The end of summer is here! That might mean cooler days approaching in Kansas City, but the stage at the Kauffman Center will heat up with live opera when we open Carmen on September 24. Read below to learn more about adult education opportunities to deepen your experience of Carmen and our new traveling opera for students, Sketchbook for Ollie. We are excited to start the 2022-2023 season; subscriptions are still on sale and offer the best price, flexibility, and guaranteed seats year-over-year.
JOIN US FOR CARMEN!
The long-awaited start to the 2022-2023 season is finally here, tickets for Carmen are on sale now! For as low as $25, you can see how bad girls make good opera. Bizet’s femme-fatale is hitting the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts stage September 24, 30, & October 2.
Education Updates
Lyric Opera will be hitting the road and visiting schools this fall with our newly commissioned educational opera designed for students in grades 3-5. Sketchbook for Ollie, written by composer and librettist Rachel J. Peters, tells the story of 8.5-year-old Ollie who questions the meaning of life after the death of his grandmother. Ollie’s Aunt Leeza, a composer, uses music as a metaphor to answer difficult questions. Sketchbook for Ollie is part of our new in-school initiative and prioritizes curricular alignment, social-emotional learning, interactivity, and musical accessibility. Learn more about this project and perhaps even book a visit to your school or community space by clicking here!
Community Conversations returns for the 2022-23 season! This free series, targeted to the culturally curious, uses opera to discover our shared humanity on and off the stage by exploring the “here and now” implications of our productions. Up first is Notes of Seville on September 7, 2022 at 7:00 pm. In dialogue with Carmen, we are partnering with the Kansas City Sister Cities Association explore Kansas City’s 50+ year relationship with Seville. Highlights include enlightening discussion, live music, and a walking tour of the Plaza. Learn more and RSVP here!
Opera Dives Deep, formerly At Ease with Opera, is a free lecture series providing audiences with fresh insights from regional scholars and industry professionals to enrich appreciation and understanding of the operas in our season. Both established opera goers and curious newcomers alike are sure to make discoveries. Three events in conversation with Carmen are planned and will dive into topics ranging from race and gender to varying adaptations of the source story to dance. Learn more here!
Carmen in Pop Culture
Arguably one of the most famous operas of all time, Carmen has been no stranger to pop culture since its creation in 1875. The musical themes of Carmen have been buzzing in our ears for years in a host of different mediums. You’ve probably heard the “Habanera” before, like when The Simpsons saw Carmen, the Swedish Chef and Beaker sang it on The Muppets, or when it was a lullaby on Sesame Street. It was even featured in a Doritos commercial, and famously heard in the classic Disney/Pixar film, UP. From music to memes, Carmen is everywhere!
