Cast Set For Great Lakes Operetta's ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD

Great Lakes Operetta has announced the cast and creative team for its first full length, fully staged operetta production, Orpheus in the Underworld, to be presented at the Bramble Arts Loft at 5545 N. Clark Street, Chicago, from July 10 - 19, 2026. Orpheus in the Underworld was composed by Jacques Offenbach, with a libretto by Hector Crémieux and Ludovic Halévy, and will be presented by Great Lakes Operetta in a new English translation by Francis L. Lynch. This production is directed and choreographed by SarahAnn Sutter with music direction by Lindsey Baer.

Performances will be Friday, July 10 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, July 11, at 7:00 p.m., Sunday, July 12, at 2:00 p.m., Friday, July 17 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, July 18, at 7:00 p.m., Sunday, July 19, at 2:00 p.m., with two casts alternating performances. General Admission tickets are now available online and range from $15-$38, including youth, senior/student, and group ticket rates. Tickets will also be available at the door (while supplies last).

Originally premiering as Orphée aux enfers, this musical spoof of the Orpheus myth was the Hadestown of 1858's Paris and had a cultural impact comparable to Hamilton or The Phantom of the Opera. It is often considered the world's first operetta, and was the first full-length show by the prolific Offenbach (now best known for his final opera, The Tales of Hoffmann). The original book was written in part by Ludovic Halévy (of Carmen fame) and the score introduced the now world-famous "Cancan" (known in the show as the "Infernal Gallop"). The show is raucous, wacky, and surprisingly modern, and the score is one of Offenbach's best, ensuring its continued popularity.

The cast features Mason Montuoro as Orpheus, Gabrielle Goudard and Gabrielle Haigh as Eurydice, Jennifer Barrett and Isabella Daltoso as Public Opinion, Jonathon Joseph Larson and Sasha Tomasevich as Pluto, Alexander Quackenbush as Jupiter, Halle Rosemond and Catherine Larson as Diana, Hillary Esqueda and Abigail Greer Arcomona as Cupid, Alexandra Kassouf and Val Beck as Venus, Kristin Weed and Kelly Killorin as Mercury, Eugenia Bouboudakis and Allison Mann as Minerva, Katarina Bakas as Juno, Jonathan Rodney as Mars, Lucas Gassmann as Bacchus, Solamada Pando Girard as John Styx and Vesta.