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Opera

Here, you’ll find content about theatrical pieces that tell their stories entirely through music. Consider starting with the Segal Center’s video of Contemporary Opera NYC: Talks with Artists and Producers or Kamala Sanakram’s essay about creating an opera on Zoom.

The Latest

What I Learned from Making an Opera on Zoom
Essay
What I Learned from Making an Opera on Zoom
by Kamala Sankaram
7 July 2020
Don’t Wish, Do It Yourself
Essay
Don’t Wish, Do It Yourself
Women Finding Their Power in Cendrillon
by Shari Caplan
17 October 2019
Anticolonial Creative Collaboration and the Development of Mirror Butterfly
Essay
Anticolonial Creative Collaboration and the Development of Mirror Butterfly
by Benjamin Barson, Gizelxanath Rodriguez
15 August 2019
What I Learned from Making an Opera on Zoom
Essay

What I Learned from Making an Opera on Zoom

7 July 2020

Kamala Sankaram talks about the process of developing an opera on Zoom and shares advice based on what she and her team learned.

actors onstage
Don’t Wish, Do It Yourself
Essay

Don’t Wish, Do It Yourself

Women Finding Their Power in Cendrillon

17 October 2019

Shari Caplan discusses Opera del West’s recent production of Cendrillon at the Boston Center for the Arts.

actors onstage
Anticolonial Creative Collaboration and the Development of Mirror Butterfly
Essay

Anticolonial Creative Collaboration and the Development of Mirror Butterfly

15 August 2019

Ben Barson and Gizelxanath Rodriguez, part of the Afro Yaqui Music Collective, talk about artivism—what it means, what it can look like—in relation to building a jazz opera with various communities around the world.

A performance of Atlantis: A Puppet Opera
The VORTEX
Video

A performance of Atlantis: A Puppet Opera

The VORTEX in Austin, Texas

Friday 14 September 2018
Austin, TX, 2019

The VORTEX and Ethos in Austin, Texas presented Atlantis: A Puppet Opera—a new production of Chad Salvata’s epic story of the final days of Atlantis, livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Friday 14 September at 9 p.m. EDT (New York) / 8 p.m. CDT(Chicago) / 6 p.m. PDT (Los Angeles).

Lost Worlds and “Pansexual Extravaganzas”
Podcast

Lost Worlds and “Pansexual Extravaganzas”

Rediscovering Weimar Operetta with Dr. Kevin Clarke

17 April 2018

Dr. Kevin Clarke of the Operetta Research Center introduces us to Weimar-era operetta, which pushed artistic and social boundaries and is finally enjoying an artistic and scholarly reappraisal after decades of neglect.

The Art of Listening Is Political
Essay

The Art of Listening Is Political

27 October 2017

In the fifth installment of this series, Brendan McCall reflects on the work of Norwegian American vocalist Kristin Norderval, and how her art transforms listening into a political act.

Ordinary Magic
Essay

Ordinary Magic

Where Hip-Hop Theatre Meets Opera

27 July 2017

Maelsha Taylor talks with Ise Lyfe and Gill Sotu about their spoken-word opera Ordinary Magic. 

Requiem for a River
Essay

Requiem for a River

Operatic Reflections on the Euphrates

17 April 2017

In this second installment, opera director Miranda Lakerveld discusses opera Requiem for a River, which is about the Euphrates River and fuses sacred texts and traditional music from various countries in the Middle East.

Representation and 21st Century Responsibilities in the Performing Arts
Asia Society
Video

Representation and 21st Century Responsibilities in the Performing Arts

Friday 31 March 2017
Houston, TX, UNited States

Asia Society in Houston, Texas presented a panel discussion Representation and 21st Century Responsibilities in the Performing Arts livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 31 March at 8:00 p.m. EDT (New York) / 7:00 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 5:00 p.m. PDT (Los Angeles).

