Houston Grand Opera's 2024-25 Season Brochure

An unabashed, passionate, annihilating embrace of intense romantic feeling will define the six operas of the 2024-25 season. Together these great works of art will light a fire of all-encompassing, electrifying emotions—allowing us to relive the intoxicating dopamine rush of the moment we first fell in love. They will combine storytelling with sublime music and, through a magical alchemy, conjure love’s full force. Truly. Madly. Deeply.

Audiences will experience Leonora flushed from her nighttime visits from Manrico in Il trovatore; Angelina pining for her prince in Cinderella; and Mimì’s tender caressing of Rodolfo in La bohème. They will be transported by Maria and Tony’s pure and immediate attraction in West Side Story; Bess and Jan’s animal physical connection in Breaking the Waves; and the title character’s struggle between love and lust in Tannhäuser. And they will be held spellbound by a transcendent, centuries-old art form.

Why do we, as humans, so closely associate music with love? Why do we assign soundtracks to our relationships, our assignations? Music and emotion are eternally, inextricably linked. And when that music is part of an operatic masterpiece, born of the profound merging of text and musical score—performed live by the most exquisite artists and musicians from across the world—its power soars and surges, sending us into the stratosphere.

There is no finer occasion than an outing to HGO. Over the season ahead, we are planning a host of unforgettable subscriber experiences to complement the great art on the mainstage. We invite you to join us, and to fill your year—and heart— with opera.

Khori Dastoor General Director and CEO

Margaret Alkek Williams Chair

VERDI

BERNSTEIN

Oct 18 – Nov 3

Jan 31 – Feb 15

ROSSINI

Oct 25 – Nov 9

MAZZOLI AND VAVREK

Apr 19 – May 4

PUCCINI

Jan 24 – Feb 14

WAGNER

Apr 25 – May 11

AS HGO WELCOMES THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL VOICES TO PERFORM ON HOUSTON’S GRANDEST STAGE—WE ALSO WELCOME YOU, OUR BELOVED SUBSCRIBERS, BACK TO THE THEATER FOR SIX PRODUCTIONS CURATED AS THE ULTIMATE LOVE LETTER TO OUR CITY, WITH EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS JUST FOR YOU.

THE BEST SEATS AT THE BEST PRICE:

• Subscribers receive over single-ticket buyers and get first access to the best seats in the house.

• You also receive a additional single tickets production, pending availability).

FIRST ACCESS TO MORE OPERA:

• Subscribers get early access to tickets before they go on sale to the public—and not just for mainstage productions. Get frontline access to Concert of Arias, Butler Studio recitals, Giving Voice

MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY:

• Can’t make your subscription performance date? No problem. Exchange your tickets for another date of the same production that best fits your schedule. Exchange fees are waived for subscribers.

• Subscribers can also take advantage of an interest-free payment plan.

MOBILE TICKETS:

Music by Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto by Salvadore Cammarano

Sung in Italian with Projected English Translation

An Original HGO Production

CAST & CREATIVES

FLAMES OF PASSION

Just under the surface, every family has its unresolved problems and mysteries.  Verdi’s Il trovatore embraces this complexity ––a Romani curse, disappeared children, mislaid identities, deadly fires, unfathomable loss. But something elemental emerges from the shadows and the embers, rekindled by Verdi’s thrumming, thrilling score––an extended family coming to terms with its secret history. In a politically divided Spain, the royalist Count di Luna and the revolutionary leader Manrico love the same woman, Leonora. As the men face off, they become ensnared in a larger web of lies, murder, and revenge, spun in part by the fascinating Romani woman Manrico knows as his mother: Azucena, whose own mother’s death set the story in motion many years earlier. Azucena holds all the cards and plays them, with eerie certainty, right up to the last moment.

HGO presents a new production of Verdi’s perennially popular tragedy, freshly envisioned by influential director Stephen Wadsworth for a stunning, old-meets-new-world experience. Superstar soprano Ailyn Pérez, fresh from her triumph as Madame Butterfly, performs the role of Leonora opposite virtuoso baritenor Michael Spyres as Manrico, with baritone Lucas Meachem as Count di Luna and mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis as Azucena. Maestro Patrick Summers conducts.

