NEW YORK (AP) – Most speakers at large conferences hope they have something topical to add when it’s their turn to talk. Derrick Wang has nothing to worry about.
The composer, lyricist and librettist behind the comic opera “Scalia/Ginsburg” finds himself with a red-hot subject following the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
The opera is about the legal sparring and behind-the-bench friendship of Scalia and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, mixing direct quotation with musical pastiche. He’ll discuss it next week at TEDxBroadway.
“The most inspiring thing about their relationship is the fact that they’re able to disagree yet have this very close friendship. Especially now, I think that it stands as an example to us all,” Wang said.
Wang will be at the fifth TEDxBroadway conference Monday, bringing together about 20 speakers – producers, marketers, entrepreneurs, academics and artists – to try to answer the question: “What is the best Broadway can be?”