From June 1–8, a consortium of some of Los Angeles County’s most prominent opera companies, including Mission Opera in the Santa Clarita Valley, along with OPERA America, presents OperaFest LA, a week-long performance festival running concurrently with the 2024 Opera Conference and World Opera Forum in downtown Los Angeles.

Participating companies include LA Opera, Long Beach Opera, Pacific Opera Project, Synchromy, Overtone Industries and Mission Opera, as well as a special production from Beth Morrison Projects at REDCAT. The operas and performances range from innovative interpretations of mainstays in the opera canon, world and West Coast premieres from award-winning composers, workshops of new works and screenings of opera films; showcasing the breadth and artistic diversity found in L.A.’s burgeoning opera scene.

“Los Angeles is one of only a few cities in North America that benefits from the creative variety of so many opera companies, large and small. This is why we chose L.A. for the site of the second-ever World Opera Forum and 2024 Opera Conference,” said Marc A. Scorca, president and CEO of OPERA America. “Visitors from around the world will experience the full scope of opera in America, from new experimental works to innovative productions of operas from the inherited repertoire.”

The last time the OPERA America conference was held in Los Angeles was in 2010, when Long Beach Opera’s staging of Ricky Ian Gordon’s Orpheus and Euridice in a swimming pool was the featured event. Since then, the Los Angeles opera scene has blossomed, with four of the presenting organizations forming between 2010 and 2024.

“By sheer numbers, Los Angeles has more opera companies than other major metropolitan areas,” said writer and opera critic Heidi Waleson, in a recent article she wrote for Opera America Magazine. “The most significant reason for that appears to be the city’s size, L.A.’s sprawling geography and perpetually snarled traffic makes its many neighborhoods seem like separate entities, supporting their own infrastructure and arts groups.”

The festival also places a spotlight on new operatic works by a diverse cadre of composers including Joel Thompson and Kate Soper, as well as L.A.-based composers Dante De Silva, Jason Barabba, and Vera Ivanova. Beth Morrison Projects’ Magdalene alone features 14 women composers from around the world, including Pulitzer Prize winner Ellen Reid, Kamala Sankaram, and Leila Adu, among others.

“Los Angeles’ creative community is so special. In other cities, people may shy away from what’s new or different, but here, new and different is exciting and inspiring,” said Beth Morrison, president and creative producer of Beth Morrison Projects. “I’m beyond excited for this first-of-its-kind partnership celebrating the amazing art and artists that call L.A. home.”

More information about each presenting organization’s programming can be found at OperaFest LA. Single tickets can be purchased at each of the presenting companies’ websites. OPERA America members can purchase tickets to all programming when registering for the World Opera Forum and Opera Conference.

In the Santa Clarita Valley Mission Opera has been selected in OperaFest LA, to present “The Merry Widow: Madonna.” Four performances are scheduled for June 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m. and June 8 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Canyon High School Performing Arts Center, Nadal St., Santa Clarita, CA 91351.

“The Merry Widow” by Franz Léhar features some of the most famous musical melodies of all time. This version is a brand new translation, libretto and dialogue, written by Mission Opera Artistic and Executive Director, Dr. Joshua Wentz and set in 1989 at Buckingham Palace. The show is in English and will feature a wide variety of dancing, including vogue, classic Viennese waltzing, the can-can and a men’s kick line.

The show features comedic dialogue, as you take a trip down memory lane remembering the fashion and the culture of the glamorous 1980’s, as the British Crown and Rock Stars like Elton John, Freddie Mercury and George Michael desperately try to hold on to power.

Mission Opera veteran Jessica Schneiderman stars as Madonna (yes, that Madonna), alongside MO newcomer Julia Behbudov in the titular role. The show also marks the debut performances of Jacob Stucki as George Michael and Lily Berthold as Princess Di, joined on stage by returning cast members Gabriel Manro, Elias Berezin, Kirk Garner, Robert Dunlap, Jason Vincent, and Catherine Samartin. Maestro Brian Stone returns to the helm of the orchestra with Music Director and Accompanist Lindsay Aldana.

The production is directed by Mission Opera Artistic Director, Dr. Joshua Wentz and features a multimedia design on the 46’ LED screen, creatively combining traditional theater with contemporary video design and virtual settings. “This show is a wonderful treat for anyone who doesn’t know about opera but loves musicals and theater. This hybrid show features folk music, dance, and an experience that one would more likely find on Broadway than in an opera house.

Tickets: Four tiered level tickets are available for this live show ranging from $30-$65 and sold at www.missionopera.com or through OnTheStage at: https://our.show/merrywidowmadonna.

Student and Senior tickets available for $25 with ID at the box office.