How did we arrive at today’s opera repertoire that we watch over and over? A few brilliant composers penning masterpiece after masterpiece? Hardly. The “New Penguin Guide to Opera” (2001) lists over 800 composers and over 1500 operas, and it’s a partial list. Giuseppe Verdi has thirty listed. The lifeblood of any field of art is new works. We should stop having new operas when we stop having new books and plays. No one has answered the call more enthusiastically than Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; new opera and new editions of existing works are staples of each new festival, so far producing 33 world premieres and counting. My wife and I visited the 2022 Festival, where we saw two world premieres and became hooked on OTSL.
left photo: The Gateway Arch of St. Louis, MO. right photo: Lobby of the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts, venue for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Photos by Debra Rogers (fiammatravels.com).
My first impression of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Festival 2022 was sparkle and how welcoming it all was. The festival is held each Spring in the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, MO. OperaGene’s last two blog reports were on new operas (Awakenings and Harvey Milk) that premiered as part of this year’s Festival. The operas were outstanding; yet, they were only part of the story. I have been aware of OTSL’s stellar reputation for a few years. There is even a connection to the Washington DC area. In 2018, Timothy O’Leary, OTSL’s General Director, left his position after ten successful years in St. Louis to take the job of General Director of the Washington National Opera. I thought it would be interesting if we could get the benefit of Mr. O’Leary’s personal reflections on his time with OTSL; his comments are further down.
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis picnic grounds. Photo by Debra Rogers (fiammatravels.com).
OTSL’s mission statement is composed of goals with high aspirations: “…shape a vibrant future for opera…foster the next generation…of artists, artisans, and administrators…make opera accessible and inclusive…”. They also have a fine list of values to accompany the mission statement, but it was the last value that stood out to me, and it likely explains their success as much as anything: “Fun – Last but never least, we at Opera Theatre believe in creating a joyful and stimulating environment in which artists, staff, volunteers, and audiences alike will thrive, laugh, and flourish.” How can you not like an organization where fun is a core value? I would have only expected that from Opera Bhutan (of course it’s a joke - Bhutan has a government official in charge of happiness but no opera to my knowledge).
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis picnic grounds. Photo by Debra Rogers (fiammatravels.com).
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis makes good on the fun part for the whole experience. When one walks outside the side doors to the Loretto-Hilton Center, one is transported to the elegant 1920s with beautiful gardens and a picnic ground so inviting it requires will power to go back inside. I didn’t see any gentlemen in broad-navy striped sports coats and straw hats, but I could imagine it. The picnic grounds feature tables and chairs, many covered. Visitors can bring their own food and drink or purchase boxed picnic meals (at least 24 hours in advance). It is also a tradition for new operas to offer a champagne toast in the gardens after the premiere performance, and drinks in the garden are available after each opera performance.
Washington National Opera’s Timothy O’leary had a strong hand in creating OTSL’s welcoming environment. Here are his reflections that I received by email from him in response to my questions (many thanks to Mr. O’Leary):
What led you to OTSL? What did you like best about working there?
While working at the New York City Opera in 2007, I was fortunate to get a call from Charles MacKay, who was then the OTSL General Director, and who had been one of my heroes in the world of opera administrators since I’d heard him speak at Opera America conferences. Charles had been leading Opera Theatre from strength to strength for 24 years, and he was beginning to plan his “exit.” He invited me to breakfast, and this breakfast changed the course of my life! I’d known about Opera Theatre’s reputation for artistic excellence and innovation, combined with values as a company focused on creating a positive environment for artists, staff, and audience. As I got to know the company through first-hand experience, I found that it was as wonderful as advertised.
left photo: Gardens adjacent to the Loretto-Hilton Center. Photo by Debra Rogers (fiammatravels.com). right photo: Gardens adjacent to the Loretto-Hilton Center. Photo courtesy of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
What are your impressions now of OTSL’s annual festival? Did you have a favorite production while you were there, and why was it your favorite?
I think the OTSL is going strong and probably better than ever. It’s an extraordinary company, and remains committed to adventurousness and quality, as well as a kind of idealism about the role the arts can play in shaping community and working for justice.
I had a lot of favorite productions during my ten years there, but one of the greatest nights of my life was the 2013 world premiere of Champion by Terence Blanchard, which we’d commissioned shortly after I began as General Director and James Robinson began as Artistic Director. It was Terence’s first opera, and the project had been a labor of love for many of us for several years. When it opened, it received the most vociferous standing ovation I’ve ever been a part of. That night at the after-party, we commissioned Terence’s second opera, which became Fire Shut Up In My Bones [which premiered in 2021 at the Metropolitan Opera].
