Grounded

Libretto by George Brant, based on his play Grounded

1S,1MS,1T,1BBar,2Bar (some roles amplified)

Jess is a hot-shot F-16 fighter pilot, an elite warrior trained for the sky. When an unexpected pregnancy grounds her, she’s reassigned to the “chair force” to control drones in Afghanistan from the comfort of a trailer in Las Vegas. But war “with all the benefits of home” isn’t clear-cut. As Jess tracks terrorists by day and rocks her daughter to sleep by night, the boundary between her worlds becomes dangerously permeable.

Bachtrack
..."vocal lines are lyrical and flatter the singers while allowing for every word to be understood, and the shifting, turbulent orchestration is vibrant without overwhelming the singers"

Parterre
"A sweeping, cinematic, often sentimental score, injected with military drums and brass. I noted hints of Aaron Copland."

The Washington Post
"There’s plenty to be praised about two-time Tony-winner Tesori and Brant’s adaptation — the individual performances, the accommodating lyricism and surprising delicacy and daring of Tesori’s music, the inventive staging and orchestration."

TheaterMania
"Tesori’s score beautifully captures the complex shades of light and dark in this story about a woman with one foot in the suburbs and another in a far-away theater of war."