Lyric Opera's 2025–2026 Season
Lyric Opera of Kansas City proudly presents FOUR full operatic masterpieces for the 2025–26 season. The season begins with everything you love about Italian opera: glittery bel canto fun in Rossini's Cinderella and the striking beauty of Puccini's Madame Butterfly. Then, in 2026, as the country celebrates its 250th birthday, we explore the American experience and psyche with two American operas—The Gershwins®' Porgy and Bess and Carlisle Floyd's Of Mice and Men.
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The Shows
Note about opening night performances: Cinderella and Porgy and Bess will open on Saturday evenings, while Madame Butterfly and Of Mice and Men will open on Friday evenings.
Cinderella
Music by Gioachino Rossini | Words by Jacopo Ferretti
A magical opera with jaw-dropping singing considered a crown jewel of bel canto opera, Rossini's glittery version of the fairytale classic lets our heroine drive her own fate—no fairy godmother needed. It's not just beauty that wins the prince's heart (though she does get a stunning gown); instead, love and kindness triumph over greed and vanity. Rossini's signature mix of vocal virtuosity, lyrical beauty, and zany hijinks brings this sweet tale to life. At the same time, director Michael Shell amps up its playfulness with a Wes Anderson-inspired production that sparkles.
- Saturday, September 27, 2025, 7:30 pm
- Friday, October 3, 2025, 7:30 pm
- Sunday, October 5, 2025, 2:00 pm
Sung in Italian with English titles.
Madame Butterfly
Music by Giacomo Puccini | Words by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa
Through a heartless marriage of convenience, American naval officer Pinkerton marries Cio-Cio-San (Butterfly), leading her to a tragic and profoundly unjust fate. A masterpiece of Italian opera, Madame Butterfly‘s lush score and timeless exploration of love, betrayal, and cultural clash soars with operatic grandeur. The enduring power of Butterfly lies in its ability to touch the deepest corners of the human heart, leaving audiences devastated.
- Friday, November 14, 2025, 7:30 pm
- Saturday, November 15, 2025, 7:30 pm
- Sunday, November 16, 2025, 2:00 pm
Sung in Italian with English titles.
Porgy and Bess
by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin
Presented for the first time in Lyric Opera history, Porgy and Bess is essential American opera. The source of some of the 20th century's most loved songs—including “Summertime”—this jazzy score is unforgettable and timeless. This masterpiece paints a vivid picture of life in the Charleston neighborhood, Catfish Row, where a poignant “opposites attract” romance unfolds alongside a powerful portrait of a community that unites in the face of tragedy and triumph.
- Saturday, February 28, 2026, 7:30 pm
- Friday, March 6, 2026, 7:30 pm
- Sunday, March 8, 2026, 2:00 pm
Sung in English with English titles.
Of Mice and Men
Music and words by Carlisle Floyd | Based on the novella by John Steinbeck
We end our season with a powerful adaptation of Steinbeck's classic novella by the father of American opera Carlisle Floyd. Of Mice and Men delves deep into the American psyche and brings to life the unbreakable bond between George and Lennie, migrant farm workers striving for the American Dream. Directed by Kristine McIntyre, our production uses projections to immerse the audience in Lennie's perspective, blending intimate humanity with cinematic scope in a gripping, tragic journey.
- Friday, May 1, 2026, 7:30 pm
- Saturday, May 2, 2026, 7:30 pm
- Sunday, May 3, 2026, 2:00 pm
Sung in English with English titles.
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