Singer

Experience the vibrant fusion of jazz and opera with the Washington National Opera's latest production, "Songbird," at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater from March 9 to March 23, 2024. This innovative adaptation of Jacques Offenbach’s "La Périchole" transports audiences to the roaring 1920s in New Orleans, a time of decadence, but also of hardship for singers and lovers Songbird and Piquillo. As Mardi Gras unfolds, the Mayor's tempting offer forces Songbird to choose between financial security and true love.

Featuring Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard and Tony-nominated leading man Ramin Karimloo, "Songbird" promises a captivating blend of operetta and jazz, with toe-tapping music, glamorous costumes, and a storyline filled with mistaken identities and comic twists. The production, adapted by Eric Sean Fogel, James Lowe, and Kelley Rourke, with musical arrangement and orchestration by James Lowe, and English lyrics and book by Kelley Rourke, brings a fresh perspective to Offenbach’s comedic love story, ensuring an unforgettable experience.

Performed in French and English with projected English titles, this new production, commissioned by The Glimmerglass Festival in 2021, showcases the irresistible charm of the classic opéra bouffe with a Frenchman Street flair. Don't miss your chance to be part of this unique musical journey—tickets are available in subscriptions, offering the best seats, maximum flexibility, and exclusive savings. Join us at the Kennedy Center for a performance that infuses the spirit of New Orleans into the heart of opera.

EPSG:4326

Songbird

Kennedy Center

Christmas Eve, Paris, an attic garret...that first touch of cold hands in the dark as the music swells. Against the backdrop of 19th century Paris, the hopes and dreams of a group of young bohemians collide with the realities of poverty and disease. Whether it is your first or your hundredth experience, La bohème never fails to cast its spell. Packed with some of opera’s most cherished moments, this tale of tragic young love became the basis for the popular musicals Moulin Rouge and Rent. With a ravishing score that brought Puccini international fame, this is the perfect opera for first-timers and aficionados alike.

2023 La bohème

Alice Busch Opera Theater

Young love soars with joy and heartbreak through bustling cafés and gritty garrets in Puccini’s tribute to bohemian Paris.

Oh, to be young and in love in Paris! Sure, there are bills to be paid—but there’s also art, moonlight, and poetry! When a group of young bohemian artists gets tangled up in love’s highs and lows, growing up is its own bittersweet heartbreak.

If tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, then make today a party! No other group of friends bursts with more youthful optimism than in Puccini’s tough and tender story. This striking production features grand sets evoking the city of love, from the gritty garrets of the Left Bank to the bustling Café Momus. With an acclaimed international cast, ravishing music, and relatable tale of exuberance and struggle, Puccini’s La bohème will win your heart for the first or fiftieth time.

La bohème

Opera House

WNO’s acclaimed commissioning program for contemporary American opera enters its tenth exciting season.

This season, three talented composer-librettist teams—B.E. Boykin and Jarrod Lee, Jens Ibsen and Cecelia Raker, and Silen Wellington and Walken Schweigert—showcase their three new one-act operas.

American Opera Initiative (AOI) mentorship is led by newly appointed AOI Artistic Advisor and librettist Kelley Rourke, librettist and filmmaker Kimberly Reed, composer Carlos Simon, and WNO Principal Conductor Evan Rogister, who will lead a chamber orchestra of WNO Orchestra members. The concert staging will be directed by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello.

American Opera Initiative

Step into the orbit of the Apple co-founder who rose from garage genius to tech titan. With a Grammy®–winning score by Kennedy Center Composer-in-Residence emeritus Mason Bates and libretto by Pulitzer Prize–winning librettist Mark Campbell, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs offers an operatic journey through the interior workings and spiritual journey of an innovator. Bates merges an electronic soundscape with Campbell’s classical lyricism to immerse audiences in the world of Silicon Valley in the 1980s.

Justin Burgess

Baritone

Events

Upcoming events

2 - 10 May, 2025

The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs · Washington National Opera

Past events

9 - 23 Mar, 2024

Songbird · Washington National Opera

Jul 7 - Aug 19, 2023

2023 La bohème · Glimmerglass Festival

Future and recently performed repertoire

Schaunard in La Bohème by Puccini

Washington National Opera

A Mobster in La Périchole by Offenbach

Washington National Opera

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