsel emotionally and physically. The tragedy between father and son is only mitigated by the strength and actions of their wives in this story of love, betrayal, intrigue, thuggery, death and redemption.

• Henry Ford is a major icon in American history 

• Fordlandia explores the complex interior lives and struggles of a father, son and their wives 

• The women in Henry's life play a prominent and ultimately empowering role based on their will and intelligence 

Statement

Our goal was to examine, in operatic form, the influence of the industrial age on the soul and spirit of America. We chose Henry Ford as our focus because without him, America would not be the world power it is today. He was a titan who greatly influenced the fabric of both American economic and social life, a national iconic figure and Detroit native who established a model for being an uber-wealthy, socially irresponsible financial titan that has been followed by many, including the well-known modern tech leaders of today.

As we delved into the life of Henry Ford through library research and visits to his family haunts in Detroit, we discovered a story that was intimate in scope and deeply emotional: the complex and troubled relationship between Henry Ford and his son, Edsel. For us, this relationship, filled with love, envy and betrayal, was the essence of what opera can do perhaps better than any other art form. Focusing on that relationship allowed us to not only examine how America’s rise in industrialism influenced its citizens, but also how it had a profound impact on an iconic American family. Our story evolved from a biography of one individual to an examination of the interior lives of a great American family’s wives and husbands. We wanted to examine their strengths and their flaws in detail. We also felt that this approach would work well with our musical and literary styles.

Fordlandia is a contemporary opera that tells a compelling, yet disturbing, story about a great American family. We are striving to involve the audience emotionally and intellectually with both our music and words. We are examining an American family, yes. But we are also, more importantly, examining the push and pull between progress and nostalgia, between love and ambition that have defined how America has evolved since its creation.