Sierra Madre Playhouse Presents Short Comic Opera "The Maestro," a Hilarious Parody of the Music Business, 5/30 at Sierra Madre Playhouse

Sierra Madre Playhouse, which this season launched its inaugural opera series, continues its vibrant exploration of the art form’s myriad contemporary and traditional styles with Domenico Cimarosa’s short comic intermezzo Il maestro di cappella (“The Maestro”). The witty one-act parody of the music business, reimagined and produced by Source/Filter Music, runs one night only on Saturday, May 30, 2026, 8:00 PM, at the historic venue.

In this production, baritone Caleb Yanez Glickman stars as the self-important conductor who lectures and berates his orchestra while attempting to lead it. With a new hybrid English–Italian libretto by Source/Filter Artistic Director Britta Sterling, Glickman’s character becomes hilariously tangled in language, rhythm, and pride. The role demands both vocal virtuosity and comic timing, as he sings, conducts, and unravels in real time. The performance features a 17-piece orchestra.

Performed without microphones and minimal staging, The Maestro thrives on intimacy and spontaneity. With musicians in concert black and the “maestro” dressed in a flamboyant costume, the orchestra responds to his every whim. Cimarosa, who was considered Italy’s most popular opera composer towards the end of his career, wrote The Maestro between 1786 and 1793.

The first half of the program includes a selection of works for stage and screen by Italian and Italian-American composers, curated to complement Cimarosa’s humor and lyricism. Highlights include works by Gioachino Rossini, Dominic Argento, Gian Carlo Menotti, Michael Giacchino, Jeanine Tesori, and more, featuring soloists Rachel Yeo (soprano), Rae Shrum (mezzo-soprano), and Eric Castro (baritone) alongside pianist Milena Gligi.

This event, a playful blend of classical precision and theatrical absurdity, captures Source/Filter Music’s mission: to celebrate live music as both art and experiment, where the line between performance and play beautifully blurs. Founded in 2022 by a collective of local artists and spearheaded by Britta Sterling and Rae Shrum, Source/Filter Music was born out of a desire to create interesting, unique site-specific musical projects in Los Angeles that spotlight the works of local, living composers as well as seldom-performed works by other beloved composers to showcase the exceptional talents of local musicians and performing artists.

Caleb Yanez Glickman (baritone) is an accomplished and opera singer, and pianist. He was recently appointed Music Director of Opera Modesto, which brings opera to California’s Central Valley. From 2022-2024, he served as music director of the Hollywood Youth Orchestra, an El-Sistema-inspired program. He has conducted several productions with Pacific Opera Project, quickly becoming one of their mainstay conductors. Glickman has also worked with the Spoleto Festival USA, Opera Southwest, Lyric Opera of Orange County, Opera in the Ozarks, Opera Saratoga, Savannah Opera, Washington National Opera and Fargo-Moorhead Opera. He earned a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Vocal Performance and Conducting.

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.