An Uplifting Tragedy — Houston Grand Opera’s Powerful Opening Night Morphs Into a Lavish Party With World Class Singers
Making a 15th Century Tragic Opera Feel New
BY Shelby Hodge // 10.21.24
Elizabeth Hanje, soprano Ailyn Pérez share a moment at Houston Grand Opera's opening night and dinner celebration (Photo by Michelle Watson)
Despite the tragic ending of Il Trovatore, the charged drama of family strife and forbidden love, guests departed Houston Grand Opera’s season opener on an operatic high. For the vocals of the renowned opera luminaries on stage lifted everyone up even amid the melodrama of Verdi’s tale.
Thus, it was an ebullient throng, some 425 strong, that swanned into the lavish party tent erected on Fish Plaza outside of Wortham Theater Center, home to HGO and Houston Ballet.
“With Il Trovatore, you have to have four of the world’s greatest singers to be able to pull off this opera with aplomb,” Grammy-winning baritone Lucas Meachem notes. “And luckily Houston Grand Opera does.”
Indeed, the level of talent in the production was the talk of the evening as well as director Stephen Wadsworth‘s new vision that transported the 15th century tale to a split reality of old world and new.
There was only one reality, however, as the black-tie patrons entered the party tent — royal glamour. Regal burgundy draping, sparkling crystal chandeliers, royal blue velvet chair cushions and table cloths set this stage where gala chairs Janet Gurwitch and Ron Franklin led the charge in raising $612,000 toward Houston Grand Opera’s mission of enriching Greater Houston’s diverse community through the art of opera.
Houston Grand Opera general director and CEO Khori Dastoor noted prior to the performance, the 2024-25 season was a celebration of love, “a love letter to HGO’s audience.”
Elizabeth Anthony
In the brief yet also exhilarating program (the evening’s ardor would not be quashed), Dastoor paid special tribute to HGO artistic and music director Patrick Summers, who conducted the opera. Summers announced earlier this month that he would transition at the end of the 2025-26 season from artistic director to the Robert and Jane Cizik music director emeritus chair.
Dastoor also congratulated HGO board chair Claire Liu, whose leadership was recently recognized by OPERA America’s 2024 National Opera Trustee Recognition Awards.
To exuberant applause and cheers Summers and Dastoor introduced the Il Trovatore cast — mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis in her HGO debut as Azucena, soprano Ailyn Pérez as Leonora, baritenor Michael Spyres as Manrico, Meachem as Count di Luna, and bass Morris Robinson as Di Luna’s captain Ferrando.
PC Seen: Noted American composer Jake Heggie; Mike Rydin, who conducted the National Anthem at the evening’s start; Margaret Alkek Williams; Isabel and Danny David; Rachel and Warren Ellsworth; Jack Bell, Molly and Jim Crownover; Valerie and Tracy Dieterich; Joe Greenberg; Liz Grim and Jack Roth; Lindy and John Rydman; Franci Neely; Elizabeth and Richard Husseini; Teresa and José Ivo; Myrtle Jones; Carey Kirkpatrick; Michelle Klinger and Ru Flanagan; Anita and Gerald Smith; and generous Houston Grand Opera patrons Dian and Harlan Stai.
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