Patrick Summers

Conductor

Sarah and Ernest Butler Chair

Jiyoun Chang

Lighting Designer

Amy Hall Garner

Choreographer

Michael Spyres Manrico

Raehann Bryce-Davis

Azucena

Morris Robinson

Ferrando

Ailyn Pérez Leonora Lucas Meachem Count di Luna

Stephen Wadsworth Director

Charlie Corcoran Scenic Designer

Camille Assaf Costume Designer

PRODUCTION SUPPORTERS

Richard Bado

Chorus Director

Sarah & Ernest Butler Chorus Director Chair

HGO Orchestra

HGO Chorus

PRINCIPAL GUARANTORS

Claire Liu and Joe Greenberg

Dian and Harlan Stai

GUARANTOR

Margaret Alkek Williams

GRAND UNDERWRITERS  ConocoPhillips

Molly and Jim Crownover

Laura and Brad McWilliams

Music by Gioachino Rossini

Jacopo Ferretti

Sung in Italian with Projected English

A Co-Production of Houston Grand Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Welsh National Opera, and Grand Théâtre de Genève

Introducing HGO Family Day presents Cinderella on Nov. 9 at 11 A.M. Learn more on page 16.

CAST & CREATIVES

LOVE MAKES THE PERFECT MATCH

Goodness triumphs in Rossini’s frothy delight, , presented in a whimsically bright and colorful production that has enchanted audiences across the globe. In this version of the story, Cinderella’s name is Angelina; she has a wicked stepfather, Don Magnifico; a pair of bracelets replaces the slippers; and a group of hilarious life-size rats does its best to steal the show. But at its charming heart, the tale of a sweet young beauty finding love with her prince remains.

Leading the vocally challenging bel canto opera is world-famous mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as Angelina, with baritone Alessandro Corbelli, a revered Rossini specialist, as Don Magnifico. The incredible cast also boasts tenor Jack Swanson as Prince Ramiro, baritone Iurii Samoilov in his company debut as the prince’s valet Dandini, and bass-baritone Cory McGee as the philosopher Alidoro. Joan Font directs this fan-favorite production, with Lorenzo Passerini, making his company debut, conducting.

Lorenzo Passerini Conductor

Joan Font Director

Albert Faura Original Lighting Designer

Michael James Clark

Isabel Leonard Angelina Alessandro Corbelli

Don Magnifico

Jack Swanson Don Ramiro

Iurii Samoilov Dandini

Xevi Dorca Associate Director & Choreographer

Joan J. Guillén Set and Costume Designer

Revival Lighting Designer

Richard Bado Chorus Director

Sarah & Ernest

Butler Chorus Director Chair

HGO Orchestra

PREMIER GUARANTOR

Houston Grand Opera Endowment, Inc. PRODUCTION SUPPORTERS

PHOTO BY: TODD ROSENBERG

Music by Giacomo Puccini

Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa

Sung in Italian with Projected English Translation

A Co-Production of Houston Grand Opera, Canadian Opera Company, and San Francisco Opera

CAST & CREATIVES

A HEART-WRENCHING TRAGEDY

A candle is snuffed, two hands touch in the darkness—and the love story of a poor poet and a young seamstress flares to life, burning until it can burn no more. Since 1896, audiences across the world have felt the powerful pull of Puccini’s heart-wrenching La bohème, with its unforgettable music and irresistible band of bohemians seeking love and life and beauty in belle époque Paris.

Houstonians are in for a transformative experience with this production, headlined by soprano Yaritza Véliz making her HGO debut in the role that has garnered her international acclaim—that of the fragile Mimì—opposite Grammy Award-winning lyric tenor Joshua Guerrero as her Rodolfo. Baritone Edward Parks, also a Grammy winner, performs the role of the painter Marcello, with Juliana Grigoryan, an electrifying new star who recently took top honors at Operalia, as his lover Musetta. Tony Award-winning director John Caird’s vision for the production brilliantly conjures the story’s bygone world with an intimate set constructed from paintings and canvases. Another Grammy winner, the celebrated conductor Karen Kamensek, debuts on the HGO podium.

