Dress Rehearsal Program
Come enjoy the magic of the opera!
Registration is now open!
This FREE program for 5th through 12th grades includes student and teacher resources, creating a space for students to engage with this art form and participate in meaningful conversations.
Vivaldi with dish soap, a Langston Hughes poem as theater, and a choral awakening. This season's dress rehearsal offerings include the Philadelphia premiere of new works by Davóne Tines and Anthony Roth Costanzo, as well as the world premiere of Gregory Spears' new opera, a retelling of the "Sleeping Beauty" fairytale.
A transportation stipend is provided to 5th through 8th grade Philadelphia schools.
For more information, call 215.893.5915 or email Lily Kass, Dress Rehearsal Program Manager, at kass@operaphila.org.
Monday, April 20, 2026 | 2:00 p.m.
Academy of Music
In this opera, the chorus has the starring role. Composer Gregory Spears creates a labyrinthine soundscape to accompany a dream-like rendering of the fairytale “Sleeping Beauty,” inspired by modernist writer Robert Walser. Conceived with and directed by Jenny Koons, this visually dazzling world premiere activates a collective voice to question the fragile line between waking and dreaming.
Performed in English with English Supertitles
Approximately 90 minutes with no intermission
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 | 7:00 p.m.
Miller Theater
This production contains racial slurs and stylized representations of violence, particularly related to slavery, as well as haze, simulated smoking, and bright flashing lights. For this reason, we recommend this production for grades 8-12.
Creator and opera revolutionary Davóne Tines brings Langston Hughes’ poem “The Black Clown” to musical life in a vaudevillian rendering of this masterpiece. Fusing gospel, opera, jazz, and spirituals into a searing night of theatrical brilliance, this visually arresting piece embodies the evolving, divided soul of Black America.
Performed in English
70 minutes with no intermission
Stay tuned for our announcement of the 2026-2027 season in early April.
For more information, call 215.893.5915 or email Lily Kass, Dress Rehearsal Program Manager, at kass@operaphila.org.