This Little Light of Mine
A FANNIE LOU HAMER STORY
Music by Chandler Carter
Libretto by Diana Solomon-Glover
Friday, February 21 | 8 pm
Sunday, February 23 | 2 pm
This Little Light of Mine centers the story of Fannie Lou Hamer, a woman who championed the rights of all American citizens to vote. Standing up against voter suppression in the 1960s, she helped educate, empower, and inspire future generations to make their voices heard at the ballot box. Wherever Fannie Lou Hamer spoke, she also sang. Her deep contralto voice lifted spirits and spurred souls to action. Her legacy shines as an extraordinary reminder that each of us has the power to illuminate the world.
Sung in English with English captions
1-Act; approximate run time 75 minutes
Kentucky Opera co-commissioned this opera with Santa Fe Opera as part of the Opera for All Voices initiative. Click here to see a video of the workshop in 2021.
*This production contains some expletives, including racial slurs.
The W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre
Learn more about why we are producing this show by attending Awakenings.
Artists
Conductor
Everett McCorvey
Director
Kimille Howard
Assistant Director
Alonzo Ramont
Fannie Lou Hamer
Ronnita Miller
Dorothy Jean Hamer
Chabrelle Williams
JUNE JOHNSON
Brandi Diggs
Young Fannie Lou
Zoey Ellis
Synopsis
This Little Light of Mine dramatizes the story of Fannie Lou Hamer, a former sharecropper who rose to national prominence at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. While Hamer’s efforts were met with much resistance, her voice resonated throughout the country and helped lead to the successful passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Part 1: Go Tell it on the Mountain
Fall 1966 – Ruleville, Mississippi
~1923 – Sunflower County, Mississippi
Part 2: Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round
August 1962 – Indianola, Mississippi
Later that same day – Ruleville, Mississippi
Part 3: Give Me Strength, Lord
June 1963 – Winona, Mississippi
August 1964 – Atlantic City, New Jersey
Part 4: Lord, I’m Comin’ to You Again
December 1964 – Harlem, New York City
August 1964 – Atlantic City, New Jersey
1967 – Ruleville, Mississippi
1977 – Ruleville, Mississippi
EPILOGUE