Opera Theatre

Industry Pro Newsletter: Leadership Shakeups Across the Country + Heidi Schreck Honored
by Alex Freeman - Jun 22, 2026

This week's newsletter is packed with leadership news, as theaters across the country — from San Francisco's Magic Theatre to Manhattan Theatre Club to the Cape Playhouse — announced new appointments and restructured their teams. We've also got honors for Heidi Schreck and Cate Blanchett, plus a reminder that the 17th Annual Jimmy Awards stream live from the Minskoff Theatre tonight!

Opera San José Unveils 2026-27 Artists-in-Residence Roster
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jun 18, 2026

Opera San José General Director & CEO Shawna Lucey has revealed the 2026–27 Artists-in-Residence, a group of distinguished opera professionals who will perform in the company’s four mainstage productions at the California Theatre.

Dayton Performing Arts Alliance Names Chandler Johnson Artistic Director of Dayton Opera
by A.A. Cristi - Jun 16, 2026

The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance has announced the appointment of Chandler Johnson as the new Artistic Director of Dayton Opera. Johnson, who most recently served as Director of the Apprentice Program for Singers at Santa Fe Opera, will begin his tenure on July 1, 2026.

Review: ROMEO AND JULIET at Opera Theatre Of St. Louis
by Steve Callahan - Jun 15, 2026

This quite glorious production of Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet plays at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis through June 27.

Paulo Szot to Bring AN ENCHANTED EVENING to Blue Strawberry
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jun 12, 2026

After starring this summer in South Pacific at the MUNY (in the same role he won the Tony Award for on Broadway) and The Light in the Piazza at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Paulo Szot is in concert at the intimate Blue Strawberry for two nights.

GOOD BONES to Make World Premiere at Cincinnati Opera
by Stephi Wild - Jun 10, 2026

Cincinnati Opera announced GOOD BONES, a new opera from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Abels and playwright James Ijames, as the third work in The Black Opera Project trilogy, set to premiere at Cincinnati Music Hall.

NO TENORS ALLOWED Summer Concert Series to Launch Opera Orlando's 2026-27 Season
by Stephi Wild - Jun 10, 2026

Opera Orlando will present NO TENORS ALLOWED, a summer concert series featuring sopranos Nola Richardson, Yeawon Jun, and Johanna Will across three consecutive Sunday performances at Dr. Phillips Center.

Review: A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at Opera Theatre Of St. Louis
by Steve Callahan - Jun 9, 2026

Opera Theatre of St. Louis does luscious justice to A Streetcar Named Desire—André Previn’s operatic adaptation of the Tennessee Williams classic.

VOICES of Kentuckiana Reveals Artistic Leadership Transition During Pride Month Before End of Season Concert
by Stephi Wild - Jun 8, 2026

VOICES of Kentuckiana has announced an artistic leadership transition for the chorus. Mason Rice, who has served this past season as Associate Artistic Director, will step into the role of Artistic and General Director.

Review: THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA at Opera Theatre Of St. Louis
by Steve Callahan - Jun 2, 2026

Young lovers from different worlds. What are their odds? A beautiful evening, rich in music, is a delight at Opera Theatre of St. Louis

North/South Chamber Orchestra to Host Free Summer Concert
by A.A. Cristi - Jun 2, 2026

The North/South Chamber Orchestra will present a free concert at Christ & St. Stephen's Church in New York, featuring four works by contemporary composers from Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.S., with violinist Garry Ianco as soloist.

Review: THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE at St. Louis Opera Theatre
by Steve Callahan - May 26, 2026

It's almost a century-and-a-half old, but it's as fresh and appealing as when it first bounded into the public eye on New Year's Eve, 1879.  It's The Pirates of Penzance—perhaps the most irresistible of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic 'Savoy' operas.  Opera Theatre of St. Louis has opened a delicious production of this gem.

Michael James Reed to Make His Opera Theatre Of St. Louis Debut in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA
by James Lindhorst - May 26, 2026

Michael James Reed told Broadway World that he was particularly thrilled to be a part of OTSL’s 2026 Festival Season. “I’m looking forward to all of the shows and cannot wait to see the production of A Streetcar Named Desire,” says Reed. “I love that version of Streetcar.” Last season he directed A Streetcar Named Desire for the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis.

Rambert Will Perform IN CRIMSON, First Jerwood Commission With Bobbi Jene Smith
by Stephi Wild - May 18, 2026

Rambert announced IN CRIMSON, a reimagining of Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber's Fugue in Crimson, marking the duo's first UK collaboration and European premiere as part of the centenary programme THIS IS RAMBERT.

Interview: Chatting with The Pirates of Penzance's Major-General Robert Mellon
by James Lindhorst - May 14, 2026

When The Pirates of Penzance opens Opera Theater of St. Louis’ 51st season on May 23, Robert Mellon will step into the boots of Major-General Stanley. The comedic baritone role in the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta is best known for singing the rapid-fire song “I am the very model of a modern Major-General.”

Boston Conservatory At Berklee Honors Beth Morrison And Moses Pendleton At Commencement Ceremony
by A.A. Cristi - May 13, 2026

Boston Conservatory at Berklee honored Grammy-nominated opera producer Beth Morrison and MOMIX founder Moses Pendleton with honorary doctorates at its commencement ceremony, where 246 graduates from around the world gathered at the Berklee Performance Center.

JoAnna Ford Will Lead HEART WIDE OPEN at WBTT
by Stephi Wild - May 13, 2026

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will present classically trained soprano JoAnna Ford in a solo showcase blending jazz, soul, and storytelling about her return to the stage after a seven-year battle with sarcoidosis.

New York City Ballet Names Beatrice Jona Affron as New Associate Music Director
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 11, 2026

New York City Ballet has appointed Beatrice Jona Affron as the company's next Associate Music Director, adding new leadership to its music staff. Affron currently serves as Music Director for the Philadelphia Ballet.

ON A SMALL STRIP OF LAND ON THE GREAT SOUTH BAY To Receive Reading At Hunter College
by Marissa Faith Curley - May 10, 2026

Hunter College will present a reading of Kev Berry's ON A SMALL STRIP OF LAND ON THE GREAT SOUTH BAY, an experimental work exploring the Long Island Serial Killer case, directed by Mike Donahue at the Loewe Theater.

Preview: Opera Theatre of St. Louis 2026 Festival Season Features Tony Winner Paulo Szot and Tony Nominee Kate Baldwin in The Light in the Piazza
by James Lindhorst - May 8, 2026

In her first season as the new artistic director at Opera Theatre of St. Louis (OTSL), Patricia Racette has programmed a festival season that holds something for everyone. Three of the four Operas being presented are written in English. Two, Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance and The Light in the Piazza, are from the canon of the American Musical Theatre. The other two, A Streetcar Named Desire and Romeo and Juliet, are well known dramas. If you’ve never seen an Opera, this is the season to take in a show at OTSL.