Anita Spritzer and More Come to Seattle Opera This Pride Month

In celebration of Pride Month, Seattle Opera will host a special crossover recital from local drag queen and opera performer Anita Spritzer(AKA John Marzano). A rising star in both genres, Spritzer will bring her big wigs, operatic personality, and luscious tenor voice to a musical program featuring pieces from across the opera and musical-theater traditions—alongside a few comedic surprises.

“Combining my two worlds of drag and opera has always been a dream of mine because it shows how much the two art forms have in common,” said Marzano, who appeared most recently as Oronte in October’s Alcina and in drag as Anita Spritzer at Seattle Opera’s “Queens of the Night” Halloween party. “Giving this recital during Pride makes it extra special for me, and I want it to be a reminder of what Pride is all about: a constant fight for rights and acceptance, as well as a celebration of who we are.”

Divo to Diva: Anita Spritzer in Recital plays Thursday, June 27, at 7:30 PM in Tagney Jones Hall at the Opera Center. The event features a relaxed format that Marzano describes as “not your average recital and not your average drag show.” Audiences should dress to express, and drag is encouraged!

For yet more opportunities to celebrate, Seattle Opera’s young patrons’ club, BRAVO!, is hosting an end-of-season party on Friday, June 7, at Capitol Hill’s Century Ballroom to mark the end of a memorable anniversary season. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn how to dance flamenco with a set of beginner workshops and a performance by local troupe Oleaje Flamenco, before dancing the night away to a set from DJ B Two Times.

Community and youth programs

As summer hits its stride, Seattle Opera has a full slate of educational opportunities, youth programs, and performer showcases to ensure the music continues all season long.

Audiences will have ample opportunity to catch 2024’s school opera tour production, Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers, with four performances at the Opera Center on June 8 and 9, and six more free performances at public parks and performing arts centers across the region June 1–July 21. Following more than 60 performances across Washington state, the cast of this delightful 45-minute opera for youth audiences is eager to continue spreading the timeless message that when we work together, anything is possible.

On June 21 and 23, participants in the Jane Lang Davis Creation Lab, Seattle Opera’s workshop for local opera composers and librettists, will showcase the new works produced during their multi-month development projects. Four 20-minute operas will receive their world premieres: a story based on Andean legend, a tale of generational divides and family dynamics, an explosive portrayal of fed-up climate activists, and an invitation to a dystopian capitalist hellscape.

For youth and teens looking for summertime enrichment, Opera Camps for three different age groups will offer age-appropriate instruction and opportunities for musical exploration. Youth ages 7–13 will create original opera stories, learn songs from actual operas, and create their own opera performance for friends and family, while teens ages 14–18 will receive a week of intensive vocal training, including individual voice lessons and stagings of full opera scenes.

Finally, for the youngest opera fans, ages 2–5, Opera Time provides an interactive musical story time supporting language, literacy, and socio-emotional development. Programs are offered on select Wednesdays and Saturdays until June 29, alternating between The Opera Center and Seattle Children’s Museum.

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