The season will close on Friday, April 19th, and Sunday, April 21st, 2024 at the Lobero Theatre, with the company premiere of Hector Armienta’s swashbuckling adventure Zorro. Premiered in 2022 at Opera Southwest, Zorro is based on the adventures of Johnston McCully’s legendary pulp hero, the dashing masked vigilante who defends the commoners and indigenous peoples of California against tyrannical officials. Tenor Xavier Prado stars in the title role and soprano Oriana Falla is his beloved Ana Maria, both in their company debuts. Mezzo soprano Kelly Guerra returns as the high-born Carlotta, baritone Bernardo Bermudez portrays the hero’s nemesis Moncada. Anthony Barrese, who conducted the 2022 premiere, will lead the Opera Santa Barbara Orchestra and Chorus in his company debut. The production, which will feature sets and projections by Daniel Chapman (Madama Butterfly, 2019), will be directed by Octavio Cardenas, who last directed Cruzar la cara de la luna in 2021.

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Zorro

Lobero Theatre

On Friday, February 9th, and Sunday, February 11th, 2024 at the Lobero the company presents a new production of Verdi’s historical melodrama Il trovatore (“The troubadour”). A story of superstition, revenge, and ill-fated love in medieval Spain combined with some of Verdi’s most passionate melodies including the famous “Anvil Chorus”, makes Il trovatore the quintessential Italian romantic opera. The powerhouse cast stars tenor Harold Meers (Il tabarro, 2021, Carmen, 2016) soprano Karin Wolverton (Eugene Onegin, 2019), baritone Timothy Mix (Das Rheingold, 2021) and bass Andrew Potter (Don Pasquale, 2021), with mezzo soprano Deborah Nansteel making her company debut. Kostis Protopapas conducts the Opera Santa Barbara Orchestra and Chorus. Chuck Hudson directs a new production designed by Steven Kemp.

Il trovatore

Premiered in Barcelona in 1948, and rarely performed, this age-old children’s story tells of the wealth-seeking, match-making cat who, in return for a hat, a sword and a pair of boots, secures for his young master (a lowly miller) a kingdom and a royal marriage to a princess, tricking a slow-witted ogre out of his castle along the way.

From its opening Montsalvatge’s music is energetic, tuneful and full of catchy rhythms, lush melodies and feline musical effects!

El Gato con Botas

Center Stage Theatre

Opera Santa Barbara in collaboration with the Argyropoulos Chair of Hellenic Studies at UCSB celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Maria Callas with an evening of arias and ensembles from the repertoire of the great diva sung by sopranos Eleni Calenos and Jana McIntyre, accompanied by the Opera Santa Barbara Orchestra conducted by Kostis Protopapas. 

Greek soprano Eleni Calenos, has portrayed Puccini and Verdi heroines throughout the United Stated in performances that were hailed as “for the ages, both vocally and dramatically”  by Opera News,  “searing…, mercurial, heart-on-the sleeve” by The Wall Street Journal, and “a true wonder” by the Houston Press.  

La Divina: The Art of Maria Callas

Bank of America Performing Arts Center

The official opera season will open at the Granada Theatre with Bizet’s Carmen on Friday, September 29th, 2023, at 7:30pm and Sunday, October 1st, at 2:30pm. Mezzo-soprano Sarah Saturnino, who recently was announced a Grand Finalist Winner in the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition, makes her OSB debut in the title role, surrounded by a host of company favorite artists. Tenor Nathan Granner and bass-baritone Colin Ramsey make their role debuts as Don José and Escamillo, and soprano Anya Matanovic returns as Micaëla. This production, which will feature dancers from State Street Ballet, will be directed by Fenlon Lamb and conducted by Opera Santa Barbara Artistic and General Director, Kostis Protopapas. This production of Carmen is made possible through generous support from the Granada Theatre. 

Carmen

Granada Theatre

Star-crossed lovers Siegmund and Sieglinde unknowingly provoke the wrath of the gods of Valhalla, who decree the death of Siegmund.  Brünnhilde, the titular Valkyrie, defies the will of her father Wotan, leader of the gods, to rescue Sieglinda and the couple’s unborn child, in Wagner’s romantic masterpiece that features the famous “Ride of the Valkyries”.

Die Walküre

Star-crossed lovers Siegmund and Sieglinde unknowingly provoke the wrath of the gods of Valhalla, who decree the death of Siegmund. Brünnhilde, the titular Valkyrie, defies the will of her father Wotan, leader of the gods, to rescue Sieglinde and the couple’s unborn child, in Wagner’s romantic masterpiece that features the famous “Ride of the Valkyries”.

The Valkyrie

Based on the 1960 novella by Elizabeth Spencer, The Light in the Piazza tells the story of Margaret Johnson, a wealthy Southern woman and her daughter Clara, who falls in love with a young Italian man during a vacation in Italy. The show opened on Broadway in 2005 and ran for 504 performances. With a sophisticated score that lends itself to operatic voices, the Chicago Tribune hailed it as “the most soul-satisfying score written for Broadway so far this century”, The Light in the Piazza soon entered the repertoire of opera companies across the country.

The Light in the Piazza

Treasured possessions become symbols of their lost homes for two women during World War II: a Japanese American facing incarceration and a German Jewish immigrant preoccupied by those she left behind, in Jack Perla’s 2013 drama.

An American Dream

Every night beautiful Giulia lowers a silk ladder from her window for her lover to climb to her bedroom.  A series of misunderstandings turns their little love nest into a circus of relatives, suitors, and servants plotting, eavesdropping, and ultimately happily reconciling, in a blast of Rossini’s glorious vocal acrobatics.

