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Seattle Opera
@seattleopera.bsky.social
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Bringing the Seattle community together through opera since 1963.
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seattleopera.bsky.social
Throughout December we'll be collecting donations for Plymouth Housing's supply drive. Supplies will go to Kristin Benson Place, a supportive housing development for adults experiencing homelessness, located across the street from McCaw Hall.
A woman puts a brown paper bag of donations into a cart at the Opera Center. Text reads "Call for donations, Plymouth Housing supply drive, bring donations to the Opera Center through the month of December"
November 24, 2025 at 10:39 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
Call for stories and photos: The Lavender Names Project is a collaboration between the American LGBTQ+ Museum and Up Until Now Collective, created in tandem with the 10th Anniversary Tour of the trailblazing opera Fellow Travelers, which begins here at Seattle Opera.
A man in a 1950's style busines suit carries a jacket and briefcase. He stands next to a park bench and looks at a wall of portraits, historical photos of government employees who were discriminated against during the lavender scare. Text reads: The Lavender Names Project, call for LGBTQ+ stories and photos.
November 18, 2025 at 8:49 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
Our annual Black Artists Market is expanding to two days! In partnership with @artenoirnow.bsky.social December 5 will be in Midtown Square in the Central District, and December 6 will be at the Opera Center. Learn more at seattleopera.org/market

Art by Myron Curry.
A portrait painting of black woman wearing a head wrap, with her eyes slightly closed and hands gently touching her chin. The artist has painted her in a stylized rainbow of colors, so her face and the background are shades of green, pink, orange, yellow, and purple, while her head wrap is painted in shades of brown and olive green. Text reads Black Artists Market, Dec. 5, Midtown Square, Dec. 6, the Opera Center, In partnership with Arte Noir, Art by Myron Curry.
November 14, 2025 at 8:52 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
We're proud to share that our Veterans Choir performed at Peer Seattle's "Honoring All Who Served: LGBTQ+ Veterans Celebration" program this Veterans Day.

Photos by David Carroll.
In the foreground, sheet music on a music stand reads "A Tribute to the Armed Services." In the background and slighly out of focus, a small audience sits in chairs, most of them looking to the right. Two rows of 11 Veterans in black and tan t-shirts that read "Seattle Opera Brave" stand and sing in front of music stands. A row of Veterans, both men and women of all ages, in black t-shirts that read "Seattle Opera Brave" stand in front of music stands and sing. Behind them, a projector screen shows an American flag. A group of four Veterans, two elderly and two middle aged, stand in front of music stands and sing.
November 12, 2025 at 11:31 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
Time to don your gayest apparel, Seattle! Join queen Anita Spritzer for her brand new holiday special, Anita Spritzer's Gay Apparel, along with pianist Jay Rozendaal for a night full of festive music and seasonal favorites.

Get tix at seattleopera.org/gayapparel
Drag queen Anita Spritzer's face pops out from a pile of red and green sparkly Christmas ornaments. Her eyebrows are red, her eyelids are green, and her eyelashes are one inch long. A red bow across the top has gold glittery text that reads: "Anita Spritzer's Gay Apparel"
November 11, 2025 at 11:20 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
Our supply drive during The Pirates of Penzance filled an entire cart with household supplies and winter gear for our friends at CASA Latina! These supplies will help Latino immigrant workers in our local community.

Check out our next donation drive at seattleopera.org/supplydrive
Two women stand on a sidewalk on either side of a large canvas cart full of supply donations, holding a thumbs up.
November 5, 2025 at 10:28 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
We had a fantastic time welcoming the community to the Opera Center at our annual Open House! Over 750 people visited, enjoying live performances, a pirate dance lesson, tours of the costumes and props shops, Q&A's, a live feed of rehearsal, and lots of activities for kids.

