Salome

The Ultimate Birthday party

Ever wanted to attend a king’s birthday party? Tulsa Opera is throwing the bash of the year to celebrate King Herod of Judea’s birthday, and you’ve been invited to attend. From stretch Hummers to red carpets, a marching band, gospel choirs and belly dancers, this promises to be a party, and opera, like no other.

The visionary and director for this incredible, immersive experience is Thaddeus Strassberger. A Tulsa native and Cherokee tribe citizen, Strassberger worked for many area theatre companies before going on to study at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City. He was then awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study at La Scala in Milan, where he graduated from the Accademia Teatro alla Scala.

During the first several years of his career, he worked as an assistant director for opera productions at some of the top venues in the world, including the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, La Fenice in Venice, the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, the Houston Grand Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, the Santa Fe Opera and others. And now, he’s bringing his incredible talents back to his hometown.

Strassberger’s vision for “Salome” is unlike anything the Tulsa opera audience has ever seen — maybe unlike anything most of the world has seen. According to him, it might also be “a bit out of Tulsa’s comfort zone — something totally new.”

Part of his vision is to bring in aspects that wouldn’t normally be included in the opera, a melding of multiple types of performance art. Remember the marching band, gospel choir and belly dancers mentioned earlier? In coming back to where it all started for him, it was important to tap into some of the incredible performing arts resources Tulsa has that don’t always grace the Chapman stage.

The show itself is based on the Biblical story of King Herod’s birthday and the death of John the Baptist. As one can imagine, the story is a bit dark and bloody. But it is also a celebration. No one throws a bigger birthday bash than King Herod, and the Tulsa Opera intends to do him justice. An immersive experience, the audience gets to take part in the party. Some audience members will even sit on the stage, sharing a meal with the king himself.

Everyone who is anyone will be there. Whether you want to come in flip flops and a T-shirt or a tux with tails, all are invited to come as they are for this oneof-a-kind experience. It promises to be a night of theatre unlike any other.

Salome

Presented by Tulsa Opera April 29 at 8 p.m. May 1 at 2:30 p.m. CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL