The award-winning Meadows Opera Theatre, under the direction of Hank Hammett, offers imaginative, diverse and cutting-edge productions of repertoire encompassing a wide range of opera, operetta, and musical theatre, providing extensive performance opportunities to vocal students at the undergraduate, graduate, performer diploma and artist diploma levels. A main focus of the multi-tiered program is intensive acting technique training, professional audition preparation, and its partnership with The Dallas Opera.
Meadows Opera Theatre annually presents its popular Opera Free For All monthly Brown Bag Series of scenes and one-act operas as well as innovative full productions throughout the year.
Main stage productions are accompanied by the brilliant Meadows Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Paul Phillips. Recent major stagings include Copland’s The Tender Land, Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, Britten’s Albert Herring, and Mozart’s Il re pastore, Le nozze di Figaro, and La finta giardiniera. For more information, please contact Mr. Hammett at chammett@smu.edu.
2021-2022 Opera Season
The Crucible by Robert Ward
- Based on the play by Arthur Miller
- Directed by Hank Hammett
- Conducted by Paul Phillips, MSO
- Meadows Lyric Theatre
- February 3, 4, 5, & 6, 2022
- Thursday – Saturday at 7:30 pm
- Sunday at 2:00 pm
- Bob Hope Theatre – Owen Arts Center
Salem, 1692. In this remote and deeply pious community, a group of adolescent girls is accused of dancing obscenely in the woods one night. Fearing retribution, they begin to falsely accuse those around them of being in league with Satan. As deep personal grievances and resentments collide with superstition and lust, the village is whipped into an unbridled, bloodthirsty frenzy, fueled by righteous hysteria. At the center of the crisis is a once powerless young girl who now holds the terrifying authority to dictate the fate of all those around her. Out of the shadows of the past, Robert Ward has created an American masterpiece of high drama, narrative power and unexpected beauty. The winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Music, the opera exposes how ignorance, intolerance, delicate political agendas and fear infect the human heart. Sung in English with English supertitles.
Lyric Free For All Performances
Bite-size Arias/Big-size Talents
- Meadows Lyric Theatre
- September 17, 2021
- 1 p.m.
- Taubman Atrium – Owen Arts Center
- FREE
The Lyric Free For All series annual popular opener showcases every member of the Meadows Lyric Theatre Ensemble in 60-second arias and songs of their choice as they challenge themselves to make a strong, positive and lasting impression and declare, “This is who I am as a singing actor!” in only one minute. You’ll reconnect with some of your favorite singing actors and meet some exciting newcomers. Be the first to discover the young stars of tomorrow!
Addio!
- Meadows Lyric Theatre
- October 29 2021
- 1 p.m.
- Taubman Atrium - Owen Arts Center
- FREE
How do you know when it’s time to say goodbye? In the hands of Purcell, Puccini, Mozart, Verdi, Massenet, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Bernstein and Sondheim the experience can be either heart-wrenching and bittersweet or uplifting and reassuring. Join us for some of the greatest farewell scenes in opera and musical theatre.
The True Story of Cinderella by Warren Martin
- Meadows Lyric Theatre
- March 10, 2022
- 7:30 p.m.
- Taubman Atrium - Owen Arts Center
- FREE
So, you think you know the story of Cinderella? Well, think again! This slightly fractured musical comedy fairy tale, written to be performed “oratorio style,” is full of whimsey, elegance, wit and more than a few unexpected twists that will surprise and delight you!
Call Me Old-Fashioned
- Meadows Lyric Theatre
- April 29, 2022
- 1 p.m.
- Taubman Atrium – Owen Arts Center
- FREE
We invite you to come along on a romantic, high-spirited and sparkling musical tour of Vienna, London and New York at the turn of the 20th-century as we present beloved scenes from the Golden Age of operetta and musical theatre featuring the works of Jacques Offenbach, Johann Strauss Jr., Gilbert & Sullivan, Sigmund Romberg, Victor Herbert, Franz Lehár and Jerome Kern!