Pittsburgh, PA…
December 17, 2018
Chris Cox, Director of Marketing and Communications
Office: 412.281.0912 ext. 217
Mobile: 412.427.7088 or
Contact via email
Download this as a PDF
Pittsburgh Opera presents Glory Denied – The true story of America’s longest-held POW
Based on a book by Tom Philpott, Glory Denied tells the true story of US Army Colonel Jim Thompson, who was held captive as a prisoner of war longer than any other American in history. The opera deals not only with Thompson’s suffering in the jungle of southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, but also with the tragic aftermath that followed his liberation.
Colonel Thompson endured his brutal captivity by doggedly clinging to memories of his loving wife Alyce and their children. Alyce, however, believed Jim was dead. She and her children moved to Massachusetts with another man, leading to a painful reunion after Jim’s release.
Glory Denied is, above all, the story of an American family during one our nation’s most turbulent eras. In its review of Mr. Philpott’s book, The New York Times declared:
Indeed it is not too much to say that Glory Denied and Colonel Thompson’s mixed feelings about it encapsulate something of the moral essence of the Vietnam War and the imperishable bitterness of its legacy.
Performed in the intimate environs of Pittsburgh Opera’s George R. White opera studio at its headquarters at 2425 Liberty Ave., Glory Denied is a gripping drama never before seen in Pittsburgh. Four performances only – February 23 and 26, and March 1 and 3, 2019.
