New, old, and popular: Central City Opera's 2025 Festival has something for everyone

CBS News

16-05-2025

At the end of June, opera music will echo through the Colorado Foothills as Central City Opera starts its 2025 Festival. Central City Opera was founded in 1932, making it the fifth oldest professional opera company in the country. Every summer, Central City Opera puts on three exceptional performances in its intimate, jewel box opera house that was built in 1878. In addition to the three main performances, Central City Opera does a lot of music education and community engagement activities.
"It's going to be a really celebratory season on the mountain," said Alison Moritz, Artistic Director for Central City Opera. "We wanted to pick a lot of things that kind of balanced heart and joy."
The 2025 Festival features The Barber of Seville, The Knock, and Once Upon a Mattress.
The Barber of Seville is a fan favorite with music and a story line that have inspired everyone from Verdi to Stephen Sondheim to Bugs Bunny. It tells the story of Figaro, who is the barber of Seville, as he schemes to foster true love.
"We're bringing a beautiful production that's full of incredible, vivid colors and beautiful design and some really fantastic singers who are all incredible experts at these roles," Moritz explained.
The Knock is a more contemporary opera, and it's set in Colorado. This will be its regional premiere.
"It's a beautiful, touching story that's based on real life, about military families and how the women in these families come together and support one another in times of struggle," Moritz said.
It's set in 2009 or 2010, and it speaks to challenges that many families face in the modern world. Audiences may find it more challenging because it's a contemporary piece.
"It's a new angle on what opera can be, and specifically what American opera is right now," Moritz told CBS News Colorado. "The music is so lyrical and beautiful, and there are so many fantastic parts for women."
Once Upon a Mattress will appeal to the straight up musical theater lovers. It's a Broadway musical comedy which is based on the fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea." It's always fun and funny with charming music, and great roles for women.
"Central City has had a tradition of performing straight plays and crossover musicals and operetta. I think, Once Upon a Mattress is just such a generous and joyful show that combines a lot of fantastic, quirky elements that are things we do well and things that we celebrate about making community and making music," Moritz said.
Moritz programmed this summer's Festival with all audience members in mind. These are productions that are accessible for people who are new to opera, as well as long time opera afficionados.
"One of the things that we're finding this year is that subscription sales are going really well, because people are interested in seeing these pieces in conversation with one another," Moritz said.
In addition to the main productions, Central City Opera will be holding its usual slate of talkbacks and opera notes, where a staff member does a deep dive of the production and the history of the opera before the performance. The Artist Training program will be doing its annual Short Works and Lunch & a Song performances.
"One additional thing that we're doing this year, that's interesting, is we're adding between our Saturday matinee and Saturday evening performance, an event called Backstage Magic. People can watch how we transform the stage from one show to the next, and understand a little bit more about what goes on behind the scenes," Moritz said.
On Fridays after the matinee, there will be Après Opera, which will be cabaret-style performances of Central City Opera artists singing popular music with a cash bar.
Central City Opera House.
CBS
New on the calendar this year, CCO In Concert: Opera's Greatest Hits. This will be a one-time only performance of the Central City Opera Orchestra along with principal singers and a full chorus performing some of opera's most iconic songs.
"We just wanted to create another opportunity for our amazing orchestra to play fantastic music in this historic venue, and for audiences to kind of get to experience a lot of genres of opera music, from great arias to great choruses to amazing overtures and have it all in one, fantastic evening," said Moritz.
There is a lot going on during Central City Opera's 2025 Festival, plenty of ways to surround yourself with incredible music in an extraordinary setting.
"I really hope that they can find a little bit of joy and space to connect either with themselves or with music or with a group of people that they're attending with or with our artists," Moritz said.
LINK: Central City Opera's 2025 Festival
Central City Opera's 2025 Festival runs June 28 - August 3, 2025.