📸 Sunny Martini
A woman wearing a paper pirate hat sits at a children's craft table, showing everyone a boat made from a paper plate folded in half, and a paper sail on a popsicle stick. On stage, a woman with short blonde hair wearing a colorful striped shirt sits on a rattan bench. Behind her, a man sits at a grand piano. A group for four people, one man and three women of various ages, look at a table of stage props A woman and a child stand against a black backdrop covered in the Seattle Opera logo, trying on costumes and posing for a photo.
November 4, 2025 at 9:28 PM
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We're excited to announce the world premiere of The Wedding Banquet in 2027! Composed by Huang Ruo with libretto by James Schamus, the opera is inspired by the beloved 1993 film and the reimagined version that debuted earlier this year.

Learn more at seattleopera.org/weddingbanquet
Black and white headshots of a man on the left wearing glasses, a newspaper cap, cardigan and bowtie, and a man on the right wearing a white collared shirt and suit jacket. Text reads "2027 world premiere, The Wedding Banquet, Music by Huang Ruo, Libretto by James Schamus"
October 22, 2025 at 8:56 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
This Friday, October 24 is Pay What You Wish night at The Pirates of Penzance! Learn more about how to purchase Pay What You Wish tickets at seattleopera.org/pwyw
The Pirate King stands atop a pirate ship, arms outstretched and smiling wide. Three pirates surround him, two down below and one swinging from a rope ladder on the ship. Text reads: Pay What You Wish, The Pirates of Penzance, Friday, October 24.
October 20, 2025 at 11:22 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
PUPPIES OF PENZANCE! 🐾 We were very paw-leased to welcome 13 Guide Dogs for the Blind puppies-in-training and their raisers to the dress rehearsal of The Pirates of Penzance.
A woman in a red trench coat stands next to a golden retriever, who sits and looks up at her. Five golden retrievers and yellow labs stand around the lobby of McCaw Hall with their raisers. A group of puppy raisers sit on the grand staircase of the McCaw Hall lobby with their guide dog in training puppies, all yellow labs or golden retrievers and one black lab. A golden retriever puppy flops on the ground and stretches out in front of the grand staircase.
October 17, 2025 at 9:49 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
The queens are coming! 🦇🎃 Get ready for a night of drag artistry and Halloween antics at our annual Queens of the Night party, hosted by Seattle's own belting diva, Anita Spritzer, with performances by Queen Andrew Scott, Rowan Ruthless, and Fabi.

Get tickets at www.seattleopera.org/halloween
Headshots of four fabulous drag queens serving maximum slayage, each taking up a corner of the image. Clouds fill the space between them and the whole image is tinted purple with green accents. Lower right corner reads: Queens of the Night, October 31, 7:30 PM, at the Opera Center.
October 14, 2025 at 4:39 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
It's vampire season and we need your blood! 🧛 In partnership with Bloodworks Northwest we're hosting a blood drive this Monday, October 13 from 10:00 AM—4:00 PM at the Opera Center.

Donors will be entered to win a trip to Tokyo + concert of your choice!

Register at seattleopera.org/bloodworks
Music's in our blood. Drop in to Tokyo. Donate Blood Sept-Oct to win. You + 1 flight + hotel + your concert of choice: Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK.
October 9, 2025 at 5:47 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
Our talented cast of The Pirates of Penzance is hard at work swashbuck- *ahem* ...rehearsing for a life of piracy (or a few weeks of it, at least). Photos by David Jaewon Oh.
In a rehearsal studio, 4 performers gather around a person sitting cross legged holding a birthday cake on their head. The performers have various expressions of surprise and joy with jazz hands, and one who's tasted the cake. A woman with long black hair wearing a neon green shirt and long black skirt smiles wide as she's hugged by a man in a white shirt and khaki pants with a sword stuck through his red cumberbund. A man in a light blue polo shirt and black pants sits on a steamer trunk, striking a dainty pose, with his sword pointed down touching the floor and holding the hilt with pinkies up. In a rehearsal studio, a woman with long black hair wearing a neon green shirt and long black skirt uses a bouquet of flowers to take a jab as one would with a sword.
October 2, 2025 at 11:30 PM
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Anchor's away! 🏴‍☠️⚓️ This week we kick off rehearsal for The Pirates of Penzance with our amazing cast, creative, and staging teams.

