A musical/opera with music by John Adams and libretto by June Jordan set during the 1994 Northridge, California earthquake. The title of the piece is based on a quote of one of the survivors. Adams and Jordan use the earthquake as a physical metaphor for the sudden changes in the lives of the characters, a cross-section of Angeleans.

The three central motifs, as evinced by the liner notes of the recording, are:



The cast for the recording was:

The songs are:
  1. I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky
  2. A Sermon on Romance
  3. Consuelo's Dream
  4. Mike's Song About Arresting a Particular Individual
  5. Tiffany's Solo
  6. Song About the On-Site Altercation
  7. Song About the Bad Boys and the News
  8. Your Honor My Client He's a Young Black Man
  9. Leila's Song: Alone (Again or at Last)
  10. Three Weeks and Still I'm Outta My Mind
  11. Crushed By the Rock I Been Standing On
  12. Dewain's Song of Liberation and Surprise
  13. ¡Este Pais!/This Country
  14. One Last Look at the Angel In Your Eyes
  15. Finale

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