Tulsa Opera 71st Season to Exemplify ‘Era of Inclusion’
By RAEGAN DOUGHARTY
Contributing Writer
From top left, AARON BLAKE: A tenor last seen in The Pearl Fishers, “Blake will return as Count Almaviva, an aristocrat who falls in love with the lovely Rosina,” according to Tulsa Opera. SARAH COBURN: In The Barber of Seville, Coburn will portray Rosina in the October performances.LUCIA LUCAS: The transgender opera singer will perform the title role in the May production of Don Giovanni at Tulsa Opera. The performances are set for Friday, May 3, 2019, and Sunday, May 5, 2019.
Courtesy Tulsa Opera
Tulsa Opera returns for its 71st season, set to open in October. The opera’s 2018-2019 season is set to include three Latin American conductors, along with Lucia Lucas in the female baritone’s U.S. operatic debut. The upcoming season is intended to model the company’s “commitment to casting without regard to ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.”
“Making history, Tulsa Opera presents baritone Lucia Lucas in her American operatic debut as a transgender woman,” Director Tobias Picker says in a release from the opera.
The season will encompass three fully staged opera productions, beginning in October with The Barber of Seville. The Little Prince is set to follow in February, and Don Giovanni will close the season in May.
“This is a season that reflects our community as well as our belief that opera is an art form to touch people from every walk of life – including children and families,” says General Director Greg Weber, in a release from the opera.
The Barber of Seville, “a relentlessly madcap pursuit of love through twists and turns, hidden motives and true intentions,” includes tenor Aaron Blake as Count Almaviva. Sarah Coburn returns as Rosina, the love interest of Count Almaviva. Oklahoman Peter Strummer plays Dr. Bartolo, the third character in the love triangle.
The Little Prince by composer Rachel Portman will give those in attendance an “enchanting tale of adventure, frienship and love in an adaptation of the much-beloved book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.” In the story, a prince and pilot (Will Liverman) whose plane crashes become friends and “take the audience on a magical journey of discovery.”
According to a release from the opera, “Mozart’s Don Giovanni blends a dazzling combination of stark human tragedy and poignant comedy, as Giovanni pursues the innocent Donna Anna played by former Tulsa Young Artist Karlye Whitt.” The title role of Don Giovanni will be filled by Lucia Lucas.
Performance dates and tickets can be found at www.tulsaopera.com.
Updated 04-19-2018
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