As we approach our 100th birthday, we’re reflecting on the opportunities we have been given to create and share incredible works of art. We asked some of our staff members to share their favorite Cincinnati Opera productions, and here’s what they said.
We’d love to hear about your favorite Cincinnati Opera production! Send us a note at info@cincinnatiopera.org.
Photo: Cincinnati Opera’s Fellow Travelers, 2016. Philip Groshong.
Teddy Gumbleton, Director of Corporate & Foundation Giving
Fellow Travelers, 2016
For me, our 2016 world premiere Fellow Travelers is the pinnacle of the operatic art form. It has a gorgeous and evocative score, a lyrical and insightful libretto, and a sharp, vital production. It builds upon classic opera characteristics and combines them with a story relevant to today’s audiences. It showcased how beautiful and visceral opera can be. Experiencing Fellow Travelers is one of the greatest artistic experiences I have ever had.
It is extremely difficult for me to single out one musical moment from Fellow Travelers. There are so many wonderful moments I could listen to again and again. But if I had to pick one, it would be “This Can’t Go On,” where one character’s shocking act of betrayal is revealed. The exquisite culmination of musical and dramatic themes is utterly shattering.
Photo: Cincinnati Opera’s Fellow Travelers, 2016. Philip Groshong.
Thomas Hase, Lighting Director & Resident Lighting Designer
Fellow Travelers, 2016
Fellow Travelers is my favorite Cincinnati Opera production due to the themes within it—an exploration of love, betrayal, and abuse of power in a 21st-century setting. I also believe that all elements of the production were so simply and so completely unified. I felt very proud of it.
My favorite musical selection from the opera is “Bermuda.”
Photo: Cincinnati Opera’s L’Étoile, 2006. Philip Groshong.
Aimee Sposito Martini, Senior Graphic Designer & Illustrator
L'Étoile, 2006
I have so many favorites at Cincinnati Opera, but the one that stands out is L’Étoile by Emmanuel Chabrier, presented in 2006. There were only two performances, and it went by so quickly, but I wanted everyone I knew to see it. I couldn’t let them miss it. It also became one of my son’s favorites, who was 14 at the time. I was so thankful he didn’t miss it. The music was fun and beautiful. I could watch it and listen to it over and over again. The opera was full of laugh-out-loud moments. The cast worked perfectly together, sound and body. The set was bright and colorful with pops of zany elements. The costumes were also just as fun! It was a perfect night at the opera, and I still wish more people could have seen it.
Photo: Cincinnati Opera’s Ainadamar, 2009. Philip Groshong.
Alyssa Mehnert, Music Coordinator
Ainadamar, 2009
I saw Cincinnati Opera’s production of this opera about a decade before joining the opera staff. It has been a long-time favorite because it was the first modern opera I ever saw; before this I was only familiar with canonic works. I remember being so excited to see a modern opera that addressed a twentieth-century topic, incorporating electronic sounds, Iberian instruments, the Flamenco voice, and historical musical choices such as the “pants role.” The minimal staging allowed the viewer to focus on these musical layers.
Photo: Cincinnati Opera’s Tosca, 2016. Philip Groshong.
Chris Milligan, The Harry Fath General Director & CEO
Tosca, 2016
Our 2016 Tosca was just thrilling. It was a gorgeous new production designed by Robert Perdziola, and it appeared in the first of our two seasons at the Aronoff Center. Russian soprano Evelina Dobračeva was a passionate Tosca, and the late tenor Marcello Giordani was a stentorian Cavaradossi. With Christopher Allen conducting, the CSO soared in Puccini’s lush passages and electrified in the moments of high drama.
Photo: Cincinnati Opera’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, 2010. Philip Groshong.
Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, 2010
This one almost didn’t happen. Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, more than half of the large cast (17 principals) cancelled, and at short notice. But the replacements were outstanding, resulting in a rare ensemble spirit in so large an opera.
One musical selection from the opera: The radiant quintet that concludes Act III, Scene 1.
Glenn Plott, Director of Production
Bluebeard’s Castle/Erwartung, 2001
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, 2010
Another Brick in the Wall, 2018
All three stimulate powerful human responses to characters and their story. All three are purposefully bold and unafraid of exploring the human condition, and the wonderment of it. All three are meant to be on the stage.
Photo: Cincinnati Opera’s Porgy and Bess, 2019. Philip Groshong.
Morris Robinson, Artistic Advisor
I mean... Porgy and Bess, 2019!
I was the title character, and it was my first fully-staged production of this work. I like being the “Team Captain”... I liked being responsible for “carrying” the show. I took this as an opportunity to display not only my acting and musical chops, but to also reshape the narrative about one of opera’s most controversial characters. Porgy is a STRONG man, both physically and mentally. He is the most respected and beloved person on Catfish Row. I wanted to give him all the dignity and stature he deserved.
My favorite musical selection? The trio at the end of the show! The entire scene, from Porgy’s return, until the “Oh Lord, I’m on my way” was a “Let me bring it home now” ... “Coach, give ME the ball” ... “I’m the Captain of the team, follow me” moment. I like that!
Photo: Cincinnati Opera’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, 2010. Philip Groshong.
Matt Singleton, Director of Technology
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, 2010
This is one of the only Wagner operas Cincinnati Opera has done in my time at here. It was a perfect example of how funny, grand, and powerful an opera can be.
My favorite scene was the finale. The “art is great” message is so relevant and the awesome force of orchestra, singers, and chorus builds to one of the most exhilarating, toe-curling climaxes in all of western music! It was a truly magical night in the theater.
Photo: Cincinnati Opera’s Margaret Garner, 2005. Philip Groshong.
Katie Syroney, Director of Communications
Margaret Garner, 2005
There are so many extraordinary productions and moments that stand out through my years at Cincinnati Opera. But the first time an opera truly took my breath away was the premiere of Richard Danielpour’s Margaret Garner. Cincinnati Opera co-commissioned the work with Michigan Opera Theatre and Opera Philadelphia, and it was our first time getting to be so close to an opera’s creative development. What’s more, the work was drawn from historical events that took place just across the river from Music Hall—the harrowing journey of an enslaved woman who sacrificed everything in the name of freedom. All those involved—including Danielpour, librettist Toni Morrison (yes, that Toni Morrison), star Denyce Graves, along with the entire company—took great care to tell Margaret’s story with the respect it so richly deserved. Seeing it come to life on the stage was a truly transformative moment.
There is not yet a vocal recording of Margaret Garner, but here is an arrangement for flute and piano of my favorite aria from the opera, “A Quality Love.”
Photo: Cincinnati Opera’s Another Brick in the Wall, 2018. Philip Groshong.
Mike Veroni, Chief Financial Officer
Another Brick in the Wall, 2018
I’m a big Pink Floyd fan, and I love the crossover between classic rock and opera. My favorite musical selection from the opera is “Hey You.”
While there’s not yet a recording of the opera for us to share with you, enjoy the original “Hey You” by Pink Floyd.