La Scala di Seta

The great diva has it all: beauty, talent, friends in high places, love, and an unshakeable faith in God.  She lives a charmed life, blissfully unaware of the dystopia that surrounds her.  All that will change in one harrowing day and night, in Puccini’s nail-biting melodrama.
Soprano Eleni Calenos last seen in OSB’s Madama Butterfly in 2019 returns to the Granada stage to sing the titular diva. The painter Mario Cavaradossi will be portrayed by Adam Diegel who thrilled Santa Barbara audiences at our 25th anniversary Gala concert. The imposing chief of police, Baron Scarpia will be sung by Wayne Tigges, who sang John Proctor in our production of The Crucible in 2019. Layna Chianakas returns to direct our season opening after a successful double bill of Il Tabarro/ El amor brujo last season at the Lobero. The scenic and projection design for our unique production is created by Yuki Izumihara who wowed audiences with her designs in our production of Semele earlier this year. Artistic and General Director Kostis Protopapas conducts his first Tosca with our Opera Santa Barbara Orchestra and Chorus in full force.

Tosca

Join us for Opera in the Park at Elings Park on Saturday, Sep 10th for an hour of opera and musical theatre favorites at 4PM.
Featuring some of our favorite OSB artists including members and alumni of our Chrisman Studio Artist Program. Listen to some fantastic music while taking in gorgeous ocean views from the Wells Fargo Amphitheater at Godric Grove in Elings Park.

Opera In The Park

Wells Fargo Amphitheater

Set in a time of speakeasies and extravagance, Verdi’s most popular and intimate opera is transported to the Roaring 1920s. At the center of the glitz and glamour is one of opera’s foremost leading ladies, Violetta Valéry.  Known for her legendary parties, the famous courtesan is accustomed to the affection of others, but the young and passionate Alfredo stirs new emotions and a desire to be truly loved. Will Violetta risk it all for this new love?   From high flying melodies, and raucous drinking songs, to soul-baring duets and emotional ensembles, the music of Verdi’s La Traviata perfectly underscores the heights of love and the depths of sacrifice. Experience one of opera’s greatest stories and scores live at the Granada Theatre.  Kostis Protopapas conducts Verdi for the first time at Opera Santa Barbara.  Tara Faircloth (La Rondine, ‘17) directs this new production with scenic & projection design by François-Pierre Couture (Das Rheingold, ’21). Returning to OSB as Violetta is Anya Matanovic, last seen as Abigail Williams in The Crucible. Nathan Granner (Rodolfo, La bohème ’18) plays Alfredo, and baritone Joel Balzun makes his OSB debut as Alfredo’s father, Giorgio Germont. The production will feature dancers from State Street Ballet.

La Traviata

Hannah, a transgender woman, discovers her gender identity and learns to love herself in this ground-breaking new 75-minute chamber opera. The role of Hannah will be portrayed by two of our Chrisman Studio Artist alumni, baritone Evan Bravos (Inman – Cold Mountain, Music Academy of the West ’19) singing Hannah before, and mezzo soprano Ashley Kay Armstrong (Olga, ’19) singing Hannah after. The 15 song work is accompanied by string quartet and spans Hannah’s childhood through adulthood. As One has garnered critical acclaim around the country since its 2014 premiere, and we are excited to premiere this work here for Santa Barbara audiences. According to Opera News it is “A piece that haunts and challenges its audience with questions about identity, authenticity, compassion and the human desire for self-love and peace.” Making their Opera Santa Barbara debuts are director Amy Hutchison and conductor Alexis Enyart. The music and concept are by Laura Kaminsky, with a libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed and film by Ms. Reed.

As One

Join us for Opera Santa Barbara’s first mainstage baroque opera!  Santa Barbara native, Jana McIntyre (Norina, Don Pasuale ’21) sings the title role, who is in love with the God, Jupiter, sung by Robert Stahley making his Opera Santa Barbara debut. Also making their company debuts are countertenor Logan Tanner in the role of Athamas, Semele’s mortal betrothed, and mezzo soprano Sarah Coit, singing the goddess Juno, the spurned wife of Jupiter. Director Sara E. Widzer (Carmen in your Car, ’20) returns to bring the escapades and foibles of both mortals and Gods alike to the Lobero stage in this production set in the roaring 20’s. This production will feature lighting design by Helena Kuukka and projections designed by Yuki Izumihara. Rounding out our creative team, Maestra Emily Senturia leads the Opera Santa Barbara Orchestra through this journey of love, lust, jealousy, and revenge!

Semele

Join Opera SB for the perfect Halloween Double Bill! In De Falla’s El Amor Brujo, Candela is haunted by her late husband’s ghost as she tries to move on from her past obsession, and find love with the young Carmelo. This flamenco opera ballet will feature Santa Barbara native, Nina Yoshida Nelsen (Fricka, Das Rheingold ’21), and dancers from State Street Ballet.  Broken dreams, a fateful love affair, and a murder onboard a barge on the seine are accompanied by a haunting score in Puccini’s taut 60’ operatic thriller. Opera Santa Barbara favorites Todd Thomas (Falstaff, ’14) and Harold Meers (Pinkerton, Madama Butterfly ’19) return with director Layna Chianakas, making her mainstage directorial debut with Opera SB in this thrilling double bill. Soprano Alaysha Fox will be making her Opera SB debut in the role of Giorgetta. Scenic designer Steven C. Kemp (Crucible, Eugene Onegin) returns and Maestro Kostis Protopapas takes up the baton.

Opera Santa Barbara

19 - 21 Apr, 2024

Zorro

9 - 11 Feb, 2024

Il trovatore

1 - 3 Dec, 2023

El Gato con Botas

10 - 12 Nov, 2023

La Divina: The Art of Maria Callas

Sep 29 - Oct 1, 2023

Carmen

Opera Santa Barbara

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