The difference between an opera and a musical isn’t black and white, but it can mean the difference between being in the black or the red.
Comparing Pittsburgh Opera’s mainstage series to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Broadway series provides an easy example, with the former rarely filling the Benedum Center and the latter regularly at more than 90% capacity.
Then again, ticket sales are hardly the only measure of success for an arts organization. Things like depth of experience and community development are also key indicators of success.
It’s true that musical theater has more mass appeal — it’s always in English, the music follows more pop-like formats and there’s spoken dialogue. (Plus, musicals are rarely more than a couple of hours long.)
Operas are often but not always sung in a foreign tongue, the music is old-fashioned with more complex melodies and requires more extensive vocal training, and there’s little to no dialogue. (Plus, operas often run three hours or longer)
These are generalizations, as the actual line between the two genres is ignorable at times. Is “Sweeney Todd” a musical or an opera? Or Bernstein’s “Candide?” Or what about “The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson,” a 2021 play with musical interludes (there’s no orchestra, only piano) about the founder of the National Negro Opera Company founded in Pittsburgh? It’s in English, there’s dialogue and the cultural significance of the story and the subject matter make it ripe fodder for American opera companies.
“It’s a hybrid really,” said Cristopher Hahn, general director of Pittsburgh Opera. “It’s not an opera because there’s text.”
The opera on Wednesday announced its lineup for the 2023-24 season, which will wrap up with “The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson” in April-May 2024 in the Byham Theater. The season also includes a variety of operatic favorites like “The Barber of Seville,” Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” and Verdi’s “La Traviata.”
“Passion” follows Dawson’s struggle to find a non-segregated venue in Washington, D.C., in 1943.
“It’s a fascinating snapshot of what she was up against and how proud she was and how determined she was,” said Hahn.
Dawson’s legacy in Pittsburgh has been receiving renewed attention lately due to preservation efforts around the National Negro Opera Company’s headquarters in Homewood. Millions of dollars have been raised to restore the house and turn it into a cultural center.
Hahn said Pittsburgh Opera officials felt strongly about including “Passion” in its main season.
“I think over the years we’ve gained an understanding of our audience that some things will be nontraditional,” he added. “Our audience is fully embracing the idea that the old definition of opera has stretched considerably. We shouldn’t have stereotypical expectations anymore.”
In other words, operas, plays with music and even operatic musicals are all fair game moving forward as the opera works to build seasons both enjoyable and meaningful for the Pittsburgh community.
Subscription packages range from $60-$610 at pittsburghopera.org. Single tickets, which go on sale in August, begin at $15. The complete season is as follows:
• “The Barber of Seville” Oct. 14-22 (Benedum Center)
Rossini’s comic opera about a Puckish neighborhood barber and his paramour remains one of today’s most popular and best-selling operas, thanks to the wit of the libretto and the charm of the music.
• “The Flying Dutchman” Nov. 11-19 (Benedum Center)
Wagner’s ghostly opera centers on the tale of a cursed ship captain making port to find love once every seven years. “It’s a fantastic showcase for the orchestra and everybody else,” Hahn said. “A wonderful way for audiences who love and miss Wagner to experience his music in Pittsburgh.”
• “Iphigénie en Tauride” Jan. 20-28 (Pittsburgh CAPA School Theater)
This 1779 opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck takes place in the aftermath of the Trojan War, a high drama case of mistaken identity.
• “Proving Up” Feb. 17-25 (Bitz Opera Factory)
With music by Missy Mazzoli and a libretto by Royce Vavrek, this opera focuses on a family of Nebraskan homesteaders in the late 19th century as they work to achieve the American Dream.
• “La Traviata” March 16-24 (Benedum Center)
Verdi’s “Traviata” (“The Fallen Woman”) remains a staple in the repertoire for its lush melodies and stunning vocal writing. A courtesan falls in love before redeeming herself through sacrifice.
• “The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson” April 27-May 3 (Byham Theater)
The National Negro Opera Company’s upcoming performances are threatened by inclement weather, and impresario Mary Cardwell Dawson, who taught and mentored hundreds of Black singers, refuses to perform in a segregated hall. The play is by Sandra Seaton and features pieces from Bizet’s “Carmen” as well as original music by Carlos Simon.
Jeremy Reynolds: jreynolds@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1634; Twitter @Reynolds_PG. His work at the Post-Gazette is supported in part by a grant from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Getty Foundation and Rubin Institute.
First Published: February 22, 2023, 11:00 a.m.
Updated: February 22, 2023, 11:12 a.m.
