Tulsa Opera Brings “The Pirates of Penzance” and Sarah Coburn in “La Traviata” to Main Stage
Expands Popular, Non-Traditional, Small-Venue Shows to Include Stages
at The Church Studio, Lynn Riggs Theatre, and Living Arts
TULSA, OKLAHOMA (February 28, 2023) – Tulsa Opera revealed its new season line-up on Saturday at its 75th anniversary gala performance of Aida in concert at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.
The 2023-24 season consists of two Main Stage productions – one of Verdi’s most enduring romantic tragedies, La Traviata, and the ever-popular The Pirates of Penzance by masters of operatic comedy, Gilbert & Sullivan. The season also includes three small-venue productions in more casual settings in Tulsa Opera’s new Encore Series.
Main Stage Productions at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center
Tulsa Opera’s Main Stage season opens October 27 and 29 at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center with Gilbert & Sullivan’s popular The Pirates of Penzance. This light-hearted, comedic production is presented with full orchestra and staging.
The cast includes Tulsa favorite Abigail Raiford, a recent finalist in the Tulsa Regionals of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. The fully staged production will also be the Tulsa Opera debut of Oklahoma native conductor Gerald Steichen.
Tulsa Opera last performed this show in 1984; the most recent production staged in Tulsa was 2008.
The second Main Stage production features opera luminary and Tulsa native Sarah Coburn in Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata. She returns to Tulsa Opera in her role debut in La Traviata’s lead, Violetta. Performances are scheduled May 3 and 5, 2024, at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.
Verdi’s La Traviata was Tulsa Opera’s first official opera presented 75 years ago. It is fitting to mark the ongoing celebration of Tulsa Opera’s 75th anniversary with this production.
Staged with a full orchestra and rich scenery, this Verdi masterpiece presents a contrast of spectacular party scenes with tender, intimate moments.
Encore Series
New this season, the Encore Series, brings more opera to more places – and more unexpected places – in Tulsa. These are non-traditional programs in some of Tulsa’s most-loved intimate venues.
The series begins Jan. 20, 2024, at The Church Studio with Opera Rocks the Country. The evening consists of a one-act opera, The Face on the Barroom Floor, by Henry Mollicone, followed by a dance party with Three Chord Justice, billed as the heartland’s finest honky-tonk band.
Next up is a series of three performances – Feb. 9-11, 2024 – at the Lynn Riggs Theatre at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. Tulsa Opera brings I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, the second-longest-running Off-Broadway musical to this intimate stage. The show, with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts, is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.
The final show in the Encore Series is set for April 6, 2024, at Living Arts. Opera Fizz: A Bubbly Night of Music and Mixology will entertain with an evening of cabaret standards and creative cocktails.
Two Upcoming Productions in Current Season
The current season has two productions remaining, Into the Woods, May 12 and 14, at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, and a family production of Alice in Wonderland, June 10-11, at the Lorton Performance Center at the University of Tulsa. Individual tickets are available for those shows at tulsaopera.com or by calling the Tulsa Opera ticket office, 918-582-3133.
2023-24 Season Subscription Tickets On Sale Now!
Season-ticket subscriptions for 2023-24 are on sale now at tulsaopera.com or by calling the Tulsa Opera ticket office, 918-582-3133.
Mainstage-production season subscriptions – for The Pirates of Penzance and La Traviata – are available at prices ranging from $90 to $202.
Encore Series season subscriptions – for Opera Rocks the Country; I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change; and Opera Fizz: A Bubbly Night of Music and Mixology – are available for $115.
Ticket sales for individual performances will be available in the future.