1 4 ▁season . ▁In ▁addition , ▁it ▁was ▁chosen ▁to ▁be ▁included ▁in ▁Opera ▁America ' s ▁New ▁Works ▁Forum . ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁Opera ▁America ' s ▁New ▁Works ▁Forum ▁st aged ▁selected ▁read ings ▁from ▁the ▁opera . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁The ▁Summer ▁King ▁focus es ▁on ▁certain ▁aspects ▁of ▁Gib son ’ s ▁life . ▁The ▁first ▁being ▁his ▁key ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁Neg ro ▁Le agues ▁of ▁America . ▁Next ▁to ▁Jack ie ▁Robinson ▁( who ▁broke ▁the ▁color ▁bar rier ▁three ▁months ▁before ▁Gib son ▁died ), ▁Gib son ▁is ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁pione er ▁in ▁this ▁le ap ▁between ▁seg reg ation ▁to ▁integration ▁in ▁baseball ; ▁although ▁he ▁never ▁set ▁out ▁to ▁achieve ▁such ▁a ▁goal . ▁As ▁composer ▁Son enberg ▁states ▁in ▁an ▁interview , ▁“ [ G ib son ] ▁wasn ’ t ▁passion ate ▁about ▁breaking ▁the ▁color ▁bar rier . ▁He ▁wasn ’ t ▁political . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁ball player , ▁and ▁he ▁loved ▁the ▁game .” ▁Second , ▁his ▁un riv aled ▁tal ents ▁on ▁the ▁playing ▁field . ▁Gib son ▁not ▁only ▁hit ▁more ▁home ▁runs ▁than ▁B abe ▁Ruth , ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁remarkable ▁catch er , ▁and ▁is ▁even ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁knock ed ▁a ▁ball ▁out ▁of ▁Yan kee ▁Stadium . ▁However , ▁it ▁was ▁his ▁un tim ely ▁death ▁at ▁ 3 5 ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7