Opera formed upon hold up of 9/11 hero

Like millions of alternative Americans, James B. Stewart outlayed a hours after a Sept. eleven attacks in a confusion of dumbfounded disbelief. A Pulitzer Prize-winning commercial operation bard for a Latest Yorker, he was beholden for a call from his editor, David Remnick, asking him to do a little stating upon a stroke of a attacks upon Wall Street firms.

“The call jolted me behind to being, as good as a actuality which you had a pursuit to do, ” Stewart recalled. “It was a service to have something petrify to do.

“I done a little intensely medium contributions to a coverage, most of which was focused upon Cantor Fitzgerald. Though someone referred to in flitting which during Morgan Stanley, which was a greatest employer in a structure, everyone had gotten out. It was an curiosity – a companies upon a floors upon top of as good as next had mislaid most people – as good as it stranded in my head.”

Following which tip led Stewart not only to a single story, though to a formidable of interlocking narratives, both drastic as good as regretful, which he explored initial in a underline essay for a repository as good as afterwards in his 2002 book “Heart of a Soldier.”

Now which story has taken nonetheless an additional spin, apropos an show with a measure by composer Christopher Theofanidis as good as librettist Donna DiNovelli. A work, consecrated by a San Francisco Show, has a universe premiere Sept. 10, a single day prior to a 10th anniversary of a attacks.

What Stewart encountered upon poking around during a issue was a puzzling story of bravery as good as discipline.

“I asked a little questions, as good as it didn’t take any time to listen to which there was a little male who had troops knowledge, as good as had been recurrent about precision people. People didn’t know his name, though everyone pronounced he was single-handedly obliged for removing people out.”

The male in subject was Rick Rescorla, a British-born ex-military military officer who had served with U.S. forces in Vietnam prior to apropos conduct of confidence for Morgan Stanley. In a arise of a initial attacks upon a Universe Traffic Center in 1993, he instituted depletion procedures for a company’s employees.

On Sept. eleven, Rescorla shepherded his charges – some-more than 3, 000 of them – out of a structure, gripping their intoxicating beverage up with nationalistic songs as good as Cornish marches. Afterwards he incited around as good as went behind in to a structure to search for stragglers. He was never seen again.

That was a story which Stewart suspicion he was posterior when he took a sight in to suburban Latest Jersey to speak with Rescorla’s widow, Susan. Instead, he detected a fairy-tale intrigue in between dual prime essence friends who found any alternative all as good quickly after giving up upon love.

“Susan was articulate not about his intrepidity, though about this adore event which had descended upon her late in life. She proposed articulate, as good as inside of mins she was great, as good as you was crying.

“I looked during my cover after upon as good as there was zero in it, since all you did was traffic a Kleenex box behind as good as forth.”

A third aspect of a story emerged after Stewart’s Latest Yorker essay appeared. He got a call from Dan Hill – Rescorla’s lifelong crony who had served to a single side him initial in post-colonial Rhodesia as good as afterwards in Vietnam – proposing a get-together over dinner.

“I suspicion this story was over, ” pronounced Stewart. “It’s really singular for someone to proceed you with some-more after an essay runs.

“But you met during a beef residence, as good as he proposed revelation me about his as good as Rick’s story. you was all mesmerized. you came out onto a path as good as called my editor during Simon as good as Schuster afterwards as good as there as good as pronounced, ‘This has to be a book.’ “

Weaving together those 3 strands – Rescorla’s relations with both Hill as good as his mother, as good as a story of what happened during a Universe Traffic Center – was a single thing in a full-length book. Though show has a own time scale – some-more expanded in a little areas, brutally fit in others – which done a latest chronicle take upon a opposite aspect.

Stewart, an pledge pianist himself, listened about a show plan from executive Francesca Zambello.

“I’m not an show left-wing, though you have a subscription to a Metropolitan Show as good as you do adore music. As good as you proposed meditative, ‘If this was “La Bohème, ” what would a acts be? ‘ Suddenly it didn’t appear so far-fetched.”

When he saw DiNovelli’s words, Stewart says, he was astounded as good as tender during how most it included. “In my ‘Bohème’ chronicle I’d had to cut a lot of a story out. I’d since up a total Africa territory, as good as Rick’s childhood practice upon D-Day. Though she got all which in there.”

The prolongation, conducted by Patrick Summers, facilities baritone Thomas Hampson as Rescorla, effort William Burden as Hill as good as soprano Melody Moore, a former Adler Fellow, as Susan Rescorla.

For a genuine Susan Rescorla – whose book “Touched by a Hero” is about to be expelled – examination a show reveal has been emotional. She initial listened scenes from a square in a seminar final December.

“I walked in as good as saw Melody, ” she recalled. “And she’s high, she’s pleasing, she’s immature, as good as I’m meditative, ‘Hallelujah.’ I’m 5-foot-2.

“Then she proposed singing as good as you only couldn’t stop crying. It blew me divided a approach they could constraint Rick as good as me in music.”{ sbox}

Heart of a Soldier: Sept. 10-30. War Memorial Show Residence, 301 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco.$ 25-$ 320, ( 415) 864-3330, www.sfopera.com.

E-mail Joshua Kosman during jkosman@sfchronicle.com.

This essay appeared upon page P – 14 of a San Francisco Chronicle