Lighting Designer

Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy becomes a psychological battleground examining the catastrophic consequences of war. Seduced by ambition, a power-hungry couple claw their way to the throne—only to find their aspirations twisted into madness. Giuseppe Verdi’s career-defining music underscores their ruthless ascent. This is opera at its most thrilling: a blazing struggle with fate’s cruel grip.

EPSG:4326

Macbeth

Emerson College

Prince Orlofsky is throwing the costume party of the century, and everyone is determined to be there. Dr. Falke invites his friend Eisenstein for a gentleman’s night out on the town. Little do they know that Eisenstein’s wife, Rosalinde, and her maid, Adele, each have their own mischievous plans. What starts as a harmless prank soon escalates into an epic battle of the sexes, filled with disguises, flirtations, and comedic deceptions. No matter how the evening ends, one thing is for sure — you can blame it on the champagne!

Die Fledermaus (2025)

Webster University

Lifelong bachelor Don Pasquale is livid when his heir, Ernesto, falls for a penniless widow. Determined to teach him a lesson, Don Pasquale decides to disown Ernesto, marry, and produce a new heir himself. Enter Norina, Ernesto’s love, and her crafty friend Dr. Malatesta. They trick Pasquale into a fake marriage, with Norina posing as the picture-perfect bride. But before the ink on the marriage contract is even dry, Norina unleashes her inner spitfire, turning Pasquale’s tidy world riotously upside down.

Don Pasquale

A deeply American masterpiece, Susannah, launches HGO’s 2026-27 season, continuing the company’s centenary celebration of opera icon Carlisle Floyd. Set in the hills of Tennessee and inspired by Floyd’s own roots as a minister’s son, the story follows Susannah, a young woman whose life is shattered after she’s seen bathing in a creek by church elders, leading to cruel gossip, judgment, and finally, her harrowing assault. Shared through a genre-blending score infused with revival hymns and Appalachian folksong—and a libretto, also by Floyd, written in colorful regional dialect—the opera will be presented in a new staging from celebrated soprano-turned-director Patricia Racette. Soprano Angel Blue, an international sensation, makes her role debut as Susannah, with leading baritone Rod Gilfry as the Reverend Olin Blitch and rising tenors Bille Bruley and Aaron Blake as Sam and Little Bat. Maestro James Gaffigan conducts.

Susannah

Wortham Theater Center

Gabriella Reyes stars in Carlisle Floyd’s apocryphal Appalachian fable, presented at Lyric Opera of Chicago for the first time since 2002.

In small-town Tennessee, young Susannah’s beauty and gentleness earn her admiration from some — and envy from others. But in this devout community where modesty is tantamount to holiness, rumors of Susannah’s impropriety threaten more than just her humble reputation.

With a taut, visceral libretto sung in English and a score that infuses lush orchestration with flavors of Broadway and American folk music, this modern masterpiece is as raw and gripping today as when it premiered more than five decades ago.

Lighting Designer

Eric Southern

Events

Upcoming events

Oct 23 - Nov 8, 2026

Susannah · Houston Grand Opera

11 - 23 Apr, 2027

Susannah · Lyric Opera of Chicago

Past events

10 - 12 Oct, 2025

Macbeth · Boston Lyric Opera

15 - 28 Jun, 2025

Die Fledermaus (2025) · Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

About

Eric Southern hasn't added a bio