World premiere production:

UrbanArias, The Keegan Theater, Washington DC, April 30 – May 7, 2022

Workshop and showcase productions of excerpts:

West Edge Opera’s Snapshot: new works showcase (reduced orchestration – three players) 2017

Texas Christian University School of Music: opera scenes (piano version) 2014

Fort Worth Opera’s Frontiers: new works showcase (piano version) 2013

University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, UM Concert Band: performance of excerpts in honor of Eudora Welty’s centennial (expanded orchestration – 17 players) 2009

Tapestry Opera: workshop (piano version) 2001

The 2013 Fort Worth Opera Festival Frontiers Program
May 10, 2013

Stephen Eddins’ Why I Live at the P.O., a comic-operatic treatment of Eudora Welty’s celebrated
short story… was clearly the hit of the entire Frontiers showcase. This story has defied (and even
scared off) attempts at adaptation before, simply because it’s so hard to find a way to tell it that is
any more dramatic — or, for that matter, musical — than simply reading it aloud.  Eddins and his
librettist, Michael O’Brien, hit on the brilliant solution of retaining Welty’s voice by making Sister both
the narrator and an active participant in the opera, dividing her duties between two singers. With like
felicity, Eddins found a jazz-flavored musical language that fits the dramatic setting and situation and
is fun to listen to…  This piece also demonstrated what’s right with the young singers Fort Worth
Opera hires. Beyond their musical talents, they’re all terrific actors, and when they’re handed
comedic material this good, they run with it… Why I Live at the P.O. is ready to roll, just about a
guaranteed hit for any company that produces it.
–William V. Madison, Billvesées

The most distinctive and original item on the agenda came at the close of the Friday afternoon
session, in the form of an excerpt from Stephen Eddins’ setting (with libretto by Michael O’Brien) of
iconic southern author Eudora Welty’s comical parable of family dysfunctionality, Why I Live at the
P.O. Eddins’ strategy here was both derivative and unique, creating an appealing musical tapestry
based largely on 1940s big band jazz (matching the era in which the story is set) with heavy overtones
of gospel, spiritual, and ragtime. 
— Wayne Lee Gay, D Magazine [Dallas]

The two public sessions of Fort Worth Opera’s Frontiers program last Thursday and Friday at McDavid
Studio in downtown Fort Worth easily rank as one of the most significant musical events of the year
in these parts… The hit of the entire program was clearly Why I Live at the P.O., which enchanted the
audience and was so obviously enjoyed by the singers. Composer Stephen Eddins and co-librettist
Michael O’Brien managed the nearly impossible task of setting [the story] as an opera while keeping
Welty’s charm… Eddins’ music is based on the big band style of the era and is every bit as clever as
Welty’s prose… If given a vote for which of the eight works to produce on a future mainstage season,
give mine to Why I Live at the P.O.
— Gregory Sullivan Isaacs, TheaterJones

The final work, Why I Live at the P.O. was a great way to end both the Inaugural Frontiers Showcase,
as well as the Fort Worth Opera Festival experience…  Stephen Eddins did a remarkable job blending
a southern big-band style of singing and opera together to get a wonderful feeling for the time, place,
and frame of mind of the work.
— David Wueste, Everyday Opera

The 2017 West Edge Opera Snapshot Program I
January 21 & 22, 2017

The home run was the finale: Why I Live at the P.O., by Stephen Eddins. Based on the Eudora Welty
story, Sister (soprano Chelsea Hollow) narrates the events that led her to move out of her family
home and into the post office, where she works… Eddins scored Sunday’s performance for jazz trio,
and under his touch, the simple utterance “Papa-Daddy’d never cut off his beard” (adroitly adapted
by librettist Michael O’Brien) becomes a hit the Andrews Sisters could have sung. After a 15-year
composing hiatus, Eddins was inspired to write after seeing Menotti’s The Consul. With luck, he’ll
write many operas to come. 
— Rebecca Wishnia, San Francisco Classical Voice

[A] funny, jazz-infused adaptation of Eudora Welty’s little comic masterpiece.
— Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle

UrbanArias World Premiere
The Keegan Theater, Washington DC
April 30 – May 7, 2023

UrbanArias’ “Why I Live at the P.O.” is a glorious spoof of grand opera. The world premiere comedy
about small town life in the South came and went in a flash, leaving laughter, applause, and hopes for
a revival in its wake.
— Ravelle Brickman, DC Theater Arts

