Opera Colorado

A view of the interior of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House where Opera Colorado performs.

Opera Colorado has enriched Denver’s arts scene since 1983. Not only does this multi-faceted organization produce 2 full-length operas each year, Opera Colorado also helps emerging opera singers gain professional experience though its Young Artists residency program; hosts fun social outings for young professionals in Denver; and brings opera into the classroom through its education outreach programs. Opera is a rich tradition that combines vocal music, orchestral music, acting, dance, staging and costumes for a truly unique and transcendent experience. We were hooked after seeing our first opera, Opera Colorado’s performance of The Magic Flute earlier this year. Even if you’ve listened to a recording of opera before, you owe it to yourself to hear it performed live. What a difference!

Opera Colorado artists give a free performance at Cherry Creek Mall.

Think you might want to give opera a try?Opera Colorado regularly offers free and low-cost events designed to help people experience opera in a casual setting. On some occasions, they even perform in the middle of the Cherry Creek Mall! For families, Opera Colorado offers a free Family Day program (1/30/16) that feature an abridged opera sung in English along with snacks and activities before the show. Register soon if you’d like to attend as these free tickets get snatched up pretty quickly!

Top 5 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Opera Colorado:

1. Opera singers sing unamplified. Incredible but true, these highly-trained artists can project their voices well enough to fill even a space like the Ellie Caulkins Opera House with rich, full sound.
2. Opera Colorado’s operas are subtitled. There’s no need to speak a foreign language in order to appreciate an opera. If you’re not one for simply getting lost in the music, you can read along with streaming English or Spanish subtitles presented on the back of the seat in front of you.
3. You can see an Opera Colorado performance for as little as $12. Opera is actually one of the more affordable events you’ll find at the DPAC, especially when you buy a season ticket package, which start at only $24 and include both Aida and The Scarlet Letter.
4. It takes 2 years on average to build an opera from start to finish. In May of 2016, Opera Colorado will perform the world premiere of The Scarlet Letter, a contemporary opera sung in English.
5. 

   The Denver Municipal Auditorium circa 1929.

   The Ellie Caulkins Opera House is actually owned by the city of Denver. The building now called “The Ellie” was originally built in 1908 as the Denver Municipal Auditorium, a multi-use space that hosted concerts, operas, theatrical shows, conventions, basketball, auto shows and even circuses. When the Auditorium was renovated in the early 2000s it was renamed the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in honor of “Denver’s First Lady of Opera,” Ellie Caulkins.

About the Scarlet Letter:

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is America’s first great tragic novel. Published in 1850, the work immediately caught the country’s attention and has never lost its grip. The story looks at individuals who hold fast to their personal beliefs and secrets, to protect themselves and others; how their mistaken actions result from fears of being judged and disliked; and how people either make peace with their decisions, or live out lives of tortured conflict because of them. This is a world premiere of a new American Opera!

Opera Colorado Website: www.operacolorado.org