Utah Opera’s 2025–26 season: From horror to romance and redemption
Utah Opera has unveiled its 2025–26 season, a diverse lineup ranging from contemporary American opera to classic works of the European canon. The season will feature four productions — Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell’s The Shining, Beethoven’s Fidelio, Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, and Verdi’s La traviata — all staged at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre in downtown Salt Lake City.
The season opens with Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell’s The Shining, adapted from Stephen King’s iconic novel. The opera follows Jack Torrance, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic who takes a winter caretaker position at the haunted Overlook Hotel. As supernatural forces prey on his weaknesses, Jack descends into madness, endangering his wife Wendy and son Danny, whose psychic “shining” reveals the hotel’s dark secrets. Moravec’s score and Campbell’s libretto transform the psychological horror into a gripping operatic thriller that examines addiction, isolation, and the fragility of family bonds. Performances run October 11–19.
In January 2026, Utah Opera will present Beethoven’s Fidelio, the composer’s only opera and a stirring hymn to justice, freedom, and love. The story centers on Leonore, who disguises herself as a young man named Fidelio to infiltrate a prison and rescue her husband Florestan, a political prisoner unjustly incarcerated. Through themes of courage and liberation, Beethoven combines tender domestic moments with a monumental finale that celebrates triumph over tyranny. The production will be staged January 17–25.
March brings a lighter turn with Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, a romantic comedy brimming with charm and bel canto melodies. The opera tells the story of Nemorino, a poor and lovesick villager, who falls for the wealthy and independent Adina. Hoping to win her affection, Nemorino buys a supposed love potion from the traveling quack Dr. Dulcamara. What follows is a series of comic misunderstandings, heartfelt arias, including the famous “Una furtiva lagrima,” and a joyful resolution as true love prevails. Performances run March 7–15, 2026.
The season closes in May with Verdi’s La traviata, one of the most beloved operas in the repertoire. Inspired by Alexandre Dumas fils’ La Dame aux Camélias, the work follows Violetta Valéry, a glamorous Parisian courtesan who sacrifices her own happiness for the sake of her lover, Alfredo Germont, under pressure from his disapproving father. Combining lush melodies with searing drama, La traviata is a timeless exploration of love, class, and the cruelty of social judgment. Utah Opera will present the production May 9–17, 2026.
Together, these four operas showcase Utah Opera’s commitment to offering audiences both bold contemporary storytelling and timeless classics of the repertoire.
