WANT TO GO?
What: Cincinnati Opera’s 2016 season
Where: Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati
When: “Die Fledermaus” (June 16 and 18), “Fellow Travelers” (June 17-July 10), “Fidelio” (July 7 and 9), and “Tosca” (July 23, 27 and 29)
Cost: $29-$169
Tickets: Call (513) 241-2742 or visit www.cincinnatiopera.org
Four appealing operas comprise Cincinnati Opera’s 96th season June 16-July 29 at Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center, which is housing the productions while Music Hall is under construction.
The exciting roster features Johann Strauss, Jr.’s effervescent “Die Fledermaus,” the world premiere of composer Gregory Spears and librettist/playwright Greg Pierce’s romantic “Fellow Travelers,” Beethoven’s inspirational ode to love and freedom “Fidelio,” and Puccini’s grand, dramatic and exhilarating “Tosca.”
“This season is all about justice whether justice achieved or justice denied,” said Cincinnati Opera artistic director Evans Mirageas. “It’s a rather high and lofty idea, but each of the four operas engages with this topic. ‘Die Fledermaus’ is a lighthearted comedy but also a masterpiece. ‘Fellow Travelers,’ our own commission and one that continues our mission to bring new pieces to the public, is a great show with a deep political and social message. ‘Fidelio’ is a masterpiece that doesn’t get performed very often because it demands so much of the singers, and you only do ‘Fidelio’ when you can engage world-class singers which we have been able to do. ‘Tosca,’ which hasn’t been performed by Cincinnati Opera in 10 years, is one of the top 10 operas. We find having a top 10 opera in every season is very important. It’s a great way to introduce newcomers to opera.”
In particular, “Fellow Travelers,” billed as having a style akin to “Mad Men” with the political intrigue of “House of Cards,” has generated considerable buzz across the country and internationally. In fact, performances were recently added due to demand. Based on the 2007 novel by Thomas Mallon, the story depicts a secret love affair in 1950s Washington, D.C. Recent college graduate Timothy Laughlin, a devout Catholic, vows to fight communism, but ultimately falls in love with State Department official Hawkins Fuller as the McCarthyism of the era turns its focus to “sexual subversives.” The opera will be notably held inside the Aronoff’s smaller 400-seat Jarson-Kaplan Theater instead of the 2,500-seat Proctor & Gamble Hall, a purposeful decision Mirageas says will add to the sheer intimacy of the compelling work.
“A story like ‘Fellow Travelers’ is up close and personal and would be lost in a huge theater,” he explained. “All of the emotions will not have to be perceived as enlarged or of a grand nature. There are only over 15 musicians in the orchestra and a cast of nine, but they make a mighty sound. It really is a deeply thoughtful and thought-provoking but incredibly beautiful moral story.”
As the season opens Thursday, June 16 with “Die Fledermaus,” a production set in the 1930s and inspired by the gorgeously kooky 2014 Academy Award-winning film “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Mirageas is confident patrons will be pleased with having balanced selections throughout the summer.
“One of the things I love about this season is that it has something for everyone,” he said. “The seasoned operagoer will be seeing at least two operas we haven’t presented in over 20 years. We haven’t done ‘Die Fledermaus’ or ‘Fidelio’ since the 1980s. So, even the veteran opera-goer will have something enticing to see. The productions as a whole are either brand new or new to Cincinnati, which is satisfying theatrically and visually. But more importantly, in terms of the balance of the season, we have something for all the variety and experience opera can be.”
About the Author