It’s a big weekend in North America with four major companies opening their doors for the first time in 2019-20. As such, we have a plethora of major works to recommend, including two new operas that are sure to fulfill the interest of those who want something a bit different from the familiar path.

Here are our top five*** opera companies to see this weekend, in alphabetical order by company (one company is getting three operas in one).

Shining Brow – Arizona Opera

This will be the world premiere of composer Daron Hagen’s “Taliesin West Version” of the work, which features a libretto by Paul Muldoon. The first performance opens the season on Sept. 27, with subsequent showcases on Saturday and Sunday, all of them in Phoenix.

Turandot – Canadian Opera Company

Puccini’s final work opens the Canadian Opera Company’s new season with Tamara Wilson and  Sergey Skorokhodov leading the cast. Joyce El-Khoury takes on the role of Liù with David Leigh as Timur. Carlo Rizzi conducts the production by Robert Wilson.

Il Barbiere di Siviglia – Lyric Opera of Chicago

The Lyric Opera of Chicago opens its 2019-20 season with the Rossini gem with a cast that includes Marianne Crebassa, Lawrence Brownlee, Alessandro Corbelli, and Adam Plachetka. The season opens on Saturday with Sir Andrew Davis at the podium.

Porgy and Bess, Macbeth, Manon – Metropolitan Opera

The Metropolitan Opera season’s first weekend features three unique works with a wide range of noted artists. Angel Blue and Eric Owens lead a cast of stars in “Gershwin’s work” on Friday with “Manon” and “Macbeth” both taking slots throughout Saturday. “Manon” will be headlined by Lisette Oropesa and Michael Fabiano, while the Verdi work will showcase the talents of Anna Netrebko and Željko Lučić.

OEDIPUS – OCD Ensemble, Brooklyn, NY

Over the course of the weekend, audiences that want to a have a different opera experience from what the Met is offering, can head over to the BAM Fisher in Brooklyn for “OEDIPUS: Sex with Mum Was Blinding,” a unique take on the famed Sophocles tragedy. The work features music by Tilemachos Moussas and Julia Kent and is written by Elli Papakonstantinou.