As in first-ever: Arizona Opera becomes the first North American opera company to produce Hungarian Emmerich Kálmán’s 1954 operetta “Arizona Lady.”
Favorite works returning to Arizona: Bizet’s “Carmen,” which hasn’t been staged here since the 2010-11 season; and Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” last seen here in 2008-09. Both are new productions not yet mounted in Arizona.
Operas on deck that have never been performed in Arizona: Mexican composer Daniel Catán’s “Florencia en el Amazonas;” Giuseppe Verdi’s classic comedy “Falstaff’” and Kálmán’s “Arizona Lady.”
Languages besides English represented in the operas: French, Italian, German and Spanish.
Artists (directors, conductors and singers) making company debuts including baritone Morgan Smith and soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano — wife of Tucson-born pianist Christopher Cano — in “Don Giovanni;” mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack as Carmen; and conductors Kathleen Kelly and Joseph Mechavich.
Years since Arizona Opera mounted its first season in Tucson.
The schedule:
Performances are at Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. Season subscriptions are on sale at azopera.org or by phone at 293-4336.
- Kálmán’s “Arizona Lady,” Oct. 10-11.
- Catán’s “Florencia en el Amazonas,” Nov. 21-22.
- Bizet’s “Carmen,” Jan. 30-31, 2016.
- Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” March 5-6, 2016.
- Verdi’s “Falstaff,” April 9-10, 2016.