Joshua Guerrero Rodolfo

Edward Parks Marcello

Yaritza Véliz Mimì

Juliana Grigoryan Musetta

Karen Kamensek Conductor

John Caird Director

Katherine M. Carter Associate Director

David Farley Set and Costume Designer

Michael James Clark Lighting Designer

Richard Bado Chorus Director

Sarah & Ernest

Butler Chorus Director Chair

Karen Reeves

Children's Chorus Director

HGO Orchestra

HGO Chorus

HGO Children’s Chorus

PRODUCTION SUPPORTERS GUARANTORS

Vinson & Elkins

Margaret Alkek Williams

GRAND UNDERWRITERS

Marianne & Joe Geagea    Laura & Brad McWilliams

Based on a Conception of Jerome Robbins

Book by

Arthur Laurents

Music by

Leonard Bernstein

Lyrics by

Stephen Sondheim

Entire Original Production Directed and Choreographed by Jerome Robbins

Sung in English with Projected English Text

Originally Produced on Broadway by Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince, by Arrangement with Roger L. Stevens

A Co-Production of Houston Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, and Lyric Opera of Chicago

ONE LOVE, TWO WORLDS

From the moment Maria and Tony step onto the dance floor, their intense chemistry sends sparks flying, igniting a romance destined for tragedy. The gorgeous young pair have fallen in immediate, all-consuming love—a love made dangerous by the turf war raging between the Sharks and the Jets. Transporting Shakespeare’s story of star-cross’d lovers Romeo and Juliet to a New York setting, West Side Story is the creation of composer Leonard Bernstein, lyricist Stephen Sondheim, choreographer Jerome Robbins, and playwright Arthur Laurents. The chance to experience this Broadway musical masterpiece in the opera house—its show-stopping tunes driven to ever-greater heights by HGO’s acclaimed orchestra and chorus—is not to be missed. Directed by the legendary Francesca Zambello, this celebrated production stars a superlative lead cast, including rising soprano Shereen Pimentel in her HGO debut as Maria, the role that won her an Outer Critics Circle Award on Broadway; dazzling tenor Brenton Ryan as Tony; and famed Broadway artist Kyle Coffman, who also appeared in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 film version, in his company debut as Riff. Internationally acclaimed conductor Roberto Kalb takes the podium in his HGO debut.

CAST & CREATIVES

Tony Shereen Pimentel Maria

Brenton Ryan

Ana María Martínez “Somewhere” Soloist

PRODUCTION SUPPORTERS

Roberto Kalb Conductor

Francesca Zambello Director

Eric Sean Fogel Associate Director

Jerome Robbins Original Choreographer

Joshua Bergasse

Reproducing the original choreography

Kiira Carper Associate Choreographer

PRINCIPAL GUARANTOR

The Wortham Foundation, Inc.

Peter J. Davison Set Designer

Jessica Jahn Costume Designer

Mark McCullough Lighting Designer

Andrew Harper Sound Designer

Richard Bado

Chorus Director

Sarah & Ernest

Butler Chorus Director Chair

HGO Orchestra

HGO Chorus

GRAND UNDERWRITERS

Laura and Brad McWilliams

PHOTO

Music by Missy Mazzoli

Libretto by Royce Vavrek

Sung in English with Projected English Text

A Co-Production of Houston Grand Opera, Opera Ventures, Scottish Opera, Théâtre National de l’Opéra Comique, and Adelaide Festival

CAST & CREATIVES

A JOURNEY TO ECSTASY

Houston finally gets its chance to see Breaking the Waves, the critically acclaimed contemporary opera from sought-after composer-and-librettist team Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, which made its world premiere in 2016. Adapted from the art film by Lars von Trier, the story transports audiences to 1970s Scotland, where the impressionable young Bess, part of a strict Calvinist community, wins permission to marry an outsider—the offshore oil rigger Jan. After the impatient lovers consummate their union at their own wedding, Bess embarks on a journey of sexual exploration that is tragically interrupted when Jan is paralyzed in an accident, setting off a series of shocking events that culminates in the unthinkable.

The award-winning, boundary-pushing opera will be led by two Houston favorites, both of whom launched their high-flying careers after training with HGO’s Butler Studio: luminous soprano Lauren Snouffer as Bess, and charismatic bass-baritone Ryan McKinny as Jan. Sara Brodie directs the revival of Tom Morris’s production, with Maestro Patrick Summers conducting Mazzoli’s rich, intriguing, original score.

