The Kentucky Opera has announced its 2019/20 season — the first programmed by General Director Barbara Lynne Jamison who joined the company in August. The season will feature two beloved classic operas, as well as some experimental new programs and productions.
According to a news release, the season will kick off in September with Georges Bizet’s “Carmen,” which follows the downfall of Spanish soldier Don José who falls for Carmen, a gypsy.
Then, on Veteran’s Day weekend in November, Kentucky Opera will present Tom Cipullo’s ”Glory Denied.” It is a modern opera that tells the story of Jim Thompson, America’s longest-held prisoner of war.
On Valentine’s Weekend in February 2020, the company will perform “The Marriage of Figaro.” Written by Mozart in 1786, the production is essentially a sequel to “The Barber of Seville” (that’s the opera with the iconic — and often parodied — aria featuring the lyrics “Figaro, Figaro, Figaro!”).
This year, the Kentucky Opera will also launch the Youth Opera Initiative, a program for young performers between the ages of 8 and 18. Their program will culminate in 2020 with a performance of “Robin Hood,” a youth opera by Ben Moore and Kelly Rourke.
In an emailed statement, General Director Barbara Lynne Jamison wrote: “Opera’s power to connect us to the past, the future, to our inner selves, and to each other is reflected in each opera presented this season.”