We can hardly believe it, but we are at the end of our 2023/24 mainstage season! Opera is a team sport, and we could not be more grateful for the artists, directors, designers, dramaturgs, BLO staff, backstage crew, board members, volunteers, and audiences that make what we do possible. THANK YOU!
For the first time since August, our team has an opportunity to look back and see all that we’ve accomplished — and we’re pretty proud, if we do say so ourselves! Here are some of our favorite moments from the past year.
A groundbreaking Madama Butterfly
This September, we were finally able to share our new production of Madama Butterfly with the world. Over three years in the making, this stirring production was the culmination of BLO’s exploration of authentic storytelling through The Butterfly Process. Directed by Phil Chan, co-founder of Final Bow for Yellowface and author of Final Bow for Yellowface: Dancing between Intention and Impact, our Butterfly shifted the action to 1940s San Francisco on the eve of Pearl Harbor, and recently won Best Production of an Opera (Professional) in the 2023 BroadwayWorld Boston Awards.
This production portrayed the very human ramifications of the United States’ mass removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans, which is often minimized in our discussions about World War II. To add new context, we were proud to partner with the Kennedy Library, the Japanese American Citizens League, and the Japan Society of Boston for a discussion about the lasting cultural legacy of this historic violation of civil rights. You can watch a video of the event here. We were also proud to partner with filmmaker and historian Arthur Dong to curate “History Comes to Life in Madama Butterfly,” a special exhibit for ArtsEmerson that explored our new production through the lens of film and visual art of the time.
Cenerentola in Beantown
Opera has a reputation for dramatic moments and high-stakes tragedies, but there were plenty of laughs to be had at our November production of La Cenerentola! Set in modern-day Boston, La Cenerentola explored the traditional themes in Cinderella — selflessness, social status, and wealth inequality — through a different lens. Audiences and critics loved our production just as much as we did; check out just a few of our “wicked good” reviews!
“…in the end, La Cenerentola establishes itself as a necessary opera for today — perhaps the pursuit of goodness and kindness above all might be the gateway to changing such an unkind world.” –Operawire
“Under local theater stalwart Simmons’ direction, every aspect of the overall concept avoided distortion and melded seamlessly with the spirit of the music and the action, resulting in the whole company gifting the audience with an afternoon of unalloyed delight.” -Bachtrack
“Under David Angus, the 42-piece orchestra supported the action and the singers admirably, underpinning the buoyant mood with convincing dynamic shifts. The visual and theatrical elements (selfies to the rescue!) added to the joy. A hugely successful effort added appeal and relevance to a classic.” –Boston Musical Intelligencer
“…under the unerring baton of David Angus, the performing forces gave a solid, often dazzling performance which nearly brought down the house.” –Edge Media Network
Nina Yoshida Nelsen named as BLO’s new Artistic Director
After an extensive, industry-wide search process, Nina Yoshida Nelsen was named as BLO’s new Artistic Director! Nina joined BLO in 2021 as Artistic Advisor, and we are thrilled to have her leading our artistic efforts. A celebrated Japanese American mezzo-soprano with a distinguished career, Nina brings with her a wealth of experience and a deep passion for the art form. As co-founder of the Asian Opera Alliance, her artistic vision, commitment to excellence, and advocacy for equity among opera artists have made an important impact on the American opera industry.
“Active, performing singers rarely have the opportunity to translate their expertise into positions of leadership at opera companies,” says Nina. “The future of our art form depends on integrating diverse perspectives into decision-making. It’s exciting to create a new way forward for our industry. And the opportunity to do this at BLO brings me great joy.” It brings us great joy, too!
The Anonymous Lover takes Manhattan
In January, BLO hit the road, traveling to the Guggenheim’s Peter B. Lewis Theater in New York to present the program “Boston Lyric Opera and Opera Philadelphia: The Anonymous Lover” as part of the Guggenheim’s Works & Process series. On the occasion of OPERA America’s National Trustee Weekend, OPERA America’s President and CEO Marc A. Scorca moderated a discussion with BLO General Director and CEO Bradley Vernatter and Opera Philadelphia’s General Director and President David Devan that explored how our companies worked together on this new co-production.
This special evening included performances from two of our stars, tenor Omar Najmi and soprano Brianna J. Robinson. It also featured Obie Award-winning Boston playwright Kirsten Greenidge, who created our new book adaptation that mixed new English dialogue with the original French libretto; and our esteemed stage director, Dennis Whitehead Darling. It was such an exciting experience, and we were so honored to be featured.
A New England premiere took us to the underworld
Our new production of Eurydice was a thrilling experience for all involved. Composed by Boston native Matthew Aucoin with a libretto by playwright Sarah Ruhl, Eurydice originally premiered at the Los Angeles Opera in 2020 and had its Metropolitan Opera premiere in 2021. We are the third company to produce this modern classic, the first to create a new production, and the first to feature Aucoin’s new orchestration, which we commissioned in collaboration with Opera Grand Rapids.
Paring down the ensemble size to a 17-person chamber orchestra, Aucoin recreated his original score in a way that feels intimate, without sacrificing the lush texture and rich sound that defines his work. We were especially lucky to have Aucoin conduct, making for an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime musical experience. You can watch highlights of our production here!
Bringing opera to over 2,000 students
In order for opera to thrive in the future, we need to nurture a new generation of opera lovers. That’s why we provide high school and college students with free passes to the final dress rehearsals of our productions. A final dress is akin to a performance, and our last chance to fix any issues before opening night. Often, this is students’ first experience with opera. Student study materials are provided. In exchange for passes, BLO requests student responses about the production. It’s a win-win: we get to bring opera to young fans in our community, and our performers get an extremelyenthusiastic audience!
This year, we are proud to share that over the course of four shows, 2,045 local students were able to experience the beauty, power, and energy of a live operatic performance. Check out what these students had to say about our production of The Anonymous Lover!
Our mainstage season may be on pause until the fall, but we won’t leave you hanging. On April 6, 2024, you can see The Wanderer’s Tethering at the Prior Performing Arts Center (College of the Holy Cross) — and there’s more to come. Keep your eye on our social media and our events pageto find out where we’ll be next!
Coming soon: our 2024/25 season announcement! Stay tuned!