Generation X - The Opera

This text serves as the accompanying documentation to Generation X – The Opera, a contemporary spoken word adaptation of the novel by Canadian author Douglas Coupland. The fundamental direction of this research is the exploration of new directions in contemporary North American opera, melodrama, spoken word and musical theatre, through our shared linguistic, musical and cultural vernacular. This paper begins by establishing a theoretical foundation between language and music, and then moves toward the historical trajectory of the use of spoken word in a musical context. It proceeds to present an analysis of the cultural significance of Generation X, as both an age demographic and as a postmodern identity. The documentation concludes with an overview of the project, from its inception through to its premiere performance on March 17th, 2006.