12:00: Finger Lakes Opera tackles the human cost of war
1:00: 'Connections Summer Sessions:' Rochester hot sauce company on 'Hot Ones'
We explore a unique partnership between Finger Lakes Opera and the Veterans Outreach Center. The organizations are teaming up to present "Glory Denied," an opera based on the experience of America's longest serving prisoner of war, Jim Thompson, and his family. The July 19 performance will include a panel discussion about issues veterans face and how the community can support them, even if the war they engaged in was unpopular. Our guests:
- Tom Cipullo, composer of "Glory Denied"
- Brock Tjosvold, head of music for Finger Lakes Opera and conductor for the July 19 performance
- Loni Wellman, director of programs at the Veterans Outreach Center
Then in our second hour, "Connections Summer Sessions" continues with a series of special rebroadcasts about food and beverage. "Hot Ones" is a YouTube megahit, with hundreds of millions of views and legions of fans who want to see celebrities try to sit through an interview while eating the hottest sauces on the planet. One of the hot sauces featured multiple times is from a Rochester company: Karma Sauce, an unlikely business success. Bill Murray is one of the latest celebrities to rave about Karma Sauce on the show. In this special rebroadcast — an homage to "Hot Ones" — we see if we can handle the heat. Our guests:
- Gene Olczak, founder of Karma Sauce
- Gino Fanelli, investigations and City Hall reporter for WXXI News, and hot sauce fan
"Connections" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
