Cincinnati Opera's belated 100th anniversary is finally here, 8 reasons why you should go

It’s time for Cincinnati Opera to come home. After a pandemic-induced journey that took it from cancellations to a socially distanced outdoor festival in Blue Ash, the company will finally return to the grandeur of Music Hall on June 18.

Opera season in Cincinnati only lasts a few weeks. But those weeks are an ever-so-precious slice of Cincinnati’s cultural landscape. That’s not just because the opera has been around for so very long – it was founded in 1920. Rather, it’s because opera gives us such a wildly expanded vision of the life around us.

At the opera, love stories become grand passions. Sad stories turn into epic tragedies. In the hands of musical masters like Puccini and Verdi, emotions are magnified to a deliciously excruciating pitch.

Not convinced yet? Here are a few more reasons why you should think about popping in on Cincinnati Opera this summer.

1. “La Boheme.” Obviously

To many people, “La Boheme” is the pinnacle of opera. Puccini’s music is exquisite. Just when you think it can’t get any better, another extraordinary aria comes along. And the story? From the moment that a penniless poet named Rodolfo answers the door of his Paris garret to a fragile seamstress named Mimì, you just know you’re in for an emotion-rattling ride. Great melodies, a doomed love and – of course – a tear-wrenching tale. Keep the tissues nearby.

• Giacomo Puccini’s "La Boheme" – June 18, 23 and 25, Music Hall.

2. A 'Fierce' and unusual premiere

Many years in the making, “Fierce” is as unusual an opera as you are likely to come across. And I say that even before I’ve heard a note of it. Most new operas have their roots in literature or in tales drawn from history books. Not “Fierce.” Composer William Menefield and author/librettist Sheila Williams spent countless hours with Cincinnati-area teen girls from a trio of organizations nurturing their creative lives: WordPlay, Music Resource Center and i.imagine. Williams and Menefield talked. And more importantly, they listened to the young women as they revealed aspects of their personal and creative lives and turned it all into an intimate and probing opera about the complexities of youth.

• William Menefield and Sheila Williams’s "Fierce" – July 6, 9 and 10, SCPA's Corbett Theater.

3. Not to mention, a noteworthy debut

As producing artistic director of Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, D. Lynn Meyers has made a memorable and important mark on the local theater community. But with “Fierce,” she will make her opera directing debut. There isn’t much that Meyers hasn’t done before. But directing opera is one of those things. She shaped ETC into a place committed to theater that matters, theater that isn’t afraid to crusade. With “Fierce,” she found an opera invested in the same goals.

4. A towering pirate

Opera or operetta? Or musical theater, maybe? Gilbert and Sullivan’s delightfully light-hearted musical offerings have been at the heart of many heated musicological discussions over the years. But if you’re like me, the definition is less important than the entertainment value of these patter-filled shows. At last – lyrics you long to understand.

Cincinnati Opera hasn’t staged “The Pirates of Penzance” in more than 40 years. When it returns this summer, the show will feature 6’6” bass Zachary James as the Pirate King. A bit of non-operatic trivia about this physically intimidating swashbuckler: he created the role of Lurch in “The Addams Family” on Broadway.

• Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Pirates of Penzance" – July 7, 8 and 10, Music Hall

5. The grandest of grand operas

When people spoof the concept of “grand opera,” they often refer to “Aida.” You know – the epic tale set in Ancient Egypt? The one where elephants occasionally appear onstage. It’s a little unfair, but Verdi’s tale really is filled with magnificent music. Admittedly, Cincinnati Opera’s production will be huge – as many as 128 people onstage at any given moment. For comparison, the active playing roster of the other big show in town, the Cincinnati Bengals, tops out at just 53. Get ready for one of the grandest of all grand operas. One note: no elephants this time.

• Giuseppe Verdi’s "Aida" – July 22, 26, 29 and 31, Music Hall.

6. A collaboration of masters

The name of the opera is “Castor and Patience.” Excuse the play on words, but we didn’t realize just how patient we would have to be when the pandemic postponed the world premiere of this highly anticipated work in 2020 and again in 2021. The creation brought together composer Gregory Spears (“Fellow Travelers”) and Pulitzer-winning former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, who wrote the libretto.

• Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith’s "Castor and Patience" – July 21, 23, 24, 28 and 30, SCPA's Corbett Theater.

7. Morris and Friends

Morris Robinson is a longtime friend of Cincinnati Opera. And a favorite of Cincinnati audiences. So it seems only fitting that the company finishes the season with a one-night Morris-centered extravaganza on the Music Hall stage. He’ll bring together a group of musical friends, a 48-voice HBCU Alumni Choir and fill the hall with, as the promotion promises, opera, gospel and musical theater. A must-see, indeed.

• "Morris and Friends" – July 27, Music Hall.

8. 100, finally

There were few heartbreaks quite so profound as Cincinnati Opera having to cancel its 100th anniversary season in 2020. They staged a couple of those anniversary show last season. But this year, it’s time to party like it’s 2020.

Peruse the full season schedule and buy tickets at cincinnatiopera.org.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Opera returns to Music Hall for belated 100th anniversary