Opera Columbus’ 44th season’s theme “From Page to Stage: Stories in Music” brings literary classics to life. Under the direction of general director and CEO Julia Noulin-Mérat, the season is packed with captivating stories, including three Columbus premieres.
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Opera Columbus
Sept. 19 and 21
Southern Theatre
The season kicks off strong with Rappaccini’s Daughter (1992), a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Set in the peculiar city of Padua, the opera follows Dr. Rappaccini, a mysterious botanist who raises his daughter, Beatrice, in a secluded garden filled with toxic plants. Beatrice’s touch becomes lethal – poisonous to all living things, she isolates herself from the world. But when a curious young student, Giovanni, is captivated by Beatrice, the two are drawn into a precarious romance. Experience this tragic romance marked by obsession, forbidden knowledge and devasting consequences.
Opera Columbus
Oct. 10 and 12
Mershon Auditorium at the Wexner Center for the Arts
Based off a 1952 novella by Ernest Hemingway, this adaptation explores themes of aging, legacy and our enduring relationship with the ocean. The stage will be a breathtaking set up with eight pools of water, enhanced with dynamic lighting, costumes and sound. The production duals two narratives: one that reimagines Hemingway’s legacy and another that captures the beauty of everyday life.
Opera Columbus
Feb. 13 and 15
Palace Theatre
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this charming two-act romantic comedy is adapted from the comedic play by Stéphanie Félicité de Genlis. The Anonymous Lover (1780) and follows young widow Léontine as she begins to receive a series of letters from a secret admirer. Unknown to her, the admirer is her close friend Valcour, who conceals his identify because he fears rejection. Will love win? This historically significant opera will reveal the answer.
Opera Columbus
April 25 and 26
Ohio Theatre
In co-production with the Columbus Symphony and CAPA, La Traviata unfolds as a poignant tragedy inspired by Alexandre Dumas Fils’s play La Dame aux camélias. This emotional and twisting love story explores themes of class, reputation, devotion and sacrifice through the story of Violetta Valéry and Alfredo Germont. The pair fall in love, but social pressures and Alfedo’s disapproving father force her to renounce their love in the name of his family’s reputation. Will Violetta find her way back to Alfredo, or will their love come to an abrupt end?
Opera Columbus
May 17
Southern Theatre
The season concludes with the Cooper-Bing Competition, an internationally recognized vocal competition that celebrates young emerging artists in opera. Known as “The Olympics of Opera,” it welcomes the next generation into the professional opera community. Five finalists will compete for a grand prize of $10,000. The competition is hosted by WOSU’s Christopher Purdy.
Korrigan Craddock is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