The Pirates of Penzance is on stage October 18 through November 1, with audio description on October 26. Get tickets at seattleopera.org/pirates
Three rows and four columns of portraits of opera singers. Thomas Glass, Major-General Stanley, Reginald Smith Jr., The Pirate King, David Portillo, Frederic, Vanessa Becerra, Mabel, Katharine Goeldner, Ruth, Nathan Stark, Sergeant of Police, Ilya Silchukou, Samuel, Tess Altiveros, Edith, Erica Convery, Kate, Elizabeth Peterson, Isabel. Four rows and four columns of headshots of the creative team and staging staff. David Charles Abell, Conductor, Seán Curran, Stage Director & Choreographer, James Schuette, Scenery & Costume Designer, Robert Wierzel, Lighting Designer, Robertson Witmer, Sound Designer, Ashlee Naegle, Wigs, Hair, and Makeup Manager and Designner, Lynn Baker, Language Coach, Michaella Calzaretta, Chorus Master, Bobby Collins, Associate Director, Nadja Simmonds, Assistant Stage Director, Jonathan Moore, Production Stage Manager, Quinn Chase, Assistant Stage Manager, Jamie Kranze, Assistant Stage Manager.
September 23, 2025 at 11:08 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
Come visit the opera center and take a peek behind the scenes! Our annual open house, in partnership with Classical KING FM, is your chance to explore all the exciting work that happens at the Opera Center. Get details at seattleopera.org/openhouse
crowd sitting on indoor bleachers smiles and raises their hands. Text inside a blue outlined box in the lower left reads "Open house at the opera center, Saturday, October 4, 1:00-4:00 PM."
September 9, 2025 at 9:46 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
We're holding auditions for youth chorus performers for this season's production of Carmen! Youth choristers can look forward to performing in iconic scenes like the "Chorus of Street Children" and the bullfight finale, "Les voici! Voici la quadrille." Register at seattleopera.org/youthauditions
Black text on a bright yellow background reads: Call for auditions, youth chorus for Carmen, November 4, 5, & 8, 2025. Youth performers who wish to audition must: be between the ages of 9–16, have a treble or unchanged voice, have musical comprehension, be able to harmonize independently, possess good stage presence, come prepared with one song, memorized with piano (pianist provided). Youth chorus positions are volunteer, with parking and mileage reimbursement provided, and performers must be available for all performance dates, May 3–17. Registration is required. Register to audition by 5 PM, October 27, 2025.
September 8, 2025 at 5:34 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
Our website and ticketing system are down for scheduled maintenance today 🛠️ If you need assistance with tickets during this time, please email tickets@seattleopera.org.
Photo of a man with dark hair and a 5 o'clock shadow wearing a gray cargo jumpsuit and gray newspaper cap. He leans against a red 1940's convertible, holding a dirty rag with his arms crossed. The car is missing its front wheel and is set up to be worked on. Yellow text reads "Our website and ticketing system are down for scheduled maintenance today. Thanks for your patience."
September 3, 2025 at 4:22 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
We're holding auditions for 4 dancers for our upcoming production of Carmen! We're casting for 3 masculine characters and 1 feminine character. We welcome all gender identities to audition for the role they feel is right for them. Register to audition at seattleopera.org/dancerauditions
A text graphic with black text on a yellow background. Text reads: Call for auditions, dancers for Carmen, October 20, 205 at 7:00 PM. We're casting 4 adult dancers for Georges Bizet's Carmen—3 masculine characters and 1 feminine character. We welcome all gender identities to audition for the role they feel is right for them. Details & requirements: daytime availability for rehearsals is required, must be available for all performance dates, all dance styles welcome. A strong jazz, ballet, or musical theater background encouraged. Please bring a current headshot and resume, positions are paid (AGMA contract). Registration is required to audition. The deadline to register is 5:00 PM, October 6, 2025.
August 27, 2025 at 7:01 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
Come work with us! We have several full-time and part-time positions open across departments, including Marketing, Programs & Partnerships, Production, Audience Services, and the Amusements Gift Shop.

www.seattleopera.org/jobs
Exterior shot of the Seattle Opera offices, a rectangular building with the first two stories made of glass, and the top story covered in dark gray rectangles of various sizes. In front of the building is a low concrete wall with the words Seattle Opera in metal letters. Text on the image reads "Come work with us! Apply for open positions at seattleopera.org/jobs"
August 25, 2025 at 9:07 PM
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We're teaming up with Village Theatre, Seattle Rep, Union Arts Center, and Pacific Northwest Ballet for a costume sale! A combined 2,500 pieces will be for sale in this rare public event.

