Houston Grand Opera hosts its first Noche de Ópera
Houston Grand Opera's winter season focuses on the all-consuming feeling of young love with "La Bohème" and "West Side Story."
State of the opera: HGO brings back Giacomo Puccini's "La Bohème," the opera that helped popularize the "starving artist" trope, portraying youthful struggle and romance in Paris.
Meanwhile, "West Side Story," about an overwhelming love caught in a turf war, brings the music to the opera stage, with the production score amplified by a full orchestra and some operatic singing.
Driving the news: For the first time, HGO is hosting a Noche de Ópera on Feb. 15 as part of its new themed affinity nights initiative. "West Side Story" will feature Spanish and English supertitles translating the performance.
The evening will also include live entertainment in the lobby, themed booths, Spanish educational displays and literature, and more festivities.
What they're saying: HGO general director and CEO Khori Dastoor calls hosting the Noche de Ópera a "no-brainer," saying it celebrates Houston's multicultural identity while aligning with the group's business strategy of introducing opera to more people — and this musical-turned-opera is a great entry to the art.
"We want to make space to honor and celebrate the Hispanic Latino community of Houston, which represents such a large part of our city, and these themes around immigration, assimilation, bigotry, hatred, gun violence — these issues are not some relic from the past," she tells Axios, adding that the opera provokes reflection on society.
Flashback: Both productions have been part of HGO's lineup in recent years— with "La Bohème" in the 2018-2019 season and "West Side Story" in the 2017-2018 season. The latter was staged in a temporary theater after Hurricane Harvey, so this production marks its first time being fully realized at HGO's home venue.
Fun fact: Soprano Shereen Pimentel, who plays Maria, the lead, in HGO's "West Side Story," also starred as Maria in the musical's 2020 Broadway revival.
Shafaq's experience: "La Bohème" is a classic worth seeing at least once, and the older audience seemed to enjoy reminiscing. The singer who performed Mimi, the main love interest, was phenomenal.
"West Side Story" captured the ache, emotion, and clash of prejudice and love. The dancing brought energy, the voices carried weight, and the production delivered.
If you go: " La Bohème" runs through Feb. 14, and " West Side Story" runs through Feb. 15.
Tickets, including for the Noche de Ópera, start at $25.
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