Che-Sheng Wu
De Opera St. Louis Blues

De Opera St. Louis Blues

Contemporary Opera

The Dutch-language opera St. Louis Blues by Chiel Meijering is based on true events in the year 1939. In that year, the passenger ship St. Louis sails with 937 Jewish passengers on board from Hamburg to Havana. The refugees hope to bring themselves to safety by obtaining an entry visa for the US in Cuba. What starts when a journey full of euphoria ends in deception: Cuba, the US, and South America close their borders to refugees. With more than 900 Jews, the ship is forced to return to Europe, where the same fate awaits for most as for millions of Jews at the time of World War II.

History repeats itself: 80 years later, it is bitter to find that the fate of boat refugees is still uncertain today. This opera connects the past with the present and encourages both reconsideration and reflection. The future will show whether more humanity will be a bridge too far.