The Minnesota Opera

The 2022-2023 season - Minnesota Opera's 60th Anniversary - melded together a meaningful reflection of the company's pre-pandemic past and pointed to its future of reimagined inherited repertoire and a robust canon of new works. With the opening of the Luminary Arts Center in August 2022 following a two-year renovation, MN Opera expanded its campus with an intimate performance venue for chamber opera, concerts, and recitals - while delivering a great resource to the artistic community at large.Continued on Schedule O Edward Tulane opened the MN Opera season at the Ordway to sold-out houses. As the final work from the previous iteration of the New Works Initiative and the first to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had the longest gestation of any work commissioned by the company. Paola Prestini composed the score with a libretto by Mark Campbell based on the children's novel The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by local author Kate DiCamillo. The production particularly showcased the ingenuity and technical skill of the company's scenic and costume shops, with striking visual elements capturing the breadth of the world inhabited by the piece. Attendance at Edward Tulane over 4 shows totaled 6,358 patrons. November saw the opening of Rinaldo at the Luminary Arts Center - only the second presentation of an opera by George Frideric Handel in the company's history. Mo Zhou directed this new production, pulling the drama away from Jerusalem during the First Crusade and casting the central conflict between old vs. new money on Wall Street in the 1980s. The production showcased Minnesota-based talent, with University of Minnesota graduate, renowned countertenor Patrick Terry leading an accomplished cast that highlighted the depth of talent present in the company's Resident Artist Program. Bright billowing gowns, vintage office trappings, and flaming codpieces completed the look of this creative reimagining of a centuries-old story. Preliminary ticketing analysis showed that a substantial portion of the audience for Rinaldo were first-time attendees for MN Opera who had not previously attended performances at the Ordway, revealing an interest in the artform outside of larger, more traditional venues. Attendance at Rinaldo over 7 shows totaled 1,408 patrons. Warmth, uproarious humor, and familiar tunes were on display at the Ordway in February with The Daughter of the Regiment back at the Ordway. Cast in the typically spoken role of the Duchess of Krakenthorp was a winner of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars and trained operatic bass to boot, Monet X Change. "La calunnia e un venticello" from The Barber of Seville was added for Monet to perform in the second act. Vanessa Becerra shone in her role debut as Marie, while tenor David Portillo returned to the stage as Tonio and polished off the role's famous nine consecutive high Cs with ease. Concurrently, negotiations with the union representing the Minnesota Opera Orchestra were interrupted by a strike authorization just before opening night, only for a tentative agreement to be reached days later and a subsequent contract ratified in the ensuing months. Attendance at The Daughter of the Regiment over 4 shows totaled 6,510 patrons. Minnesota Opera's 50th world premiere took place at the Luminary Arts Center with Jocelyn Hagen and Kao Kalia Yang's The Song Poet, based on Yang's bestselling novel of the same name that chronicles the journey of her father to the United States in the aftermath of war and political unrest in Laos. Originally conceived as a children's opera for the company's youth program, The Song Poet was reworked for a mostly adult cast during the pandemic and enabled the first Hmong story adapted for the operatic stage to be showcased as a mainstage production. Engagement efforts by the company brought in members of the local Hmong community, many of whom had not previously attended performances at MN Opera. It also marked the first premiere in the company's history for which both the composer and librettist were women. Attendance at The Song Poet over 11 shows totaled 2,345 patrons. A new production of Don Giovanni, the final canceled show of 2019-2020, made its debut at the Ordway to close out the 60th anniversary season. Traditionally centered around the infamous, egotistical womanizer in the title role, this production focused on the three women who cross paths with Don Giovanni and ultimately deliver his well-deserved fate. Its comedy, biting social commentary, and stirring music were enhanced by an innovative rotating set - that is also eminently transportable for future production rentals at opera companies around the country. Attendance at Don Giovanni over 7 shows totaled 10,160 patrons. With its next iteration of the New Works Initiative underway led by a diverse team of six composers and librettists, Minnesota Opera charts a path forward of nine premieres of new works through 2031 including song cycles, chamber work, and operas. Coupled with presentations of inherited repertoire in dynamic ways that honor their original context while elevating their impact for a modern audience, the coming seasons will see multiple avenues of creativity and innovation as MN Opera navigates a challenging moment for the performing arts world.