Overhead photo of the Loretto-Hilton Center theatre during a live performance. Photo courtesy of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
Any performers you saw for the first time that you said to yourself, this singer is going to make it big?
In my time at Opera Theatre, I got to work with a LOT of extraordinary artists at the very beginnings of their careers. In many cases, Opera Theatre was their first professional job. Two luminaries I can think of actually began there as high school students as part of OTSL’s Artists-in-Training program for local teenagers -- those two are Julia Bullock and Derrell Acon! Others who come to mind from my time there are Laura Wilde, Rachel Willis-Sørensen, Corrinne Winters, and Aubrey Allicock. There is a special joy to watching any human being reach their full potential, and when that potential is singing of extraordinary beauty, it is a thrill beyond words.
Any tips for opera lovers planning to attend OTSL’s festival next season? Best place to sit in the Loretto-Hilton Center? Good eats close by?
In St. Louis, I love to stay at the Chase Park Plaza. To be honest, the best dining experience near the OTSL festival season is the pre-opera picnic in the garden outside the theater every night. It’s part of the tradition of community-building for which the company is so well known. One just has to wear clothes that can stand the heat, and get a spot early, so you can sit in the shade! Also, the greatest ritual is the nightly after-party under the famous Opera Theatre “tent” – to which everyone is invited, and to which the artists always come after the performance. There is no “velvet rope” – just everyone together, enjoying community and fellowship in the night air after each electrifying performance.
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis picnic grounds. Photo by Debra Rogers (fiammatravels.com).
Any hidden treasures in St. Louis you’d point out to opera lovers visiting for the first time?
When I lived in St. Louis, I lived in the Tower Grove area of town, near the famous Missouri Botanical Garden, which is a stunningly beautiful place. On Saturday mornings, there is a wonderful farmer’s market in Tower Grove Park. And nearby is my favorite place for a meal or nightcap, Olio. Except for my other favorite place, which is Brasserie by Niche in the Central West End!
What would you like for opera fans in the DC area to know about OTSL?
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis attracts a worldwide fan base of the most gung-ho opera lovers in the world. The company has a very particular artistic signature – the greatest of the new and up-and-coming – and it’s just a very special place because of the intimacy of the venue, the tradition of welcoming hospitality, and the ritual of the food and drink experience before and after the performances. It’s very much worth the trip to St. Louis in June.
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis picnic grounds after the performance for a champagne toast. Photo by Debra Rogers (fiammatravels.com).
I will add just a few reflections of my own. First, in addition to young and upcoming opera singers, established opera stars also perform; I was thrilled on this trip to get to hear soprano Susanna Phillips sing live in such an intimate venue. Regarding the operas presented, all operas are sung in English with English supertitles. My one regret from our trip is that I didn’t allow enough time to see OTSL’s Carmen. It would have made for such an interesting comparison with Washington National Opera’s classic French production of Carmen that I saw in May. If you attend next year’s festival, consider what you might regret not seeing. It is also worth noting that the OTSL operas are accompanied by the renown St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Both operas I saw this year were marked by extraordinary excellence and professionalism of the highest order. Frankly, I was impressed, and this aspect only burnished OTSL’s reputation for excellence. Intrigued? Next year’s Spring Festival lineup is posted at this link and runs May to June. OSTL’s plan your visit webpage is excellent.
As I thought about visiting St. Louis for the first time, the images that came to mind were the signature Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium, where the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team resides. My wife knows my proclivities and booked us a room in the Westin Hotel across the street from Busch Stadium. St. Louis loves their baseball; on game days, the area becomes a sea of Cardinal red. We also found other enjoyable activities and missed out on quite a few. Don’t miss the Botanical Gardens that Mr. O’Leary mentions. Another is Forest Park, a huge, beautiful park, where one can find the St. Louis Zoo and the St. Louis Art Museum among other attractions – caution: most things are closed on Mondays; we got caught by that. Ubers in St. Louis were timely and dependable. My wife and I also rented a car and drove fifteen minutes across the Mississippi River into Illinois to visit the Cahokia Mounds, a fascinating bit of history, where the largest settlement in the Southwest was thriving in the year 1100.
left photo: Pre-game field view of Busch Stadium with the Gateway Arch in the distance. right photo: The stadium after the game with fans streaming out; we walked across the street to our room in the Westin Hotel. Photos by Debra Rogers (fiammatravels.com).
Those are all certainly marvelous attractions, but now I know that St. Louis is also for fans of opera, especially for fans of new opera and inventive staging of operas performed in English. Their Spring Festival each year has gained national and international prominence for good reason. But you don’t have to take my word for it. The next Festival starts on May 20, 2023.