MAN OF LA MANCHA to Replace MOBY-DICK in Utah Opera's 2016-17 Season

Utah Opera announced the addition of one of the most loved musical masterpieces, Mitch Leigh's "Man of La Mancha," in January 2017, in replacement of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer's "Moby-Dick," which has been rescheduled to the 2017-18 season.

"As one of the most successful operas of the 21st Century, we're excited to build a new production of 'Moby-Dick' that will enable our audience and those of opera companies across the country to experience this fantastic work of art," said Utah Opera Artistic Director Christopher McBeth. "This project will have impact and resonance throughout the country and opera industry, and we are committed to creating a captivating and iconic production. To do so, we have decided to delay its presentation and make 'Moby-Dick' the anchor of Utah Opera's 40th season in January of 2018."

In January 2017, Utah Opera will present one of the most beloved musical masterpieces of all time, Mitch Leigh's "Man of La Mancha," a tale of the knight errant Don Quixote and his obsessive quest for the impossible dream made famous in Broadway production and in film. Internationally-renowned stage director Paul Curran will bring his critically-acclaimed vision of the piece to life at the Capitol Theatre featuring one of America's finest singing actors baritone Robert Orth in the title role.

Mr. McBeth shared inspiration for selecting a well-known, much loved musical to round out Utah Opera's 2016-17 season. "Opera and musical theatre share the same genetic history so much so that most musical theatre works written in the 20th Century were created with operatic voices in mind. Today one finds major opera companies through the world presenting such treasured works as 'The Sound of Music,' 'Showboat,' and 'Carousel' as part their seasons," said Mr. McBeth. "Having personally witnessed the incomparable Robert Orth in Paul Curran's outstanding production, I am thrilled to provide this opportunity to our audiences."

Utah Opera's 2016-17 season includes the return of three operas beloved the world over - Georges Bizet's "Carmen," Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Don Giovanni" at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre. A moving chamber opera written by American composer Jeremy Howard Beck and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann, "The Long Walk," will be presented in the Jeanné Wagner Theatre of the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in its western United States premiere in March 2017. The opera highlights the plight of U.S. military veterans who return to face inner battles post-war.

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