LA BOHÈME

THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER SUNG

A flickering candle and an accidental touch of cold hands in the dark - so begins one of the greatest love stories in all of opera. Join the bohemian revolution in the heart of Paris as a group of struggling artists strives to create beautiful art, find love and ultimately live life to the fullest in this romantic operatic blockbuster, which features some of the most familiar and beautiful music ever written. 

For over 100 years, Puccini’s most celebrated opera has moved audiences to laughter and tears with its irresistible music and its timeless tale. Soprano Julie Adams makes her DMMO debut as Mimí in the beloved revival of the company's 2011 production.

CANDIDE

THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS

Sparkling with wit and humor, Candide is part opera, part musical and entirely irreverent, drawing on everything from European operetta to Latin American dance rhythms. Bernstein’s score abounds with spectacular music, including a famous overture, the soprano showpiece “Glitter and Be Gay,” and the soaring finale, “Make Our Garden Grow.” Voltaire’s philosophical spoof becomes a brilliant and breathless operetta that bumbles about from the Old World to the New and back again. Young Candide’s tutor told him that this was “the best of all possible worlds” and through war, plague, earthquake, shipwreck and the Spanish Inquisition, he steadfastly believed it. You will, too, when you see our remarkable cast tell this fantastic new production with frenzy, fabulous color, and flair!

WOZZECK

THE OPERA THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

The quintessential “modern” opera, Wozzeck still hasn’t lost its bite. Alban Berg’s masterpiece combines the music of intense emotional power and lyricism with a profoundly dramatic story. Berated by his captain and overcome by jealousy, Wozzeck tries to make sense of his fragmented, dreamlike mental state with disastrous results. Nearly 100 years after its premiere, Wozzeck still sounds dramatically modern. But the style that shocked listeners in 1925 sounds seamlessly natural today, so perfectly suited to character and incident that the drama and its soundtrack unfold together with utter clarity. 

GLORY DENIED

THE SAGA OF JIM THOMPSON, America's Longest-held PRISONER OF WAR

America’s longest-held prisoner of war returns to a country he no longer recognizes and a family who barely recognizes him. Glory Denied speaks to the plight of so many of our veterans who nobly fight for their country but face huge challenges when it comes to repatriation—and their longed-for civilian lives—after service. This true story of Vietnam veteran Colonel Jim Thompson explores the unimaginable bravery asked of soldiers and even the nature of hope itself.

Des Moines Metro Opera’s second installment of an on-site performance collaboration with the Camp Dodge Joint Maneuver Training Center and the Iowa Army National Guard is an initiative that gives voice to the stories of the men and women who have served our country and also to the stories of their loved ones. Through these performances, we explore not only what we ask of our heroes through the courage and sacrifice of their service but also how we receive them when they return home. 

Each performance will be followed by a curated talk-back session featuring reflections from Iowa combat veterans and active service members alongside the cast and creative team.