THE WEB OPERA

"ENGROSSING & DISTURBINGLY REAL ..."
Cut Common, the New Generation of Classical Music

"HIGH VOLTAGE MUSIC! A BEAUTIFULLY, POIGNANTLY CONSTRUCTED & BRILLIANTLY REALIZED NEW OPERA!" - Fanfare

"GROUNDBREAKING ... A GREAT 21st CENTURY OPERA" - RANDY NEWMAN

With THE WEB OPERA, composer Michael Roth has assembled a team of progressive artists led by director Kate Jopson to create something completely new - an episodic through-sung web series based on true events, a groundbreaking experiment in music, film, and new opera honored so far by 35 film festivals, and a finalist recognized for a Digital Excellence Award by Opera America.

THE WEB OPERA tells of a group of college freshmen and the invasion of privacy that forever changes a young man's life. THE WEB OPERA also encourages and supports via its website suicide prevention and the fight against cyber abuse.

Featuring performances by Reuben Uy, Adam Von Almen, Stephanie Cecile Yavelow, Molly Connor, Joyce Lai and Loren Battley, directed by Kate Jopson, with texts by Kate Gale and additional texts by Michael Roth, filmed by DP Dana Fytelson with dazzling visual graphics by Lisa Glenn Armstrong, Yiyi Shao, and Christopher Gaal/Crazybridge Studios, and filmed as if seen via the cameras and webcams in a laptop, iPhone, or iPad, this story about the violation of privacy invites the viewer to violate the privacy of the characters themselves while viewing it.

Composer Randy Newman calls THE WEB OPERA 'groundbreaking ... a great 21st century opera, full of fine things and remarkably accessible. It is also an important story told very very well.'

And THE WEB OPERA has a mission - inspired by the real life tragedy of Tyler Clementi, THE WEB OPERA is presented online to encourage all who view it, via the website, to support organizations working for suicide prevention and against cyber abuse. The first three episodes are online now, episodes four and five will be complete within the next year or so. To view all three episodes - to see an early/demo version of Episode 4! - to support the filming of episodes four and five, and for information regarding THE WEB OPERA's mission, please visit www.thewebopera.com

More detailed synopsis (some spoilers):

In Episode One, a college freshman (FG97 - all of the characters are referred to by their e-mail addresses) is installing software for his new webcam when he receives a message from his new roommate, Violinist98. Online, he investigates his roommate to get more information about him, all the while communicating about it with his friend across the hall, June99.

In Episode Two, Violinist98 is practicing violin and then, distracted, he seeks solace online from a forum; eventually he receives a friend request from Bookstore90, a man he'd met the day before, and arranges a date with him for the next night. He informs FG97 via text that he needs the room.

In Episode Three, FG97 visits his friend June99 during Violinist98's date. Via his webcam, hoping to have a look at Bookstore90, whom FG97 finds suspicious, they have a quick look at the date and discuss this with June's roommate and two of her roommate's friends. Having looked, they see something they can't unsee - and FG97 informs others online about it in a tweet that Violinist98 reads later that evening - as he stares at the webcam.

* - As of December, 2022, THE WEB OPERA has been honored by 35 film festivals - most recently an official selection at the CULVER CITY FILM FESTIVAL, where it was screened on 12/3/22, and won the Grand Prize for Experimental Short Film; also an official selection at the LOS ANGELES EXPERIMENTAL DANCE & MUSIC FILM FESTIVAL (LA screening, 2/6/20), Toronto's CYRUS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL (Semi-Finalist), New York's IndieBOOM Festival (Winner, Best Music), ONLY THE BEST FILM AWARDS (winner, Best Musical, Short or Feature), the BEST SHORTS COMPETITION (Award of Merit; Humanitarian Award Finalist), INDIE SHORT FEST/LA, Australia's INTERNATIONAL SHORTS FESTIVAL, Prague's INTERNATIONAL SOUND VIDEO AWARDS (Honorable Mention-Best Experimental Video), LA's INDEPENDENT SHORTS FESTIVAL, the WEB SERIES FESTIVAL GLOBAL, LOS ANGELES CINEFEST (semi-finalist, Best Web Series), ROME INDEPENDENT PRISMA AWARDS (semi-finalist, Best Web Series), SHORT, TIGHT & LOOSE GLOBAL FILM FESTIVAL (Award of Excellence-Original Concept), KESARI MOVIE AWARDS, the ONLY THE BEST FILM AWARDS, and AFTER HOUR (Best Television & Web Media); in addition to Awards of Merit from the ONE REELER SHORT FILM COMPETITION, online screenings from UK's LIFT OFF SESSIONS, New York's LIFT-OFF GLOBAL NETWORK, Tokyo’s LIFT OFF FESTIVAL, the HOLLYWOOD FIRST TIME FILMMAKER SHOWCASE, Honorable Mentions from NYC IO FILM FESTIVAL, LA's EXPERIMENTAL FORUM, UNDERGROUND FILM FORUM and the SANTA MONICA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Best Web Series from MOODY CRAB FEST and REDWOOD SHORTS & SCRIPTS, virtual screenings from GREAT LAKES FESTIVAL (Best Experimental/nominee), ALEXANDER VALLEY FESTIVAL (Best Short/nominee), CUTTING EDGE (Experimental Short-Finalist), GLOBAL MONTHLY ONLINE (winner, Best Short, Best Music Direction, Best Cinematography), Chicago's BLOW-UP ARTHOUSE FILMFEST, FLICKFAIR 2021, and Best Experimental Short from London's INDIE SHORT 24 FRAMES FESTIVAL. It was also honored by a screening at the American Composers Forum annual NEW MUSIC GATHERING in August, 2021.