Make the most of your Operatic Experience with Pre- and Post-Event Activities
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Before both the Saturday and Sunday performance, a pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, providing an opportunity to learn about the context, music, and production you are about to see and hear.
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Following the Sunday, February 4 matinee, a post-performance discussion with the artists will follow in the Center for the Arts main lobby.
In a pledge to nurture the next generation of new opera experiences, Virginia Opera is thrilled to continue its 2023/2024 season with the “lyrical and historically vibrant” (NPR) contemporary opera Sanctuary Road by composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell, both of whom are Pulitzer Prize winners, on February 3 and 4. Based on the 1872 book by William Still, an African American leader on the Underground Railroad who helped more than 800 enslaved people escape to freedom, this production brings to life the many interviews of men and women Still helped find passage north.These performances of Sanctuary Road mark not only the Commonwealth of Virginia premiere, but also only the third fully staged production of the opera in the United States.
Having had its world-premiere staging of the original oratorio version of the piece in 2020 at Carnegie Hall in New York—a performance praised by BroadwayWorld for its “riveting, pulsating wall of sound [and] stellar soloists,” this expanded, fully staged version, as Virginia Opera’s Artistic Director Adam Turner states, aims to “resonate with the heart and soul of our community.” Turner continues, “Sanctuary Road is not only a tribute to our region’s rich history, but a testament to the enduring power of opera to connect us to our shared past and inspire our future." William Still’s writings have an especially strong connection to the local community, as approximately 30% of those he helped escape were from Virginia.
Furthering the production’s tie to Virginia is its all-star cast, all of which are making their Virginia Opera mainstage debut, forever securing their place in Virginia’s operatic community. The production features a handful of Virginia natives such as the “splendid, cavernous bass-baritone" (People’s World) Damien Geter as William Still and Adam Richardson as baritone solo. Additionally, Laquita Mitchell stars as soprano soloist, Terrence Chin-Loy as tenor soloist, and Tesia Kwarteng, graduate of Virginia Opera’s Herndon Foundation Emerging Artists Program and identified as a performer who can “do it all” by General Director and CEO of Columbus Opera Julia Noulin-Mérat, as mezzo-soprano soloist.
You won’t want to miss Damien Geter this February as he captures the history and richness of William Still’s incredible life. Watch a preview of Geter’s musical skills below.
The cast isn’t the only impressive feature of Sanctuary Road. Both making their Virginia Opera debuts are renowned conductor Dr. Everett McCorvey, whose work has been featured in six PBS documentaries, and New York-based director Kimille Howard, who has earned recognition as an assistant stage director at the Metropolitan Opera in addition to directing productions at Washington National Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, and the Glimmerglass Festival.
Dr. Everett McCorvey remarked on the significance of Sanctuary Road in the opera repertoire, stating, "This production serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit. It reminds us of the enduring relevance of the Underground Railroad's legacy and the importance of using music to share these stories. With a compelling cast and chorus, we aim to evoke the collective strength of those who sought sanctuary, making this work an unforgettable addition to the opera world."
This program is sponsored by The Mather.