{"id":192997,"date":"2025-12-31T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/?p=192997"},"modified":"2025-12-31T16:10:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T23:10:23","slug":"opera-for-everyone-park-city-opera-and-the-value-of-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/arts\/art\/performance-theatre\/opera-for-everyone-park-city-opera-and-the-value-of-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Opera for Everyone: Park City Opera and the Value of Community"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Park
Even though Park City Opera has only been around since 2024, they have made huge strides in bringing opera to the masses. Photo: Kevin TK Frantz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Who do you picture in the audience of an average opera? How are they dressed? How many of them are using those little monocles? Perhaps they\u2019re discussing the talent of the tenor who sang the cadenza at the end of the aria, or maybe they\u2019re commenting on how well the sweet sound of the continuo complemented the end of the third act. I don\u2019t know about you, but I would feel out of place. I didn\u2019t know that a cadenza is the moment the orchestra goes quiet to let a singer put on an improvised vocal display, or that continuo refers to an accompaniment in the orchestra that provides a bassline and adds harmony.<\/p>\n

Opera can seem complicated and above thee, but it doesn\u2019t have to be. This is something Park City Opera is working to change. Although still in their florescence, they are changing the scene and working to make opera an art form that anyone can enjoy. Park City Opera got their start in March 2024 with a summer concert season. Their very first performance of any kind was held at the Park City Library<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty much every event that we produce is done in partnership with another community organization.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Their second (and first full) season included a year-round concert series and inaugural large-scale operatic production, Gioachino Rossini<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s The Barber of Seville<\/em><\/a>. For the upcoming summer 2026 season, the troupe is planning two main stage operas: Aaron Copland<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s The Tender Land<\/em><\/a>, which co-founder and Artistic Director Benjamin Beckman<\/strong><\/a> calls \u201cthe classic Americana opera,\u201d and another classic, Charles Gounod<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s Rom\u00e9o et Juliette<\/em><\/a>. The season also includes a \u201cvery packed\u201d concert series put on in partnership with Mountain Town Music, a Park City nonprofit that often presents live music.<\/p>\n

Park City Opera has worked with \u201cmore than a dozen different community organizations,\u201d according to co-founder and Executive Director Lena Goldstein<\/strong><\/a>. \u201cPretty much every event that we produce is done in partnership with another community organization,\u201d she says. Working with these organizations allows the troupe to utilize a variety of venues. Goldstein points out the greenhouse at Park City Gardens<\/em><\/a> as a favorite: \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful glass greenhouse filled with plants. We sort of turned the aisles into seating. We do prosecco and present a full concert of songs and arias.\u201d co-founder and Development Director Lisl Wangermann<\/strong><\/a> recalls the Park City Library<\/em> as an impactful venue for the troupe. \u201cWe see a lot of kids there, and that\u2019s really, really exciting to see the next generation of performers and audience members discovering something new,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t really do opera by just yourself \u2026 It just provides a lot of opportunity to meet other creatives and other organizations.\u201d <\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Riley
Park City Opera strives to make opera feel accessible and welcome even more local artists. Photo: Kevin TK Frantz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Working with the local community is a core tenet of Park City Opera as the organization works to break down opera\u2019s highbrow reputation. Things like offering free events and giving opportunities to Utah-based artists are all a part of that effort. Goldstein describes this as \u201cextremely important\u201d to the organization and an \u201cimpetus for founding Park City Opera to begin with.\u201d As Wangermann says, \u201cYou can\u2019t really do opera by just yourself \u2026 It just provides a lot of opportunity to meet other creatives and other organizations.\u201d She says opera forces a \u201cmeeting of the minds\u201d because so many people are involved in each production.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking everything around the performance \u2026 just as fun for an audience member as the performance itself.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The troupe also prioritizes producing \u201caudience-centered\u201d opera. They want to put on shows that everyone can enjoy. \u201cYou go and hear a world-class performance, but the chairs are uncomfortable, it\u2019s hard to find parking and there are no concessions \u2026 that\u2019s not fun, especially if you\u2019re not someone who\u2019s familiar with opera,\u201d Beckman says. Park City Opera is trying to \u201ccounteract\u201d that experience, he says, \u201cby making everything around the performance \u2026 just as fun for an audience member as the performance itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the idea of accessible opera piques your interest, or maybe you just want to get acquainted with the art form, Park City Opera is the troupe for you! \u201cWe just want to see you at our shows. We will make sure you feel comfortable and welcome and that you have all the information you need to fully enjoy the show,\u201d Wangermann says. To learn more about Park City Opera and their upcoming season, visit parkcityopera.org<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read more performing arts content here:\u00a0<\/strong>
\nPygmalion Productions Is on a Mission To Elevate Women\u2019s Voices<\/a>
\nInto the Limelight: Fleet Co-op is Changing the Dance Industry<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Opera can seem complicated and above thee, but it doesn\u2019t have to be. This is something Park City Opera is working to change. … read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":193200,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","_expiration-date-status":"","_expiration-date":0,"_expiration-date-type":"","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[],"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[12429,3024],"tags":[30874,30873,30875,30876,30871,30872,30869,30870,30868,30879,30877,30878],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192997"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=192997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192997\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/193200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=192997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=192997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=192997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}