The title aria tells us "Morning Star" refers to Venus and is a metaphor for love and hope. Based on Sylvia Regan’s play and on parallels with the composer’s own family, Morning Star is a deeply touching character piece about life among Jewish immigrants in New York City’s Lower East Side. Hope blossoms and is dashed as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911, World War I, and the Great Depression lead to death, divorce, and despair. Through it all, William M. Hoffman’s colorful libretto and Ricky Ian Gordon’s engaging score maintain charming threads of love and optimism, comedy amid tragedy, and luscious sonorities featuring a large cast of singers - in English, Yiddish, Italian, and Haitian French. The two-act opera is 2 1/2 hours in duration.

Act 1:
Prologue
Scene 1: For This We Left Our Homeland
Scene 2: I Didn’t Want To Be Late
Scene 3: Morning Star
Scene 4: Tick-Tock
Scene 5: The Family Abides
Scene 6: Interlude: The Men’s Dreams
Scene 7: If I’m Not Allowed To Sing
Scene 8: Weddings and Beddings
Scene 9: Sadie Should Never Know
Scene 10: Babies All Be Kosher
Scene 11: Three Loving Sisters
Scene 12: Becky's Response
Act 2:
Scene 1: Prelude
Scene 2a: Apples
Scene 2
Scene 3: Sadie’s Story
Scene 4: Aaron's Response
Scene 5: So Many Colors
Scene 6: Was It Laura, Maggie, Mazie, Flo?
Scene 7: I Wanna Stay Drunk
Scene 7a: Fanny at the Piano
Scene 8: Harry's Aria
Scene 9: I Remember
Scene 10: Time Is Passing
Scene 11: Kaddish