(Credit: Breeanne Clowdus) Tulsa Opera has announced a major cast change for its upcoming production of “Salome.” The organization noted that tenor Jay Hunter Morris will be taking on the role of Herod, replacing Anthony Dean Griffey who was originally cast in the part. Morris is also set to take on the role with the Bard Conservatory Orchestra in a {…}
Tulsa Opera has postponed its upcoming production of Tobias Picker’s “Emmeline.” The opera was set to open on February 25 and 27, 2022. It will now be featured as part of the company’s 2022-23 season. “Like many arts organizations around the country, we have been monitoring the ever-changing public health situation relating to COVID-19 and have made the difficult decision {…}
Toledo Opera has postponed all performances of Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s “Blue” amid a spike in COVID cases and hospitalizations in the community. The announcement was made by the staff and board of the company who believe that “the safety of the community, performers, and staff is the top priority and postponing the performances is the most responsible course {…}
Tulsa Opera is set to present a new production of Tobias Picker’s “Emmeline” this February. The production, which kicks off on Feb. 25 and 27, 2022, will feature a star-studded cast led by soprano Maria Natale, baritone Kenneth Overton, tenor Aaron Crouch, and soprano Leona Mitchell. Other cast members include Nathan Stark, Jennifer Roderer, Andrew Potter, and Sam Briggs. Francesco {…}
Tulsa Opera has announced an additional performance of its “Greenwood Overcomes” program on May 2, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. CT. The program is also being performed on Saturday, May 1, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. That first showcase will be streamed on the company’s official website. In a press release, the company cited “high demand” as the reason for adding its {…}
The Black Opera Alliance has issued a statement after the Tusla Opera removed Daniel Bernard Roumain’s “They Still Want to Kill Us” aria from the upcoming “Greenwood Overcomes” concert. In a written response, the organization said, “Mr. Roumain’s composition is reflective of a personal connection to the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 as a Black American. Tulsa is a city {…}
This is a developing story. It has been updated since its publication with additional statements from the Tulsa Opera, co-curator Howard Watkins, and Daniel Roumain. Composer Daniel Roumain has revealed that Tulsa Opera has fired him its upcoming “Greenwood Overcomes” due to creative differences. Roumain made the announcement on Sunday via social media. In a follow-up statement he made to OperaWire, {…}
Tulsa Opera is set to commemorate the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre on May 1, 2021. The showcase, which is entitled “Greenwood Overcomes,” will feature songs and arias by living Black composers, performed by Black opera artists. The concert will feature four Tulsa Opera-commissioned world premieres by such composers as David Bontemps, Anthony Davis, Stewart Goodyear, Nkeiru Okoye, and {…}
On November 12, 2020, Tulsa Opera is set to launch an audiovisual version of Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” which was performed and filmed in ONEOK Field baseball stadium in October. This “Rigoletto” film will be free to stream worldwide from Tulsa Opera’s YouTube channel and website. Directed by James Robinson, the re-imagined production is the first staged grand opera in the United {…}
History was made on May 3, 2019. The first transgender baritone, Lucia Lucas, sang the title role in Mozart/Da Ponte’s, “Don Giovanni.” Such an important milestone in both opera and transgender history didn’t take place in New York or Los Angeles or Chicago; it was in Tulsa, Oklahoma that Lucas made her debut as Don Giovanni, a crucial and extremely {…}
(Credits: LA Opera official website / Stacy Boge Photography / UIA Talent official website) Tulsa Opera has announced that it will open its new 2020-21 season with the live semistaged production of Verdi and Piave’s opera “Rigoletto” on Oct. 9, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. CT. The production was originally planned to take place at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. However, {…}