Rising Vocalists Perform "Bite Sized" Operettas at Sierra Madre Playhouse, March 7-8 at Sierra Madre Playhouse

The Opera Buffs, hailed for providing vital support and performance opportunities to emerging opera singers, showcases nine exceptional rising vocalists in an intimate program of humorous, dramatic, and poignant contemporary “bite sized” mini-operas, each with two or three characters sung in English, on Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8, 2026, 8:00 PM, at Sierra Madre Playhouse. The two unforgettable evenings of compelling artistry filled with immediacy, energy, and possibility provide an opportunity for audiences to see the next generation of vocal talent.

“The show places audiences just feet from the performers, creating a rare, close-up operatic experience,” says Sierra Madre Playhouse Artistic and Executive Director Matt Cook. “It’s unique to see opera in such an intimate setting, which adds tremendous excitement and a visceral element to the experience.”

Featured artists include sopranos Oriana Falla, Joanna Kim, Emily Scott, and Rachel Yeo; mezzo-sopranos Ashlyn Brown and Sarah Wang; tenors Arnold Livingston Geis and Daniel Voigt; and baritone Adrian Melendrez. Pianists Sky Lee and Younghwa Ha and a violinist provide accompaniment.

The eclectic program, with minimal staging, props and sets, opens with A Tall Order, a witty, mirthful mini-opera about a dinner date, featuring music by John Greer and libretto by Sheri Wilner; Jean Ann’s Remembrance, a plea for harmony commemorating the Korean War; and Rapture by David Wolfson, who says his short opera was “inspired by the true story of the many thousand people who were convinced they would be bodily assumed into Heaven at 6 pm on May 21, 2011, as per the predictions of Harold Camping’s Family Radio ministry.”

Other featured works include Luca Sutto’s Lost in the Scroll, a humorous one-act opera about “doom scrolling,” and Grief House, an intimate operatic scene by Roydon Tse and Rachel Gray that explores the landscape of loss through the metaphor of rising water. The performance concludes with Zac Flasch’s Attached is your invoice, a 13-minute comedic operetta centered around a young composer in graduate school who is growing frustrated with her aspirations for professional development and the overall culture of the contemporary music scene. 

The Opera Buffs, established in 1983, is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting emerging opera singers in Southern California at a pivotal point in their careers—those transitioning from student to professional performer. Over the decades they’ve provided direct grants (for costs such as coachings, audition travel, headshots, and scores) and created performance opportunities that bridge the gap between training and professional life. With more than 700 singers assisted and over one million dollars awarded in support, the organization has become a vital part of the region’s operatic ecosystem.

For tickets ($12-$35) and information, please call 626.355.4318 or visit www.sierramadreplayhouse.org. Sierra Madre Playhouse is located at 87 West Sierra Madre Boulevard, Sierra Madre, CA 91024.