(Credits: Virginia Opera)

The Virginia Opera has announced its upcoming performances of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s “Three Decembers.”

The work, which opens on Jan. 28, and is set to run through Feb. 13, 2022, is based on the unpublished play, “Some Christmas Letters,” by Terrence McNally.

The cast includes Karen Ziemba, Efraín Solís, and Cecilia Violetta López. Adam Turner conducts a production by Lawrence Edelson. The work was commissioned by the Houston Grand Opera.

“Three Decembers is proof that opera is not all about powdered wigs and ball gowns. Opera, at its core, tells a story, and this story is both modern and relevant,” said General Director and CEO of Virginia Opera Peggy Kriha Dye.

“Adding this work to our repertoire continues a longstanding tradition of bringing our audiences a variety of fresh and compelling operatic experiences. Jake Heggie is one of this generation’s leading American composers, with critically-acclaimed works like ‘Dead Man Walking’ and ‘Moby-Dick’ regularly programmed by opera companies all over the world. Having the opportunity to introduce our audiences to the musically rich and dramatically compelling world of Jake Heggie’s voice is something I’ve been looking forward to for many seasons. I know our audiences will fall in love with this score,” added Artistic Director of Virginia Opera Adam Turner.