on the scene

40 Days and 40 Years

Opera Columbus celebrates anniversary with a run of daily events

By Megan Roth

Photo courtesy of Terry Gilliam

IN CELEBRATION OF its 40th season, Opera Columbus wanted to do something its patrons wouldn’t forget. A single performance was not nearly enough to commemorate something so monumental. But 40 performances over 40 days – that’s more like it.

Opera Columbus began its 2021-22 season in December with Tosca, a reprise of the first show the group ever performed. Continuing the anniversary celebration, 40 Days of Opera begins May 4. That series features a different performance every day until June 12.

More than just a run of shows, 40 Days of Opera serves as an opportunity to thank patrons for their continued support, says Julia Noulin-Mérat, general director and CEO of Opera Columbus. The series goes beyond traditional opera venues to reach a broader audience of both longtime and potential future patrons.

Noulin-Mérit says it was important that the performances weren’t held exclusively in downtown Columbus, but throughout the city. The series presents a chance for guests to celebrate not only opera, but the city itself.

“We wanted to find things that would excite people or things people wouldn’t expect,” she says. “There’s a whole audience of people who are very excited to experience opera not at the theater.”

Opera Columbus’ tagline, #MakeIt Yours, is reflected in the range of productions the 40 days offer. “Opera Un-

der the Stars” brings a performance to COSI’s planetarium. “Drinks + Drag” partners with the Marriott Residence Inn Downtown for an immersive La traviata that features performances by classically trained drag queens and allows guests to walk through different rooms of the hotel to experience different acts of the opera.

“We want to show that opera can be experienced differently, in different formats,” Noulin-Mérat says. “Opera can truly be anything in our everyday lives.”

The series also features Vanqui, an opera about the Underground Railroad, which holds a special place in Opera Columbus’ history as the organization hosted the show’s world premiere in 1999. The revamped performance is 90 minutes, much shorter than the threehour long original. It is directed by Luther Lewis III, Opera Columbus’s inaugural directing fellow from the Crane Directing Fellowship, which highlights young BIPOC artists.

The 40 days will also include the world premiere of The Puppy Episode, an opera centered around the 1997 episode of Ellen in which star Ellen DeGeneres came out as gay.

The innovative performances come through a number of partnerships between Opera Columbus and organizations – including CATCO, the Greater Columbus Arts Council and Experience Columbus – to create a calendar of events that delivers something new for each of the 40 days.

“The only way (40 Days of Opera) can happen is through the support of our partners,” Noulin-Mérat says. “Everyone is really rallying to help us celebrate.” 40 Days of Opera kicks off with the Opera Columbus Gala on May 5 at the Ohio History Center. Tickets are available for individual events throughout the 40 days, though many of the events are free. More information can be found at www.opera columbus.org. CS

Megan Roth is a senior editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mroth@cityscenemediagroup.com.

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