Lauren Snouffer Bess McNeill

Missy Mazzoli Composer

Royce Vavrek Librettist

Patrick Summers Conductor

Sarah & Ernest Butler Chair

Tom Morris Original Director

Sara Brodie Revival Director and Movement Director

Richard Howell Lighting Designer

Will Duke Projection Designer

HGO Chorus Ryan McKinny Jan Nyman

Soutra Gilmour Scenic and Costume Designer

Jon Nicholls Sound Designer

Richard Bado Chorus Director

Sarah & Ernest Butler Chorus Director Chair

HGO Orchestra

Music and Libretto by

Richard Wagner

Sung in German with Projected English Translation

A Co-Production of Houston Grand Opera and Washington National Opera

CAST & CREATIVES

A HEART THAT YEARNS

Wagner’s Tannhäuser receives a highly anticipated new staging from internationally acclaimed director Francesca Zambello—and Houston audiences will be the first to experience her strikingly beautiful production. Lust and love, diametrically opposed forces in the opera’s universe, do battle within the title character’s psyche as the story unfolds. At curtain’s open, Tannhäuser has abandoned his life as a poet who sings of courtly love in favor of the carnal delights of the goddess Venus, spending a rapture-filled year on her magic mountain in the sky. Seeking something more, he renounces her, hoping to find redemption— and a union back home in Germany with his spiritual love Elisabeth. But his epic journey to salvation has been cursed.

A powerhouse cast up to the formidable challenges of Wagner’s sublimely beautiful score is set to deliver an unforgettable experience for HGO audiences: tenor Russell Thomas in his role debut as Tannhäuser, soprano Tamara Wilson as Elisabeth, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke as Venus, baritone Luke Sutliff as Wolfram von Eschenbach, and bass Alexandros Stavrakakis in his company debut as Landgraf Hermann. Erik Nielsen, acclaimed music director of Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, makes his company debut at the podium.

Russell Thomas Tannhäuser

Sasha Cooke

Venus

Alexandros Stavrakakis

Landgraf

Hermann

Tamara Wilson Elisabeth Luke Sutliff Wolfram von Eschenbach

Erik Nielsen Conductor

Francesca Zambello Director

Peter J. Davison Scenic Designer

Constance Hoffman Costume Designer

Amith

Chandrashaker Lighting Designer

PRODUCTION SUPPORTERS

S. Katy Tucker Projection Designer

Eric Sean Fogel Choreographer

Richard Bado Chorus Director

Sarah & Ernest Butler Chorus Director Chair

HGO Orchestra HGO Chorus

PRINCIPAL GUARANTOR

Dian and Harlan Stai

GRAND GUARANTORS

Mr. John G. Turner and Mr. Jerry G. Fischer

GUARANTORS

Louise G. Chapman

Elizabeth and Richard Husseini

Drs. Liz Grimm and Jack Roth

GRAND UNDERWRITER

Matt Healey

THE BUTLER STUDIO SHOWCASE

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024, AT 7 P.M.

Wortham Theater’s Cullen Theater

HGO audiences will get their first glimpse of the Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio class of 2025 at this beloved annual event. The emerging artists training with the program will present a series of staged, costumed excerpts from a variety of operatic works, selected to showcase their unique talents.

HGO FAMILY DAY PRESENTS CINDERELLA

NOVEMBER 9, 2024, AT 11 A.M.

Wortham Theater’s Brown Theater

Create a new generation of opera fans! Bring your family to see Rossini’s Cinderella, directed by opera star Isabel Leonard and sung entirely in English. This 90-minute relaxed-environment performance is perfect for young guests, complete with kid-centric lobby activities.

SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVE

CONCERT OF ARIAS

JANUARY 17, 2025, AT 7 P.M.

Wortham Theater’s Cullen Theater

Each year, following an extensive international search, a small group of talented young artists is selected to compete in HGO’s annual Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias—and perhaps win an invitation to join the prestigious Butler Studio. For the first time, the artists who advance to the exciting final stage of the competition will perform accompanied by the HGO Orchestra.

