State of the Union

State of the Union (2021)

for baritone, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and piano (~17 mins)

Program Note:

Political satire has been one of, if not the largest driving forces in comedy over the last decade. This has been even more so present in the last five years with the Presidency of Donald J. Trump. The political battles that have taken place on Twitter by American politicians have been wildly inquisitive and occasionally insulting. But this banter also provides material for political commentators, who incorporate it into their respective comedy routines. The satirical characters of Jon Stewart, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ted Cruz bring these Twitter battles to life. Ocasio-Cortez and Cruz present arguments in a quasi-debate format using Twitter via their cell phones. The text focuses on political issues and possible solutions to said issues from a variety of perspectives.