The Mighty Casey

William Schuman (1910-1992)
The Mighty Casey
Page 2
Full score and sketch for
"Peanuts, Popcorn, Soda, Cracker Jacks"
Music Division
Gift of the composer (207.4a,b)

American composer and educator, William Schuman spent from 1951 to 1953 working on his first opera, The Mighty Casey composed to a libretto by Jeremy Gury and based on the famous poem "Casey at the Bat" by Ernest L. Thayer. Schuman, an avid baseball fan, remarked "To me, baseball is the epitome of American life and character. The Mighty Casey . . . musically is a straight, serious piece . . . it requires no technical knowledge to enjoy it, and we shall be satisfied if it only appeals to baseball lovers." The opera premiered on May 4, 1953, in Hartford, Connecticut.