Crossing thresholds is a part of the life process of both individuals and organizations. As an organization, Knoxville Opera now finds itself in 2022 at one of those thresholds—an intersection, really—in which it is choosing its future direction by reorganizing both the artistic and management side of its Knoxville presence and by taking a fresh look at opera production in the 21st Century.
At the opera company’s Annual Meeting on Thursday evening, Executive Director Jason Hardy outlined not just the company’s immediate future in its schedule of major productions for the 2022-23 season, but steps that will be seen and felt for years to come. At the heart of the transition are the artistic personnel changes that were previously announced last December: the stepping down of Artistic Director Brian Salesky and the appointments of Dean Anthony as KO’s producing director, Elizabeth Moore as music coordinator, and Keturah Stickann as artistic advisor.
The company is also going through a “rebranding” process that includes new marketing visuals such as a new company logo (above) and a new mission statement: “To create vocal and theatrical experiences that entertain, provoke, and console.”
Although the company will continue in its educational and community outreach programs, they will offer new angles to the concept and practice of building new audiences. Admittedly, though, for the average audience member, Knoxville Opera IS its major stage productions. Its announcement of the three productions for the 2022-23 season offer hints to a few of the issues that confront opera production in Knoxville, such as local venues and the always nagging questions of contemporary operas versus the classic repertoire.
#1 – September 7 and 11, 2022: Glory Denied
Glory Denied, music by Tom Cipullo, from the book by Tom Philpott, will be presented in tandem with the Medal of Honor Celebration that will be held in Knoxville in September. The opera’s libretto follows the true story of Colonel Jim Thompson, America’s longest-held prisoner of war. The story deals not only with Thompson’s suffering in the jungle of southeast Asia, but also the tragic aftermath that followed his liberation.
Glory Denied will be presented in the Cox Auditorium on the University of Tennessee campus. Dean Anthony will direct and Steven White, Artistic Director of Opera Roanoke, will conduct.
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#2 – November 4 & 6, 2022: Franz Lehar’s operetta The Merry Widow
Back in the Tennessee Theatre, director Dean Anthony will offer his own English language version of this extremely popular 1905 Viennese operetta. The production will be done in an intensive collaboration with the UT Opera Theatre and serve as their fall production. UTOT’s music director Kevin Class will conduct.
The collaboration with UTOT will give UT grad students the opportunity to participate in the ensemble and take some secondary roles. Anthony will be giving additional classes in dialog, movement, and staging; Elizabeth Moore will offer vocal coaching to students.
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#3 – April 28 & 30, 2023: Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro
The Bijou Theatre will be the venue for the final production of the season, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, last performed by KO in the 2003-04 season. This jewelbox production will be led by conductor Laurie Rogers and director Cara Consilvio.
In PART 2 of this article, we’ll cover in more detail the future direction of the company and the issues of producing opera in Knoxville amid pandemics and financial turmoil.
