Before writing his controversial play Salome, the source material for Richard Strauss’s opera, Oscar Wilde visited Cincinnati three times during his speaking tour of America in 1882. This original one-act play (with live musical performances) by Cincinnati Opera’s Evans Mirageas and Audrey Chait dramatizes the interview Wilde gave just prior to his first lecture at the Grand Opera House. As interviewed by Samuel Flickinger of the Cincinnati Gazette, Oscar applies his trademark wit to his impressions of Cincinnati, the Aesthetic movement, music, fame, and much more. Starring Douglas Fries as Oscar Wilde, and Christopher Logan Carter as reporter Samuel Flickinger, featuring musical performances by soprano Madeline Jentsch, tenor Jack Keller, and pianist Matthew Umphreys.

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The Importance of Being Oscar

Cincinnati Music Hall

At the turn of the 20th century, an unassuming Manhattan neighborhood was quickly becoming the vibrant epicenter of American popular music. Tin Pan Alley gave voice to a community of diverse composers, lyricists, and performers, mingling the traditions of Yiddish theater with Western classical music, ragtime, and jazz to shape the soundtrack of an era. Cincinnati Opera features Queen City Cabaret’s Sarah Folsom and Matthew Umphreys along with special guests to shine a spotlight on the artists whose resilience, innovation, and spirit of collaboration spurred the golden age of American popular song.

Matthew Umphreys

Events

Past events

Mar 3, 2026

The Importance of Being Oscar · Cincinnati Opera

Jul 17, 2025

From Avenue A to Broadway: Songs and Stories of Tin Pan Alley · Cincinnati Opera

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