Madison Opera’s OPERA IN THE PARK Returns with Free Outdoor Concert of Opera and Broadway Favorites

Madison Opera’s Opera in the Park will return to Garner Park on Saturday, July 19 at 8pm, offering a spectacular evening of music under the stars that has become one of Wisconsin’s most beloved summer traditions. Now in its 23rd year, the free concert draws thousands to Madison’s west side for a night of opera and Broadway favorites, performed live by top-notch vocalists, the Madison Opera Chorus, and the Madison Symphony Orchestra.

The 2025 lineup features rising stars and returning favorites: soprano Renée Richardson, mezzo-soprano Emily Treigle, tenor Andrew Bidlack, and baritone Benjamin Taylor. Richardson and Treigle both make their Madison Opera debuts, with upcoming engagements in the company’s 2025/26 season (La Bohème and Così fan tutte, respectively). Bidlack, who previously sang Tamino in The Magic Flute, returns ahead of next season’s world premiere of Everlasting Faint. Taylor, a company regular, most recently appeared as Figaro in The Barber of Seville.

As always, the concert will be conducted by John DeMain and hosted by Kathryn Smith, Madison Opera’s General Director, alongside Brandon Taylor, WKOW-TV evening anchor.

The evening’s repertoire will blend operatic classics and Broadway gems, with selections from Carmen, Iolanta, La Favorite, Fidelio, Madama Butterfly, The Wizard of Oz, West Side Story, and highlights from the upcoming season, including Puccini’s La Bohème and Everlasting Faint, a new work by Scott Gendel and Sandra Flores-Strand.

Audience members are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and picnics. Alcohol is permitted but not sold in the park. Garner Park opens at 7am on July 19 for setup. The concert will run approximately two hours with one intermission.

In a cherished tradition, the evening will also include an audience participation moment—conducting with glow sticks provided on site.

Rain Date: Sunday, July 20 at 8pm. A weather call will be made by 5pm on July 19 via madisonopera.org and Madison Opera social media.

Location: Garner Park, 333 S. Rosa Road, Madison, WI
Admission: Free and open to the public
Parking: Available in University Research Park lots

Madison Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. HAIRSPRAY (Pride Theatre Productions)

26.6% of votes

2. THE LITTLE MERMAID (Fireside Dinner Theatre)

19.6% of votes

3. ASSASSINS (Capital City Theater)

13.1% of votes

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