Tickets go on sale Aug. 25 at 12 p.m. More info at seattleopera.org/costumesale
A rack of costumes hang from an orange, industrial clothing rack. The image is framed at a low angle looking slightly upward, as the rack angles from low on the left to high on the right. The most prominent garment is an orange short sleeved dress on the right. Behind it are various dresses and tops in peachy white, purple, blue, green and brown stripes, and black with polka dots. In the lower left corner, yellow text inside a yellow square frame reads "Costume Sale," and in white text, "September 27 at the Opera Center."
August 18, 2025 at 8:04 PM
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Fun fact: Our 1995 production of Carmen was so salacious it caused the Seattle Times to run a phone poll for people to sound off!

Callers were asked to vote "Bravo!" or "Shame on you!" in response to this scandalous staging. Read more to find out how the people of Seattle voted: bit.ly/4mromAb
Two men and three women are seated in blue wooden chairs around a rectangular table. The women wear heavy 1980's style makeup, low-cut corsets, silk robes, fishnet stockings, and black heels, and two of them have their feet kicked up on the table. One man on the left wears a hot pink suit jacket with black trim, and the other man wears a white collared shirt covered in small flowers and holds an apple in his hand.
August 6, 2025 at 11:31 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
Looking back at some Carmens from the archive while we get ready for Carmen coming up this season. Which one is your fave?

1982, Victoria Vergara, by Des Gates
1987, Isola Jones, by Matthew McVay
2004, Stephanie Blythe, by Rozarii Lynch
2019, Ginger Costa-Jackson, by Sunny Martini
Against a black background, a woman with black hair and olive skin tone faces left, looking over her left shoulder as her red dress ripples behind her to the right taking up the lower quadrant of the frame. Her hair is pinned up in a bun with white flowers, she wears a peasant style white top, red bodice covered in black lace, and an ankle length red skirt. Her eyes are focused intensely, lips parted, and cheekbones sharp. Behind her to the left and partially obscured by her figure, a man with brown hair and olive skin tone wears a light blue military uniform trimmed with yellow, and looks up to the right. Against a black background, a woman with black wavy chest-length hair and black skin tone wears a red dress and stands with her hands flat, slightly below her hips. The dress is low cut with a flat neckline and the thick straps hang off either shoulder. The bodice is tight and short, ending high on her waist followed by a full skirt with leaf designs on the right and small ruffles around the bottom. The woman looks to the right, smiling with her mouth wide open and eyes focused. Behind her, five townspeople gather to watch. Against a grey wall and open doorway, a woman in a red dress and a man in a toreador outfit embrace. On the left, the man faces the right with his back mostly to us. He wears a black toreador cap, a black jacket covered in gold beaded embroidery, black knee-length pants with gold foliage embroidered down the leg, white stockings, and black shoes. On the right, a woman with auburn hair pulled into a low bun and white skin tone wears an elbow length red silk bodice with black lace trim. Her full length skirt is made of three tiers of pleated red silk, with a red silk bustle trimmed with black lace. Against the backdrop of a brick building with green window trim and shutters, and green double doors, and below an illuminated lantern on the wall, a woman sits on a motorcycle smoking a cigarette. She has black hair pulled into a low bun, and white skin tone with sharp black eyeliner and red lips. She wears a necklace of black jewels each with a diamond halo and matching earrings. Her dress is a sweetheart top with thick straps, and is black with large red roses all over. She wears black panty hose and red high heels. She holds a cigarette to the left, with her legs crossed, and looks sharply to the right. In front of her and to the right are two chairs and a round table with a black bottle sitting on it. The bottle cap sits next to the bottle.
August 5, 2025 at 6:32 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
Feeling nostalgic? You can explore photos, video clips, and programs from nearly all of our previous productions (1964-2015) online. Take a look back at some of our past operas and tell us about your faves! 🔎

