The Lavender Scare 

Sitting down to watch the opera “Fellow Travelers” for the first time, Adam Turner had no idea what he was in for.

It was the show’s 2016 world premiere in Cincinnati, and Turner didn’t know the composer, or that the show was about a gay relationship during the McCarthy era in Washington, D.C. Turner was transfixed by its story of how gay federal employees were persecuted during the 1950s, noting how rare it is to see gay relationships portrayed in opera.

“I’d never seen that represented in a traditional opera. To see my own story represented on the stage brought extreme relevance and a really deep connection to the piece,” says Turner, Virginia Opera’s artistic director. “From start to finish, I was completely transported.”

Now Richmond audiences can see what Turner saw as Virginia Opera’s production of “Fellow Travelers” takes up residence in the Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Energy Center on Feb. 10 and 12.

Based on Thomas Mallon’s 2007 novel of the same name, Gregory Spears’ opera takes place between 1953 and 1957 in the nation’s capital. As Sen. Joseph McCarthy stokes fears that the federal government has communists, Soviet spies and homosexuals in its midst, lovers Hawk and Tim encounter the effects of Red Scare paranoia and persecution. Virginia Opera’s staging includes the original set, director and one of the original cast members.

Turner says the show highlights elements of the Red Scare that aren’t as well known; the government’s persecution of gay men and lesbians is now referred to as the “Lavender Scare.”

“It affected thousands of lives,” explains Turner, who will conduct the show. “Many people took their lives for fear of being outed in their community. People lost their jobs, lost their livelihoods, lost their friendships, lost families, were outcasts from society. This was a really dark chapter in American history that needs to be told, that needs to be better understood.”

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• Dave Pearson Photography
• Andres Acosta as Timothy Laughlin in "Fellow Travelers," an opera from Virginia Beach native Gregory Spears.

The opera opens with the character Tim Laughlin sitting on a park bench in Dupont Circle. A fledgling reporter for the Washington Star, Tim is approached by Hawk Fuller, an employee of the State Department.

“There’s an immediate attraction,” says Joseph Lattanzi, who plays Hawk and originated the role. “Hawk takes Tim under his wing as a friend, as a lover, as a project, and sets him up with a job.”

Lanzatti first became involved with the opera while he was a grad student in Cincinnati.

“It was assigned to me, basically,” says the baritone. “It was one of my projects for the semester, to work on the role. When we were developing it, it just became apparent that it was an amazing piece.”

Kevin Newbury, the show’s director, first became involved with the show 14 years ago when the process of developing the novel into an opera began. Newbury says the book moved him, and that he felt a “responsibility to share the stories about our shared queer history that are often left out of the history books.”

“I have not seen my own story on stage very often,” says Newbury, who directed the original production. “We need to see our stories onstage, and we need to teach people about the history that came before so that it doesn’t repeat itself.”

The show is also notable for being the Virginia premiere of an opera by a Virginian composer: Spears grew up in Virginia Beach and fell in love with the form while attending Virginia Opera performances when he was younger.

Turner says Spears is “at the height of his powers. His music is just so accessible. It’s almost Puccini-esque at times. It’s very accessible. It’s very lyrical, very lush. It’s got a drive about it that propels the storytelling.”

He notes that as the character of Hawk was developed by Lattanzi, audiences are getting a rare opportunity to see a piece performed by the voice the composer had in mind.

Newbury says the opera offers more than just entertainment and insight into neglected history.

“It encourages empathy and connection, and I’ve seen the piece change hearts and minds,” he says. “The piece is about connection, and what it means to connect, and to love even when society says you shouldn’t.”

Lattanzi says the opera’s tale of a gay relationship in an era of persecution is a gripping one.

“You sit down in your seat as an audience member, and from the first few notes it takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride, sort of grabs you and doesn’t let go the whole time,” he says.

Virginia Opera’s “Fellow Travelers” plays Feb. 10 and 12 at the Dominion Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 600 E. Grace St., 23219. For more information, visit vaopera.org or call 866-673-7282.