Washington National Opera
Songbird
Eisenhower Theater
The carefree Parisian nightlife of Offenbach’s La Périchole finds its match—Prohibition-Era New Orleans—in this reimagined, jazz-infused comedy.
Mar. 9 - 23, 2024
Genre
Opera
Price Range
$69.00 – $195.00
Runtime
1 Hour and 29 Minutes with No Intermission
WNO Season Sponsor
View Digital Program
Isabel Leonard and Ramin Karimloo in WNO's Songbird. Photo by Scott Suchman.
NEW PRODUCTION
Adapted from Jacques Offenbach’s La Périchole
New Orleans in the 1920s is roaring with decadence, but singers and lovers Songbird and Piquillo are down on hard times. As Mardi Gras arrives, the Mayor disguises himself and lures Songbird to be his mistress with the promise of food and lodging. Now Songbird must choose between financial security and true love. What’s a hungry artist to do?
Jazz meets operetta in this playful new riff on Jacques Offenbach’s La Périchole. Offenbach’s comedic love story is transported to the glimmer and corruption of New Orleans during Prohibition, while his melodies are reimagined in the swinging style of the Jazz Age. Grammy Award®–winning superstar mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard portrays a struggling artist torn between her livelihood and her love; while Tony®-nominated leading man Ramin Karimloo stars as her fellow singer and lover. With toe-tapping music, glamorous costumes, mistaken identities, and comic twists, Songbird infuses Frenchman Street flair into the classic “opéra bouffe” while keeping all of its irresistible charm.
This performance features no intermission.
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Adaptation created by Eric Sean Fogel, James Lowe, and Kelley Rourke
Musical arrangement and orchestration by James Lowe
English lyrics and book by Kelley Rourke
Based on La Périchole by Jacques Offenbach, Henri Meilhac, and Ludovic Halévy
In French and English with Projected English Titles
Commissioned by The Glimmerglass Festival, 2021
Cast of WNO's Songbird. Photo by Scott Suchman
Isabel Leonard in WNO's Songbird. Photo by Scott Suchman
Edward Nelson in WNO's Songbird. Photo by Scott Suchman
Ramin Karimloo, Jonathan Patton, and Sahel Salam in WNO's Songbird. Photo by Scott Suchman
Cecelia McKinley and Teresa Perrotta in WNO's Songbird. Photo by Scott Suchman
Songbird
Piquillo
Don Andrès
Don Pedro
A Mobster
Guadalena
Librettist
Conductor
Director
Set Designer
Lighting Designer
Sound Designer
Delve deeper as you take a peek inside the composer’s mind, behind the scenes of planning a production, and into the history and social context of the opera.
Free with a Songbird ticket, starting 1 hour before every performance and lasting 25–30 minutes:
Don’t miss your opportunity to engage directly with our artists and share your thoughts on the experience you just had! Here’s your chance to ask questions and get the inside scoop on the production from members of the cast and creative team.
Free with a Songbird ticket, beginning immediately after the performance:
Mar. 11: WNO General Director Timothy O’Leary
Mar. 17: WNO Director of Production Chelsea Dennis
Help build a rich legacy on the values of artistic excellence, engagement with a broad community, and a thriving future for the art form of opera and its audiences.
All events and artists subject to change without prior notice.
All ticket prices are subject to change based on demand. Purchase early to lock in prices and the best seats!
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