Last month we were in Washington D.C. and saw an opera by Stephen Eddins. It was a comic opera
and actually one of the most delightful evenings I have spent in the lyric theater in some time.
UrbanArias staged the piece in the Dupont Circle area. The opera is based on a short story by Eudora
Welty. I wish we had more comic operas. Eddins’s piece is short enough to be easily paired with
another one-act. Maybe a serious short opera, for contrast. Anyway, our evening in Washington
reminded me of what a wonderful experience it is to laugh and enjoy beautiful music.
–Paul Bendix, “The Best 21st Century Operas, According to Our Readers,” San Francisco Classical Voice

Fort Worth Frontiers, May 10, 2013
Out of the four seasons I sang for Fort Worth Opera’s new opera workshops, Stephen Eddins
opera, Why I Live at the P.O., was by far my favorite opera to perform.  My character was Sister 1,
and as a singer, Mr. Eddins provided a platform for my inner, improvisational jazz singer to
dance with my operatic diva.  His individual ability to effectively blur the lines between the two
genres, and create a show of powerful storytelling, is utterly unique.  The music was a beautiful
and captivating fusion, while being pleasantly vocally challenging.  The characters were complex,
fun, and leave the listener wanting for more.  Simply put, I’ve never sung anything like it, and I
am dying for more of this kind of work.  An opera of this unique nature will bridge the gap to new
and diverse audiences.  It will also be an important part of the future and survival of opera.  
Stephen Eddins is a fantastic composer, and an equally kind and generous man, and it was an
honor working with him.  This work should be shared with the world!
Corrie Donovan, soprano

West Edge Opera Snapshot, January 21 & 22, 2017
Why I like Why I Live at the P.O. in the p.m.
I was having such a wonderful time each evening, rehearsing and conducting a workshop
presentation of the first scenes of Stephen Eddins’ Why I Live at the P.O. for West Edge Opera’s
Snapshot 2017 project, that suddenly – and this happened several times – I had to stop cold and
reflect on why this particular show, even in excerpt, was so enjoyable. For me the first
impression of Eddins’ score was already refreshing – – the music has a direct and bouncy quality.
It seems easy-going, but is carefully crafted, seriously reflecting all the nuances of Eudora Welty’s
short story. Eddins has captured the dual levels of chatter and hostility in the Southern family
experience of troubled economic times. There is a rhythmic vitality and unpredictability that
makes this piece an irresistibly fun challenge for the performers and quick delight for audiences.
Familiarity only heightened this impression. I recommend this work to any company wishing to
raise its level of wry humor while considering basic human, especially American, nature. It fully
deserves to be completed and produced in its entirety, and will richly reward those investing in such a project.
Jonathan Khuner, Music Director, West Edge Opera

Working on Why I Live at the P.O. was a blast. The characters all have depth and interest from the
very beginning, supported by the text selections as well as the musical setting. The jazz combo
and melodic choices set the scene and take the whole cast on ride into the world of Sister and her
story of her crazy family. I loved singing Eddins’ text settings because he seemed to have a really
great understanding of vocal color and tessitura. His melodies are playful and dramatic, while
showing off a variety of stylistic colors. I also felt that, while the music was rewarding to work on
at a high level of music comprehension, it was extremely accessible to audience members with a
variety of different musical backgrounds.”
Chelsea Hollow, soprano

I think the most captivating aspect of Stephen’s work in Why I Live at the P.O. is his weaving of
quality operatic writing (each of the roles is exquisitely shaped to the workings of the voice)
with the distinctive sound of Southern Gospel. He expends the tonal vocabulary of that style but does
so in a way that educates the ear with joy and wonder. Singing Papa-Daddy was delightful even
before we had an audience; experiencing the audience’s journey into both the past and the South
made it a legitimate career highlight.
Jason Sarten, bass

Why I live at the P.O. is a dazzling, comedic and soulful piece that shines a light on family
dynamics and dysfunction in the most entertaining way imaginable. The brilliant score by
Stephen Eddins is an absolute joy to sing and the libretto beautifully set by Michael O’Brien.
Kindra Scharich, mezzo-soprano

As a performer, the music was both intellectually stimulating, yet catchy and intuitive! The mixed
genre feel of jazz combined with the operatic treatment of vocal lines created the perfect
marriage, and was a delight to explore the eclectic capacities of the voice as an instrument. Each
character is given their own distinct stylistic footprint, yet the parts are woven together
seamlessly. The end result was an incredibly gratifying musical experience that entertained both
the singers and audience alike! I hope to have the opportunity to perform the work in its entirety one day.
Kristen Princiotta, soprano