Tonya Harding The Rock Opera Opens in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Northwest's most notorious bad girl is back in the spotlight.

Tonya Harding was thrust into the tabloids in 1994 with the 'whack heard around the world.' The rest is history and now the story has even been turned into a rock opera that you can catch at the World Trade Center in downtown Portland.

So why an opera? Well... why not? The ice scandal has everything - rivalry, violence, a sex tape and bizarre run-ins with police.

And while the ice queen herself is not in the production, she did show up for opening night on Thursday to catch the show and sign a few autographs. So what did she think of it?

"There was a lot of it that I already knew, but there was a lot of it where I was going 'wow, did my life really look that bad?' It was kind of funny watching your own life on stage," Tonya Harding told reporters.


Harding said she thought the actors did a great job and the show was a lot of fun.

The rock opera has a three-week run. Click here for ticket information.

Source [KATU]

Elizabeth Searle wrote the libretto and composer Abigail Al-Doory Cross the music for TONYA AND NANCY: THE OPERA, based on the infamous Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan ice scandal. The American Reperatory Theater’s 'new space for new works,' the Zero Arrow, hosted the opera premiere in May, 2006, produced by Tufts music. Media coverage included Associated Press, ESPN Hollywood, Sports Illustrated, The London Times, The Boston Herald, the New York Times and National Public Radio.

Breaking! Searle and Cross have an expanded 2008 production in the works. The new expanded version of TONYA & NANCY will be called TONYA & NANCY: THE ROCK OPERA and will premiere in Feb. of 2008 at the World Trade Center theater in Portland, OR, produced by Triangle Productions. The show is scheduled to run for at least 3 weeks. Check their website http://www.tonyaandnancytheopera.com/ for updates.