We hope you made it through the deep freeze of January! ☃️ Now that February is here, we are awash in a flurry of activity around our upcoming production of The Gershwins®’ Porgy and Bess. 🎣 We officially kick things off with a special Community Conversation at the Kansas City Library-Plaza Branch 📚 where we’ll explore the context of Porgy and Bess. We are also offering our usual slate of Opera Dives Deep sessions with national and regional scholars 🧠 to provide a framework so you get the most out of your experience, and special to Porgy and Bess, one of these sessions will be between the two weekends of performances. 🗓️ After Porgy closes, check out our new work, Langston Hughes: A Lyrical Life, about the Missouri-native writer. ✒️♥️
Porgy and Bess is significant undertaking, 🏔️ with eight principal singers, ten named roles, fourteen ensemble members, and an award-winning creative team of twelve, including Oscar® and Tony® Awards-winner Paul Tazewell, and Olivier and Palm d’Or Awards-winner Francesca Zambello. 🏆 This production is a once-in-a-lifetime event for Kansas City audiences. 🤩 We are expecting sell-out crowds, so buy early to be a part of Kansas City performing arts history. The best seats could be gone if you wait to buy. ⏳
The Gershwin®' Porgy and Bess at The Glimmerglass Festival / Photo © Karli Cadel
Later this month, experience Porgy and Bess in the way Gershwin intended! The familiar folk opera is presented in a stunning production by director Francesca Zambello (seen previously at the Lyric for her productions of West Side Story and The Sound of Music), and will feature internationally renowned performers and creatives. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Porgy and Bess on a scale that isn't often seen in Kansas City!
Opera Dives Deep / Photo © Andrew Schwartz
We want you to connect personally and meaningfully to the art on our stage. Patrons who explore our free programs find themselves more engaged with the performance. Dive deeper into The Gershwins®' Porgy and Bess with these opportunities to enhance your experience. 🎭
📅 February 17 at 6:00 pm: Songs like “Summertime” have helped Porgy and Bess connect with audiences for over ninety years. But the opera has also sparked debate. Join Lyric Opera and Kansas City Public Library for a conversation about who creates art, how people are represented, and the impact it leaves behind, along with a live performance. ✨
📅 February 23 at 6:00 pm: Porgy and Bess was inspired by DuBose Heyward’s 1925 novel, Porgy. Heyward and his wife, Dorothy, adapted the book into a play in 1927, setting the stage for the opera's debut in 1935. Join us for a talk exploring this evolution! 📖
📅 March 2 at 6:00 pm: Join Lyric Opera at the Black Archives of Mid-America to meet the artists of Porgy and Bess! Learn more about their careers, their unique experiences bringing this iconic opera to life, and the stories behind their performances. 🎤
Coming up in just two short months, we celebrate Lyric Opera of Kansas City with the 2026 Lyric Opera Ball: A Modern Masquerade, presented by the Lyric Opera Circle. 🎭 🪩 This festive evening puts a modern twist on the timeless mystique of the masquerade, and supports Lyric Opera's productions and programming for years to come. Masks are encouraged!
🗓️ Saturday, April 11, 2026, 5:30–11:00 pm
Did you know Langston Hughes was born in Missouri?🤔 Join Lyric Opera in community spaces across the Kansas City metro for free performances of Langston Hughes: A Lyrical Life, a semi-staged musical and literary experience honoring the poet’s extraordinary legacy. This new program will feature our Resident Artists and beloved Kansas City artist Nedra Dixon, illuminating universal human experiences of joy, struggle, and aspiration. 🗣
Touring March 15–April 2, 2026
Bring a group of students to the final dress rehearsals of Porgy and Bess and Of Mice and Men! To enhance learning, teachers receive curricular resources and a chance to schedule pre- and post-teaching at your school. 🍎
Murphy as Dog in La traviata / Photo © Don Ipock
Do you have a sweet pup in your life that is ready for their opera debut? 🐶 Lyric Opera is holding auditions for dogs on March 18 and March 23 for the role of Old Dog in our May 2026 production of Of Mice and Men. The role will involve about twenty minutes of stage time, and tons of loving attention from all of the cast and crew! 💞 Dogs of various breeds are welcome to audition. Registration materials are due Friday, March 13, 2026.
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Season Sponsors
With public support from the State of Missouri and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
The Gershwins®' Porgy and Bess is supported, in part, by the City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund and the Mark Edelman Theater Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City.
Langston Hughes: A Lyrical Life is presented in partnership with the Missouri Humanities with support from the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund. Additional support is provided, in part, by the Dr. Mary E. Brothers Resident Artist Performance Fund.
