▁R ac ette , ▁D iane ▁Alexander , ▁Beth ▁Clay ton , ▁Margaret ▁Lloyd ▁and ▁John ▁Mc V e igh . ▁The ▁production ▁was ▁the ▁Houston ▁Grand ▁Opera ’ s ▁ 2 5 th ▁new ▁opera , ▁and ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁a ▁co - comm ission ▁between ▁the ▁company ▁and ▁opera ▁companies ▁in ▁Austin , ▁Baltimore , ▁North ▁Carolina ▁and ▁San ▁Diego . ▁ ▁F loyd ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁project ▁by ▁way ▁of ▁a ▁sib ling . ▁" The ▁book ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁me ▁by ▁my ▁sister , ▁because ▁she ▁thought ▁that ▁somebody ▁from ▁this ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁world , ▁the ▁sout heast , ▁would ▁probably ▁fully ▁appreciate ▁it ,” ▁he ▁said ▁in ▁an ▁interview ▁following ▁the ▁Houston ▁premi ere . ▁“ But , ▁everywhere ▁I ▁have ▁tra ve led ▁in ▁this ▁country , ▁people ▁have ▁read ▁Cold ▁S ass y ▁Tree ▁and ▁the ▁standard ▁reaction ▁from ▁everybody , ▁male ▁and ▁female , ▁is ▁' I ▁loved ▁it .' ▁Obviously , ▁its ▁appeal ▁goes ▁far ▁beyond ▁regional ▁boundaries . ▁What ▁appe aled ▁to ▁me ▁most ▁about ▁it ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁its ▁oper atic ▁possibilities ▁were ▁the ▁very ▁v ivid , ▁rich ▁characters . ▁And ▁it ▁is ▁also ▁rich ▁in ▁com ic ▁inc idents .” ▁ ▁Cold ▁S ass y ▁Tree ▁has ▁been ▁st aged ▁by ▁regional ▁opera ▁countries ▁around ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁A ▁two - disk ▁CD ▁recording ▁featuring ▁the ▁original ▁Houston ▁Grand ▁Opera ▁cast ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁by ▁Alb any ▁Records . ▁The ▁Houston ▁performance