LIFE

Nashville Opera's new season to include 'Don Giovanni,' 'Carmen'

Amy Stumpfl
Special to Nashville Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK — TENNESSEE
Nashville Opera will open its 2016-17 season on Oct. 6 with one of the most popular operas ever written, Mozart’s brilliant “Don Giovanni.”

Season tickets go on sale today for Nashville Opera's 2016-17 season, which was unveiled during a special event for subscribers last month and includes the world premiere of a particularly intriguing new work. CEO & Artistic Director John Hoomes greeted subscribers at the Noah Liff Opera Center, revealing a lineup that honors both beloved classics and lesser known works.

“We’re doing some very special things this season, so it was important to me to be able to thank our subscribers personally, and to share plans for a really exciting season,” Hoomes said in an earlier interview.

The season will open at TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall Oct. 6 and 8, with one of the most popular operas ever written, Mozart’s brilliant “Don Giovanni.” One of three remarkable collaborations between Mozart and librettist Lorenzo da Ponte (including “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Così fan tutte”), “Don Giovanni” follows the legendary lover with a daring blend of comedy and dark consequence.

“Audiences will certainly recognize the music, and the costumes are very traditional. But I’ve taken a much more abstract, stylized approach to the setting. It’s great fun to explore this familiar story in a less literal way.”

The season continues at Noah Liff Opera Center Nov. 11-13, with a Middle Tennessee premiere of Tom Cipullo’s poignant “Glory Denied.” This intensely emotional opera follows the story of Col. Jim Thompson, America’s longest-held prisoner of war, who spent nearly nine years in captivity in Vietnam.

“This is such a riveting piece, very non-linear in its approach. It’s fascinating, thought-provoking and heartbreakingly beautiful, and I’m pleased to share it with our audience.”

Nashville Opera will kick off 2017 with the much-anticipated world premiere of “Three Way,”  presented Jan. 27-29 at TPAC’s Polk Theater. Described as “a triptych on the future of love,” this unusual piece explores modern relationships with surprising wit and wisdom.

“At times it feels sort of like ‘The Twilight Zone’ meets ‘Sex in the City,’ ” Hoomes says. “On the surface, it all seems to be sex and desire, but it also looks at issues of isolation and empowerment. It’s handled with such humor, and the music is really well written — complex, jazzy, but very accessible.

“From here, the piece will travel to Brooklyn Academy of Music, so this is rare opportunity for Nashville to experience it here first.”

Finally, Nashville Opera will return to Jackson Hall on April 6 and 8, concluding its season with what is considered to be one of the finest operas in the classical canon, Georges Bizet’s “Carmen.”

Nashville Opera will conclude its 2016-17 season in April with what is considered to be one of the finest operas in the classical canon, Georges Bizet’s “Carmen.”

“‘Carmen’ is one of the world’s greatest operas, and always well-received. It includes some spoken dialogue, which gives it a highly theatrical feel. It’s a lavish, large-scale production, and we have a fantastic international cast — I’m excited to bring this one back.”

Patrons will be able to purchase new season tickets beginning today online at nashvilleopera.org, or by calling Nashville Opera’s box office at 615-832-5242. Individual show tickets will be available for purchase on July 6, through the web site, at the box office or by calling TPAC’s box office at 615-782-4040.