Contemporary Opera NYC: Talks with Artists and Producers
Segal_Centre_Logo
Segal
Center
Video

Contemporary Opera NYC: Talks with Artists and Producers

Monday 28 November 2016
New York, NY, United States

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center in New York City presented Contemporary Opera NYC: Talks with Artists and Producers livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 28 November at 6:30 p.m. EST (New York) / 5:30 p.m. CST (Chicago) / 3:30 p.m. PST (Los Angeles) / 23:30 GMT-UTC (London). In Twitter, follow @HowlRoundTV and @segalcenter and use #howlround.

A Day with Robert Lepage/Canada
Segal_Centre_Logo
Segal
Center
Video

A Day with Robert Lepage/Canada

Monday 14 November 2016
New York, NY, United States

Martin E. Segal Theatre Center in New York City presented the panel discussion A Day with Robert Lepage/Canada livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV at howlround.tv Monday 14 November at 7:00 p.m. EST (New York) / 4:00 p.m. PST (Los Angeles) / 6:00 p.m. CST (Chicago) / 11:00 p.m. GMT/UTC (London). Share your thoughts in Twitter with #howlround, and follow @HowlRoundTV for updates

Theatrical Reinvention
Essay

Theatrical Reinvention

A Conversation with John Doyle

10 November 2016

Donald Sanborn talks with director John Doyle about the differences between musical theatre and opera, and the power of seeing actors play instruments on stage.

A Conversation with Romeo Castellucci
Segal_Centre_Logo
Segal
Center
Video

A Conversation with Romeo Castellucci

Tuesday 27 September 2016
New York City, NY, United States

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented a conversation with Romeo Castellucci, livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 27 September 2016 at 2 p.m. PDT (Los Angeles) / 3 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 5 p.m. EDT (New York).  Share your thoughts on Twitter and Instagram with #howlround.

Rolando Sanz Brings Andrew Lippa’s “Concept Opera” I Am Anne Hutchinson/ I Am Harvey Milk
Essay

Rolando Sanz Brings Andrew Lippa’s “Concept Opera” I Am Anne Hutchinson/ I Am Harvey Milk

16 June 2016

Marcina Zaccaria discusses Rolando Sanz’s role in producing and presenting the opera I Am Anne Hutchinson/I Am Harvey Milk by Andrew Lippa.

Who Comes for Fish? in Here Oceans Roar
Essay

Who Comes for Fish? in Here Oceans Roar

An Amanuensis for the Ocean

18 April 2016

Nelson Gray discusses the inspiration for his opera Here Oceans Roar and advocates more art centered on climate change.

An Opera for Climate Change
Essay

An Opera for Climate Change

25 September 2015

Librettist Ian Burton discusses his process and inspiration for creating the text for Giorgio Battistelli’s opera CO2.

Art for All
Essay

Art for All

My First Experience with Opera

29 May 2015

College student Kelsey May describes attending an open dress rehearsal at Opera Grand Rapids, and how the experience opened her eyes to a new art form.

still from Octia
Octia of the Pink Ocean
The VORTEX
Video

Octia of the Pink Ocean

Saturday 23 August 2014
Austin, TX, United States

The VORTEX in Austin, Texas presented a performance of "Octia of the Pink Ocean", a cyber opera, llivestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Saturday 23 August at 6 p.m. PDT/ 8 p.m. CDT/ 9 p.m. EDT.

Bum Phillips All-American Opera at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
La MaMa Logo
La MaMa
Video

Bum Phillips All-American Opera at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club

Sunday 16 March 2014
New York, NY, United States

La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York presented a performance of Bum Phillips All-American Opera by Monk Parrots livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Sunday 16 March at 11:30 a.m. PDT/ 1:30 p.m. CDT/ 2:30 p.m. EDT/ 18:30 GMT. In Twitter, use #howlround.

A photo from Giver of Light.
Poetic Drama, Guerilla Opera
Essay

Poetic Drama, Guerilla Opera

30 July 2013

Allison Vanousewrites about the premiere production of Adam Roberts' Giver of Light, an opera based on the life of the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi.