Bold. Brave. Brilliant.

News & Blog

Carmen was considered a complete disaster when it premiered in 1875 at Paris’ popular theatre, the Opéra Comique. Audiences were shocked at what composer Bizet and librettists Meilhac and Halévy put on the stage. They even went so far as to petition the theater to not let anyone under the age of 18 into the hall. In their eyes, Carmen was an affront to society. 

Carmen is one of the most beloved and frequently performed operas in the world, and even if you've never set foot in an opera house, you probably already know the big tunes. Here are ten things that you may not know about this opera:

“I need this wild life, this freedom.” –Zane Grey

In 2017, Arizona Opera will feature the world premiere of an adaption of Zane Grey’s classic Western novel Riders of the Purple Sage. Before the production comes to the stage, however, the creative team behind the adaption took a trip in the shoes of Riders author Zane Grey.

Sandra Lopez, who sings the role of Florencia in Florencia en el Amazonas, tells us about her dream roles and how she gets into character!

Click here to find your photograph from the lobby photos of Florencia en el Amazonas at Phoenix Symphony Hall
Friday, November 13, 2015Saturday, November 14, 2015Sunday, November 15, 2015

Luis Orozco sings Riolobo in Arizona Opera's production of Florencia en el Amazonas. Below, find out how Luis gets into character, his favorite parts of Florencia en el Amazonas and more!

When European explorers came to the New World, they encountered a land of magic. When compared to temperate Western Europe, the Amazon had a spirit and mind of its own that defied their conquest. If an explorer exposed a chair, a trunk, a gun or his own body to the elements, for even a short amount of time, the forest would claim it as its own. Everything Europeans brought across oceans soon belonged to the Amazon.

Click here to find your photograph from the lobby photos of Arizona Lady at Phoenix Symphony Hall.
Friday, October 16th, 2015Saturday, October 17th, 2015Sunday, October 18th, 2015

The leading lady of Arizona Lady gives us a glipse of her favorite opera, what's on her iPod and more!

This blog post is the third and final post from General Director Ryan Taylor, which chronicle the inspiration to bring Arizona Lady to the stages of Tucson and Phoenix this October.

What happens when you combine a horse, two love stories, two races, three nationalities, Vaudeville, one horse thief, the Tucson Rodeo, musical theater, prohibition, comedy, a square dance, a colorful cast of characters, and a brilliant mix of musical styles? You get a wild operetta called Arizona Lady, by Emmerich Kálmán! Kálmán was known for making people laugh through their tears. Arizona Lady, hislast operetta, which premiered over a year after his death, is a true testament to a man who deeply understood the pain and joy of life.

This blog post is the second of three posts from General Director Ryan Taylor, which chronicle the inspiration to bring Arizona Lady to the stages of Tucson and Phoenix this October.

This blog post is the first of three posts from General Director Ryan Taylor, which chronicle the inspiration to bring Arizona Lady to the stages of Tucson and Phoenix this October.

The world was full of optimism and champagne at the turn of the 20th century. On the surface, Europe was dancing to the carefree melodies of operetta, but under that cavalier veneer, the cracks that would lead to World War I were beginning to grow.

At the end of each Arizona Opera season, I am often asked by people what I plan to do with all my free time. It’s an obvious question. After all, it appears nothing is happening once the artists have all gone, the stage darkens, and the audiences go home. However, everything that you see onstage during the opera season is the result of months of planning and preparation—the bulk of which happens during the summer.

Pages