Butler Opera Center Season 18-19

A woman stands with her arms outstretched in victorian undergarments, while a group of attendants help her to dress.

Season 2018-2019

Butler Opera Center

La Clemenza Di Tito • The Women, The Telephone, Trouble in Tahiti • Eugene Onegin

A woman in a dark dress descends a staircase, in front of a small crystal throne surrounded by a large stone circle.
La Clemenza Di Tito
October 2018

Music by 
W.A. Mozart 

Libretto by  
Caterino Mazzolà
 

Photos by Daniel Cavasos

Three performers stand, spread across a wide, smoke-filled staircase, behind them is a spooky orange and red background with shadowy human figures projected against it.
Two singers in Victorian attire stand back to back while performing on a dark stage.
Three singers stand on a dark, minimal set all with arms outstretched.
Two women extend their hands toward each other, as one of the women is dragged away by a man.
A man in a victorian suit on his knees with arms stretched out to his sides sings an aria.
A man is being wrapped up in a long beige cloth, as though it is a straight jacket by two uniformed men.
a man in a three piece suit looks over a captive wrapped in a straight jacket. Several uniformed performers stand in the background.
a woman sings in front of a stark, dark set, with one hand lifted toward the heavens.
A singer wrapped in a straight jacket performs, the ends of the straight jacket are being held by two people just out of camera view, creating long, wing-like structures from the ends of the straight jacket.
A woman in a plaid mid-century overcoat stands on a dark stage in front of a single small red chair, her arms lifted toward the sky as she performs an aria in Leonard Bertnstein's Trouble in Tahiti.
An American Evening
February 2019

The Women, The Telephone, Trouble in Tahiti

The Women

Music by 
Thomas Pasatieri
 

Libretto by  
Thomas Pasatieri 

Photos by Nathan Russell 

on a very dark stage, a man sits in a chair, looking to be in deep pain, as a woman stands behind him, cradling is face, singing in agony.
A man and woman stand together on a dark, expansive set, the man stares straight ahead with arms at his side, while the woman grips the man tightly, and rests her head on his shoulder
A man stands center stage, while two women on either side of him tug at his arms, as if they are fighting over him.

The Telephone

Music by 
 Gian Carlo Menotti
 

Libretto by  
Gian Carlo Menotti
 

Photos by Nathan Russell

Two women stand on a cartoonish set in front of an oversized couch. Both women have huge foam beehive wigs on their heads with rotary telephones perched on top. They stand at opposite ends of the colorful set playing tug of war with a telephone cord.
A woman and man sit on an overside cartoonish yellow couch, the man rests his head on the woman's shoulder.  A woman dressed in a foam bee-hive with with a telephone perched on top stands in the background.
A man and woman sit together on a large yellow couch, the woman Is cradled in the man's arms as she talks on an oversized telephone receiver, looking delighted by the conversation.
A woman stands center stage holding an oversized telephone receiver to her ear, listening, while a man sits on a large yellow couch behind her.

Trouble in tahiti

Music by 
Leonard Bernstein 

Libretto by  
Leonard Bernstein 

Photos by Nathan Russell

A woman stands in an overcoat and scarf, surrounded by suitcases, clutching her hands to her mouth nervously.
a man in a mid-century post office worker's uniform sits on the stage floor beside a woman in a maid's uniform. A man in a milkman's uniform lays on stage next to them with his head cradled in the woman's lap.
A milkman, maid and post office worker stand center stage, hunched over, arms in front of them during a dance number.
A woman in a plaid mid-century dress kicks her leg into the air as she waves a scarf around during a dance number.
A singer in a white dress stands alone on an expansive set covered in paper, lit with lush blue light. Cursive writing is projected all over the set.
Eugene Onegin
April 2019

Music By 
Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Libretto By 
Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Photos by Nathan Russell
 

on a dark, expansive set, a woman in formal red gown is flanked on either side by two men in formal tuxedos.
A woman in a white dress stands on a stage covered in paper, lit up in muted red tones.
a woman sits on the steps of a set, as another woman lays at her side with her head cradled in the other woman's lap.
two women sit on small chairs center stage, holding each other close, as if telling one another secrets.
a woman in a black dress stands center stage, with her head turned, listening to man who is standing behind her, singing an aria.
a man in an overcoat and bowler's hat stands stage right, with clenched fits, singing earnestly against a dark, night-time set.
a woman in a black dress is attended to by a smiling attendant, while the chorus looks on in the background.
A man stands center stage sining in a fury while two women look in looking afraid and concerned.
Two men attempt to fight one another while they are both held back by several other men.  A group of onlookers in the background look on, some with faces of concern, while others cheer on the fight.