Willie Stark is an opera in three acts and nine scenes by Carlisle Floyd to his own libretto, after the 1946 novel All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren, which in turn was inspired by the life of the Louisiana governor Huey Long.
The involvement of Broadway director Harold Prince in the initial production contributed to the emphasis of these elements of the work.
The plot involves Governor Stark's attempts to avoid impeachment for his tampering with his state's legal system for his own ends, by which he has ruined many lives.
The governor’s longtime political associate and advisor, Sadie Burke, finds Willie Stark and Anne together.
Jack confronts his father, after which Judge Burden commits suicide, with a pistol hidden in his desk.