Houston Grand Opera to Stage OF MICE AND MEN in 2026
Company to present new production of classic American opera in two performances as part of centennial celebrations for beloved composer.
On Mar. 13 and 15, 2026, Houston Grand Opera (HGO) will present a new production of Carlisle Floyd's Of Mice and Men in a special two-performance run as part of international celebrations marking the centennial of the birth of the composer, librettist, and educator known as the Father of American Opera.
Directed by Kristine McIntyre, the production will feature a cast comprised entirely of artists from the Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio.
Based on John Steinbeck's 1937 novella of the same name, the acclaimed 1970 opera, composed by Floyd to his own libretto, will be presented in the Wortham's intimate Cullen Theater. The opera shares the poignant tale of two itinerant laborers looking for work during the Great Depression: George, (bass-baritone Sam Dhobhany) and Lennie (tenor Demetrious Sampson, Jr.). Together, the friends set out to pursue their piece of the American Dream, but their story ends in tragedy—and an act of mercy made all the more moving by Floyd's haunting score, with its masterful blend of folk tunes and blues melodies.
HGO's presentation of Of Mice and Men is a fitting tribute to Floyd, who co-founded the Butler Studio—HGO's training program for emerging artists—with then-General Director David Gockley in 1977, and who maintained a close relationship with the company until his passing in 2021. Over the years, five of Floyd's operas received their world premieres in Houston.
Presented in partnership with co-producers Des Moines Metro Opera, Florida State University, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City, McIntyre's striking new production—inspired by the photography of Dorothea Lange and grounded in American agricultural life—will be seen in Houston first.
The opera runs for two hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission. It is sung in English, with projected English text.
WHO: The production features a cast of gifted artists currently training with HGO's Butler Studio program: bass-baritone Sam Dhobhany as George; tenor Demetrious Sampson, Jr. as Lennie; soprano Alissa Goretsky as Curley's Wife; tenor Shawn Roth as Curley; bass Ziniu Zhao as Candy; baritone Geonho Lee as Slim; tenor Michael McDermott as Carlson; and tenor Luka Tsevelidze as Ballad Singer. Kristine McIntyre directs, with Benjamin Manis conducting.
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