In May and June, more than 20 New York City-based companies, large and small, will put on more than 25 events in venues around the city as part of the fourth annual New York Opera Fest.

“The Fest is a living, breathing example of opera’s ability to explore challenging, relevant themes in an impactful and meaningful way,” said the New York Opera Alliance.

The New York Opera Alliance works in partnership with OPERA America, the national service organization for opera and the nation’s leading advocate for American opera, based in the National Opera Center in New York City.

There is something for everyone during this year’s Fest.

Gender roles come to the forefront in Rhymes With Opera’s operatic treatment of the life of Eleanor Roosevelt and On Site Opera’s portrait of Lady Murasaki, author of the first novel. LGBTQ rights are the subject of The Stonewall Operas, four premieres performed in the West Village’s Stonewall Inn to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, as well as Hunter Opera’s take on Paula Kimper’s acclaimed Patience & Sarah.

Toxic masculinity is brought to bear in Opera Lafayette and Heartbeat Opera’s joint take on the Biblical story of Susanna and the little OPERA theatre of ny’s New York premiere of Benjamin Britten's Owen Wingrave.

On the political front, Donald Trump’s White House is the setting for Bronx Opera’s update of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado; Encompass New Opera Theatre’s Paradigm Shifts Music and Film Festival celebrates those fighting to preserve the environment in the face of climate change; and Vertical Player Repertory presents a musical setting of large portions of the United States Constitution. The Fest also features a performance in American Sign Language with a deaf actress mirroring the performance.

Continuing its commitment to contemporary music, this year’s Fest offers seven world premieres including Chunky in Heat (Experiments in Opera and Contemporaneous) and The Impossible She (Rhymes with Opera), as well as several New York City premieres.

The Fest also features innovative, accessible productions of the classics, including Carmen, Il Trovatore, Gianni Schicchi, The Magic Flute and more, as well as the rarely performed Hérodiade by Jules Massenet.

The Fest kicking off on April 29 at Marc Scorca Hall.

NYOA is excited to announce the return of FestTix: $25 tickets that grant access to a number of the Fest’s productions. FestTix will be on sale April 1 through May 1 on the New York Opera Fest website.

Schedule

• May 4 & 5: Bronx Opera presents The Mikado
  Lovinger Theatre, Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468

• May 2 – 5: New Camerata Opera presents The Rape of Lucretia
  The Flea Theater, 20 Thomas St, New York, NY 10007

• May 2 – 5: Opera Lafayette and Heartbeat Opera presents La Susanna
  BAM Fisher - Fishman Space, 321 Ashland Place, Brooklyn, NY, 11217

• May 6 – 19: Regina Opera Company presents Il Trovatore
  Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, 5902 6th Ave, Brooklyn NY 11220

• May 7 – 11: City Lyric Opera presents La Tragédie de Carmen
  West End Theater, 236 W. 86th St. New York, NY 100124

•  May 9: Opera on Tap presents Home Brew
  Freddy's Bar, 627 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

• May 9 – 10: Hunter Opera Theater in association with American Opera Projects presents Patience & Sarah
  The Kaye Playhouse, 695 Park Ave, New York, NY, 10065

• May 9 – 12: The Little Opera Theatre of NY presents Owen Wingrave
  GK ArtsCenter, 29 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201

• May 10: New Amsterdam Opera presents Hérodiade
  The Center at West Park, 165 W. 86th Street, New York, NY 10024

• May 10 – 12: Brooklyn College Opera Theatre presents Gianni Schicchi
  Don Buchwald Theater, Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts, 2900 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11210

• May 10 – 18: Rhymes With Opera presents The Impossible She
  124 Bank Street Theater, 124 Bank Street, New York, NY

• May 11 – 12: CantantiPROJECT presents Teseo
  The Underground Theater: Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002

• May 15 – 16: Americas Society presents Kopernikus
  22 Boerum Place, Brooklyn, NY 11201

• May 17: Collectio Musicorum, Inc. presents The Many Sounds of Rigoletto; the Music behind the Music
  Christ and St. Stephen's Church, 120 W 69th St, New York, NY 10023

• May 17 – May 29: On Site Opera presents Murasaki's Moon
  The Astor Court, Metropolitan Museum of Arts, 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028

• May 19 – May 20: American Opera Projects presents The Stonewall Operas
  The Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher Street, New York, New York

• May 30 – June 8: American Opera Projects presents As One
  Kaufman Music Center, Merkin Hall, 129 W 67th St, New York, NY 10023

• May 31 – June 2: Experiments in Opera presents Chunky In Heat
  The Flea Theater, 20 Thomas Street, New York, NY

• June 4 – June 8: Death of Classical presents Purcell: Dido & Aeneas
  The Catacombs of the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn

• June 7: Opera on Tap presents New Brew
  Barbes Brooklyn, 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215

• June 13 – 14: Opera on Tap presents The Playground Operas
  PS 129 - 25 W 130th St, New York, NY 10027

• June 27 – 30: Vertical Player Repertory presents The Constitution: A Secular Oratorio
  Behind The Door, 219 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

• Date TBD: Divaria Productions presents The Human Voice
  Venue TBD

• Date TBD: Encompass New Opera Theatre presents PARADIGM SHIFTS, Music, Opera & Film Festival
  Venue TBD

• Date TBD: Paula Kimper Ensemble presents Melody Book for “Song of Myself”
  Venue TBD