Jake Heggie News

Due to the overwhelming demand this holiday season, Opera San José is extending the run of the hit virtual production of Jake Heggie's chamber opera, Three Decembers through January 31, 2021.

This holiday week the Virtual Opera Tour’s Magic Opera Flying Carpet is making its first stop at Opera San Jose for their magnificent online performance of Three Decembers. It costs $40 to watch on demand.The price is a bit steep, but the story is affecting, the music is fabulous and the performances are riveting. 

Talking to Khori Dastoor, General Director of Opera San José brings to mind that old quote from Elizabeth Taylor when she was faced with unimaginable adversity, “Now is the time for guts and guile.” Just one year into her tenure as GD, Dastoor is faced with an almost impossible situation due to the Covid pandemic. Out of all the arts, opera, the artform which she has made her life’s work, arguably has the biggest challenges. After all, the act of singing operatically produces enormous amounts of aerosols, the core audience is older and thus especially at risk for Covid, and the population at large may not consider opera to be essential to their lives. Since creating new works is practically impossible, many GD’s are offering a sort of greatest hits of former glories, video snippets from past years that were already in the can. Or maybe something like a “reading” of an old holiday chestnut like Der Rosenkavalier, presented Brady-Bunch style on Zoom. So what does Dastoor do instead? She goes bravely programs a brand-new, beautifully-produced production of Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers, starring no less than world-renowned opera star Susan Graham, alongside two of Opera San José’s super-talented Resident Artists, soprano Maya Kherani and baritone Efraín Solis. This immensely moving chamber work is based on an unpublished play by Terrance  McNally, adapted by librettist Gene Scheer, and tells the story of a family struggling to connect during the early years of the AIDS pandemic. The work premiered in 2008, yet somehow feels more relevant than ever, given the parallels with what we’re all going through today, as evidenced by McNally’s death from Covid earlier this year. The opera is currently available for streaming through the end of December. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit operasj.org. BroadwayWorld spoke with Dastoor shortly after the filming of Three Decembers had been completed. Dastoor was remarkably open and forthcoming about the challenges of the opera world right now, even as her passion for growing the artform burns stronger than ever. We talked about how she managed to produce Three Decembers during Covid, her successful earlier career as a lyric soprano, and the imperative to keep the arts alive during these difficult times. Her responses to my questions were invariably thoughtful, often surprising and not without humor. And, as a rare woman of color leading an opera company, her understanding of the need to open up her artform runs deep. Above all, though, she is just plain fun to talk to - effortlessly engaging, whip-smart, emotionally transparent, and without an ounce of pretension.

Faced with the inability to perform live opera because of COVID, Opera San Jose opted to film an opera that could be made to fit California health regulations in its new Fred Heiman Digital Media Studio. General director Khori Dastoor chose Jake Heggie’s three-person chamber opera, Three Decembers. Since it’s an opera that needs a big star to play famous actress Madeline Mitchell, Dastoor engaged Susan Graham.

Eager to bid adieu, farewell, and even good riddance to 2020, Opera San José has announced it will present The Parting Glass, an online celebration for music-lovers on New Year's Eve.

While performing arts organizations around the world are dusting off existing productions of the usual chestnuts during the month of December, Opera San José is taking a more audacious approach with its holiday programming. They are presenting a new, fully-staged production of Jake Heggie’s immensely moving chamber opera, Three Decembers, featuring world-renowned mezzo-soprano Susan Graham in the central role, alongside celebrated Opera San José Resident Artists soprano Maya Kherani and baritone Efraín Solís. Based on the unpublished play Some Christmas Letters by Tony-winning playwright Terrance McNally, Three Decembers follows the story of a famous actress, Madeline Mitchell, and her two adult children, Beatrice and Charlie over three decades (1986, 1996, and 2006). With a witty and touching libretto by Gene Scheer and a soaring musical score by Jake Heggie, Three Decembers is a 90-minute fullhearted American opera about family – the ones we are born into and those we create. The world-class digital production is offered via on-demand streaming through December 31, 2020. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit operasj.org or call (408) 437-4450. BroadwayWorld speaks with charismatic baritone Efraín Solís, who plays son Charlie.

The artists and artistry of San Francisco Opera will be on full display in Celebrating the Voices of San Francisco Opera, a virtual event premiering on Friday, December 4 at 7:30 pm Pacific.

In an extraordinary effort to continue supporting artists and presenting art, even in the midst of the pandemic, Opera San José launched a massive undertaking to safely create and share a brand new fully-staged production of Jake Heggie's modern opera, Three Decembers.

Opera San José is offering its virtual production of Jake Heggie's chamber opera, Three Decembers,

Today (November 17) in live streaming: Jim Brickman visits Stars in the House, Broadway Advocacy Coalition presents BROADWAY VS, and so much more!

Shorter days, and cooler nights means it’s time to cozy up with some hot performances on BroadwayHD, the premier streaming service for theater fans!  Today, the streaming platform announced their robust November lineup filled with rockin’ musical numbers, thrilling operas, and even a little holiday cheer. 

On Thursday, November 19th, in partnership with Caffè Lena, Opera Saratoga will launch AMERICA SINGS, a monthly concert series featuring an array of diverse, internationally acclaimed artists.

After carefully weighing options, in accordance with recommendations from global health leaders, Houston Grand Opera has made the difficult decision to cancel the remaining mainstage productions for the 2020–21 season. The company now plans to resume live, in-person performance in the fall of 2021.

BroadwayHD has announced their November lineup! Shows include Hedwig and the Angry Inch, A Killer Party, Who's Your Baghdaddy?, and more!

BroadwayHD will be expanding their partnership with the revered San Francisco Opera with the debut of Moby-Dick by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer on November 17th.

Opera San José has announced it will present a new fully staged production of Jake Heggie's chamber opera, Three Decembers, featuring world-renowned mezzo-soprano Susan Graham in the central role, alongside celebrated Opera San José Resident Artists soprano Maya Kherani and baritone Efraín Solís, in a world-class digital production offered via on-demand streaming beginning December 3, 2020.

Texas Performing Arts announced today that it will present Live from the West Side: Women of Broadway featuring two-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone on October 24, Tony Award winner Laura Benanti on November 14, and critically acclaimed actress and singer Vanessa Williams on December 5.

Marcus Performing Arts Center announced today that it is one of a select group of nonprofit arts organizations participating in a three-part virtual concert series, Live from the West Side: Women of Broadway featuring two-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone on October 24, Tony Award winner Laura Benanti on November 14, and critically acclaimed actress and singer Vanessa Williams on December 5. Tickets go on sale October 7 at Noon.

Playhouse Square announced today that it is one of a select group of nonprofit arts organizations participating in a three-part streaming concert series, Live from the West Side: Women of Broadway featuring Patti LuPone on October 24, Laura Benanti on November 14, and Vanessa Williams on December 5.

Northlight Theatre will offer Live from the West Side: Women of Broadway featuring two-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone on October 24, Tony Award winner Laura Benanti on November 14, and critically acclaimed actress and singer Vanessa Williams on December 5.