Commissioned by: The Los Angeles Opera Community Programs Department, Lewellyn Crain, Director
Premiere: 8 May 2000 by Los Angeles Opera Community Programs, Los Angeles, CA under the musical direction of Dan Bridston
Homies & Popz is a "hip-hopera," i.e. a one-act, 42-minute operetta based on the story of the Compton Homies and the Popz, an amateur cricket team comprised of former gang members and homeless men that was organized by notated political activist Ted Hayes. Though some of its members have been to prison, the Compton Homies and the Popz now win championships, and have toured Britian.
The hip-hopera was written to be performed in high schools, with a chorus comprised of students from each school. The Los Angeles Opera production has played the finest cafetoriums in Los Angeles County. Seeing the piece win over even the most cynical high school students has been very rewarding. And it got a thumbs up from the real cricket team, which is pretty high praise.
Written: 1999
Instrumentation:
solo
sop, ten, bar, bass-bar; chorus; pno, bs, drs
Performance Highlights:
Los
Angeles Opera Community Programs 1999 & 2000 seasons, Madison Project Opera
Camp 2002
Audio Samples: Clip
one, Clip
two, Clip
three 
Publisher: Subito Music Corporation