GIVING VOICE WINTER 2025

Giving Voice is an adored HGO tradition now entering its sixth year. This inspiring event, created by renowned tenor Lawrence Brownlee, showcases the monumental artistry and historic contributions made by Black artists in opera and song. Join HGO and its community partners for an uplifting evening of music and history.

Expanding access to the arts—whether at the Wortham Theater or in schools and community spaces throughout the region—is part of our DNA at Houston Grand Opera. Each year, the company touches the lives of 65,000 youths, families, and adults through Community & Learning programs like these:

OPERA TO GO: MO WILLEMS'S BITE-SIZED OPERAS!

OCTOBER 8-10, 2024

Miller Outdoor Theatre

This season, HGO presents a double bill of touring operas for students and families, both based on children’s books by popular, Emmy Award-winning author Mo Willems and featuring music by Carlos Simon. Slopera! shares the story of Piggie and Elephant, two best friends who learn to appreciate one another’s differences. Don’t Let the Pigeon Sing Up Late!, starring The Pigeon and companions A Pigeon and Ima Pigeon, recounts The Pigeon’s losing battle against bedtime. Presented as a bilingual English and Spanish edition. Appropriate for ages 3 and up. Opera to Go is also performed throughout the season at various schools and community partner locations. For more information visit HGO.org.

CAROLS ON THE GREEN

DECEMBER 14, 2024, AT 7 P.M.

Discovery Green

Get into the spirit of the season with an outing to the park and an evening full of beautiful music—opera, holiday hits, mariachi, and more! HGO audiences love this Houston tradition, presented in partnership with Discovery Green. The event is free for all.

STUDENT MATINEE: CINDERELLA

NOVEMBER 1, 2024, AT 10 A.M.

HIGH SCHOOL NIGHT: WEST SIDE STORY

FEBRUARY 4, 2025, AT 7 P.M.

Each year, thousands of students from across Houston join HGO at the Wortham Theater Center for an inspiring outing to the opera. This season brings a 90-minute Student Matinee performance of Rossini’s delightful classic Cinderella, and a full-length High School Night showing of Bernstein’s popular musical, West Side Story.

HGO invites all Houstonians to experience superlative opera without the barrier of price through subsidized student performances and free productions made possible by:

THE WORTHAM FOUNDATION

Houston Grand Opera is committed to sharing opera with the city’s next generation of arts lovers. Whether you are already an opera afficionado or newly discovering the performing arts, become a member of HGO’s Opening Night for Young Professionals (ONYP) community and experience world-class opera alongside your peers.

Patrons under the age of 40 are eligible to take advantage of HGO's newly discounted subscriptions to opening night (Series A)* and join a fantastic group of like-minded young professionals.

MEMBERS OF ONYP RECEIVE:

• NEW! 15% off your subscription to HGO’s 2024-25 season

• An invitation to an exclusive season kickoff party for ONYP members

• Networking opportunities at special mixers during performances throughout the season

• Behind-the-scenes access to the opera, with tours of the costume shop, backstage, and more!

To join ONYP and unlock your discounted subscription, visit HGO.org/ONYP.

Each year, we look forward to hosting Houston’s most spectacular galas and events, full of breathtaking elegance, electric excitement, and unforgettable experiences. Save the date for your next big night out on the town with your fellow arts lovers and partygoers! Your support of HGO through our signature events plays a leading role in bringing opera to our community and beyond.

SIGNATURE EVENTS

OPENING NIGHT DINNER IL TROVATORE

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2024

CONCERT OF ARIAS DINNER

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2025

OPERA BALL

SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2025

Ticket sales cover less than 20% of the total costs each opera season. Your donations make it possible to bring the curtain up. Make a gift with your subscription, and help HGO continue to provide grand opera to our community, from bringing the best talent in the world to the Wortham stage to providing enriching experiences to our community.

In addition to making an impact, donors receive enhanced benefits such as valet parking, Founders Salon and Masterson Green Room access, behind-the-scenes tours, invitations to lecture series, VIP experiences, and more.

GUARANTORS—$100,000 OR MORE

GRAND UNDERWRITERS—$50,000 OR MORE

UNDERWRITERS—$25,000 OR MORE

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES *

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