The 2016-17 season at Minnesota Opera, announced Thursday, features something old, something new, something borrowed and something gold.
The highlight of the season could be the new work, a world premiere of “Dinner at Eight,” based on the comic play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber that became a film about a fancy dinner whose guests all have secrets. Also new(ish) is the American premiere of “Diana’s Garden,” another comedy that knocked ’em dead in the 1700s but had disappeared from the repertoire.
The old favorite is “Romeo and Juliet,” which opens the season in September.
Borrowing sets and costumes from San Francisco Opera is “La Boheme,” the Giacomo Puccini crowd-pleaser that inspired Broadway’s “Rent.” “La Boheme” was last performed by Minnesota Opera just six years ago and is getting three weekends’ worth of performances instead of the usual two.
And the “gold” comes courtesy of “Das Rheingold,” the Richard Wagner opera about a ring whose owner is said to rule the world — a classic that, surprisingly, has never been done by Minnesota Opera.
Here’s what is on tap, all at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts:
“Romeo & Juliet,” Sept. 24-Oct. 2
“Das Rheingold,” Nov. 12-20
“Diana’s Garden,” Jan. 21-29, 2017
“Dinner at Eight,” March 11-19, 2017
“La Boheme,” May 6-21, 2017