seattleopera50.com
An illustrated program cover for La bohème. A man on the left and woman on the right embrace and hold hands in between them, looking into each others' eyes. The man has brown wavy hair and a beard and mustache, olive skin, and wears a long teal blue overcoat and brown scarf, brown pants, and brown shoes. The woman has black hair pulled into a bun with a curly strand hanging at her ear, olive skin, and wears a white blouse and brown floor length skirt with a periwinkle blue shawl. behind them, the left half of the image is various shades of yellow brushstrokes. The right half is the rooftops of a city, a dark blue sky with stars and a crescent moon. Below the rooftops are cafe goers sitting at tables beneath an awning that reads "-afe momus." The style of this image is painterly, with thick, wide brush strokes creating geometric angles and shapes, while having a softy, glowy texture. Text in the upper left reads "encore arts program, May 2007." Text below reads "La bohème, music by Giacomo Puccini, Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica, Seattle Opera, Speight Jenkins, General Director." A program cover for The Marriage of Figaro. The illustration is made of cut out paper, precisely layered, cut, and arranged to create the image. In the foreground are rows of muted blue and muted pink and purple lines spreading towards the viewers, with a bundle of pink and red flowers with grean leaves in the middle. In the middle ground, three figures stand. A faceless woman with red hair in a bun and white skin on the far left wears a purple puffy sleeved bodice with a white Elizabethan collar, and an orange hoop skirt. In the middle, a faceless woman with long blond hair and white skin wears a gray long sleeved bodice and gray and pink striped full skirt, holding a bouquet of flowers and ribbons at her waist. On the right, a man with jaw-lenght blond hair and white skin wears a wide brimmed purple and yellow hat with a plume of yellow feathers cascading out the top, a collar of white elongated triangles, a yellow shirt, and a cape of pink and orange stripes. Behind them, 4 light brown trees stand in a row. The backdrop is solid black, and the text above reads "encore" in linear, 1980's futuristic font. A program cover for the Magic Flute. In curly black cursive font, text at the top reads "Mozart's The Magic Flute" and at the bottom, "Seattle Opera, March 9, 11, 15, 17, 18, 19." In the center on a solid white background is a light blue illustration of a boy and a girl floating above a tree. The girl has her arm around the boy, while the boy plays a flute. Wind blows their hair and clothes to the left. They float above a large, round, fruit-bearing tree that's growing atop a small mound in agrassy field. At the base of the tree, two figures sit leaned against each other, their faces close, holding hands over their shoulders and smiling at each other. A program cover for Il trovatore. Against a solid black backdrop, a smaller vertical rectangle sits within the edge of the image. A woman with long brown curly hair, olive skin, wearing a long sleeved brown robe embraces an oval mirror that's on fire. Flames ripple around her hands and up towards her neck, making her face glow. Her eyes and forehead are partially cut off by the edge of the image. Text at the top reads "Encore, 1996/97 season, Seattle Opera" in linear, 1980's futuristic font.
July 29, 2025 at 9:15 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
Iconic red dresses from the past few seasons 🌹

Tosca (2025), Vanessa Goikoetxea and Rame Lahaj. By Sunny Martini.
Orpheus & Eurydice (2022), Sharleen Joynt. By Philip Newton.
Eugene Onegin (2019), Marina Costa-Jackson. By Sunny Martini.
Carmen (2019), Ginger Costa-Jackson. By Sunny Martini.
Tosca kneels and clings to Cavaradossi's collar while he sits in a chair. Tosca's black curly hair is pinned up, and she wears a gold tiara. Her red velvet dress pools around her legs as she kneels, and her white gloved hands clutch Cavaradossi's neck tie. Cavaradossi has black wavy hair and a subtle beard. he wears a plum tailcoat, tan pants, and knee high black boots. He sits in a black and gold chair and grips Tosca's arm, looking at her. Amore stands with her arms held up, palms out, and smiles. She has cherry red hair that's tight at the sides and stands up on the top. She wears a bright red suit jacket and wide leg pants. On the shoulders of the suit jacket are various pieces of fabric in feather-like shapes, creating the illusion of flames. Tatyana stands in a floor lenth gown with her hands clasped in front of her waist, looking off to the left. She has black curly hair pinned up in an up-do, with a cherry red piece of fabric wrapped like a headband. She wears bright red lipstick and has long black eyelashes, and a silver and red matching earring and jewelry set. Her dress is bright cherry red, and scoops at the collar, with capped short sleeves and cinched just under the bust. She wears elbow length white gloves, and has a matching red piece of fabric wrapped around her like a shawl, hanging off each wrist. Carmen and Escamillo hold hands, outstretched at shoulder height, with confetti falling around them and onlookers celebrating in the background. Carmen wears a bright red long-sleeved, v-neck dress that flares at the bottom. Her black hair is pulled into a low bun with a red flower, and she wears a big red necklace. A red flower is pinned at the V of her neckline. The lower half of her dress has many layers of ruffly red fabric that part in the middle to reveal her legs. Escamillo wears a traditional red and gold toreador, or bullfighter, outfit, consisting of a red and gold long sleeved top, a knee-lenght matchign cape, knee length matching pants, white stockings, black shoes, and a black cap.
July 28, 2025 at 7:28 PM
seattleopera.bsky.social
Did you know the first opera we ever performed was Tosca, back in 1964? A run of Aida at the 1962 World's Fair left Seattle "in the grip of Aida fever" and ready for an opera house. Enter: us! Our first season consisted of Tosca and Carmen over two weekends, drawing an audience of 10,000.
A black and white photo of a woman sitting behind an ornate wooden table, and a man standing behind her to the left. She faces right, her light hair is pinned loosely up in an up-do with a crown-like headband. Her eyelashes and eye makeup are thick and dark, and her brows furrowed and lips turned down. She wears a long dark gown with an open back displaying her shoulders, and a panel in the front with decorative floral motifs. The man standing behind her has light hair with two horizontal curls at his ears, and a mustache and goatee. He wears a white 4-tiered jabot or ascot around his neck, a tailcoat, and buckled shoes, and holds the back of the chair. On the table is a white tablecloth, 6 various stemmed glasses and teacups filled with liquid, plates, a golden cherub, and two candles: one on a tall candelabra and one short. A black and white photo of three men on the right and a woman on the left, with side-stage lights behind them. On the left, a man in a white collared shirt, black overcoat, tight pants, and tall black boots is being held at either arm by two other men. The men on his left and right wear 2-pointed hats, black waistcoats, white shirts with the ruffles peeking out at the sleeves, black pants, and tall boots. In front of the group is an ornate wooden table with a white tablecloth. they stand on a square rug. On the right, a woman stands with her fingers gently touching her chest, and her other hand facing down at her waist. Her light hair is wavy and pinned up. She wears a dark floor-length cape, a floor-length gown, and white gloves that stop at her wrists. A black and white photo shows a woman standing on a stage. She stands facing right, with her face completely obscured by her dark, long hair. She wears a calf-length dress with loose, short, lace-trimmed sleeves and a skirt of two tiers of lace trimmed layers, and dark, close-toed high heels. She rests her hand on her hip. In front of her is a square wooden table with one chair, and behind her in the distance, another square table with three drinking cups on it and two barrels as chairs. Stage lights pour out from above the table, and two backstage curtains hang on either side of the light. A black and white photo taken from the side of the stage shows a group of people on stage performing. In the middle, a woman twirls in a white dress with polka dots, her arm raised above her head. 5 women around her twirl in ruffly, two-tiered skirts. In the foreground, a group of men sit around a table facing the dancers with their backs to the camera. They are obscured and dark from the stage lighting. In the distance, a stage light shines bright white from above the dancers.
July 23, 2025 at 5:26 PM