Composed by Clint Borzoni, Libretto by John de los Santos Artistic, and Music Direction by James Barnett

On a bitterly cold Christmas Eve, a poor woodcutter and his two children have no gifts, barely enough to eat, and are in danger of losing their home to an impatient landlady. The surprise discovery of a large, but gentle arachnid leads to a seemingly miraculous turn of good fortune for the family, reinforcing the importance of love and togetherness. Inspired by a Ukrainian legend (which resulted in the placing of spider ornaments on Christmas trees for a lucky New Year), THE CHRISTMAS SPIDER is the third operatic collaboration between composer Clint Borzoni and librettist John de los Santos following When Adonis Calls and The Copper Queen. Their goal is to dramatize a new tale for all ages, complete with an original yuletide carol, that adds to the rich musical tapestry of the holiday canon.

Skylark Opera presents Stephen Sondheim’s Marry Me a Little at The Crane Theater in northeast Minneapolis, opening on August 8th with four additional performances August 9-11th. Craig Lucas and Norman Rene framed Sondheim’s brilliant music in a touching story about two single people in New York who find themselves alone on a Saturday night. Both yearn for love, never knowing that they are the answer to each other’s lonely dreams.

Tickets are on sale NOW for Skylark Opera Theatre’s third holiday production! We open on Friday, December 15th with a 7:00pm performance of David Conte’s exquisite opera, The Gift of the Magi, based on O. Henry's beloved short story. Performances are at the intimate, 150-seat Lowry Lab Theater at the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, continuing on Saturday, December 16th at 2:00pm and 7:00pm and Sunday, December 17th at 2:00pm and 6:00pm.

Fall in love with newlyweds Jim and Della as they search for the best gift of all. Bring the whole family to this touching holiday production with "...music of grand romantic feeling...a lush spectacle of extravagant lyricism...soaring duets and arias of Puccinian exuberance..." (Ching Chang, San Francisco Classical Voice).

In May, Skylark Opera Theatre will present the Minnesota premiere of Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers. This poignant chamber opera is based on a story by acclaimed playwright Terrence McNally. The libretto by Gene Scheer tells the bittersweet story of Broadway star Madeline Mitchell and her two adult children, Beatrice and Charlie, as they struggle- across three decades- to become a genuinely loving family. Filled with humor and heartache, sung in English to melodies worthy of a modern musical, this highly popular new opera affirms the power of love to offer healing and hope.

Skylark is thrilled to announce the stellar three-person Minnesota-based cast. Norah Long makes a welcome return to Skylark in the lead role of Madeline Mitchell, the famous but aging Broadway star, joined by Siena Forest as her daughter Beatrice and, in his Skylark Opera Theatre debut, Tony Potts as Madeline’s son Charlie. Three Decembers will be directed by the multi-talented Gary Briggle, with musical direction by Carson Rose Schneider.

Three Decembers will run for six performances at the beautiful 150-seat Jungle Theater, with opening night on May 12th and additional performances May 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21. Tickets go on sale February 13th at skylark.booktix.com with a special kick-off Valentine’s Day promotion.

Interested in learning more about the opera? Click here for a six-minute conversation with composer Jake Heggie about Three Decembers (contains a plot spoiler). And follow us and watch for conversations with the cast, stage director and music director on Skylark's Facebook page.

Gary Briggle brings his creative talents and artistic directing skills to Skylark Opera Theatre in his original adaption, getting to the essence of this very grand opera as an intimate chamber piece revolving around a quartet of four teenagers: the aloof dandy, Onegin; the impressionable country girl, Tatyana; her giddy sister, Olga; and Olga’s fiancé, the poetaster, Lenski.

For Gary, “the psychological details captured in Tchaikovsky’s music, the mood and character, rather than a mechanical plot are where the real drama lies in Eugene Onegin.” The 90 bracing minutes of Skylark’s production will bring you to “the heart of the matter.” It is intended to move you deeply and perhaps change the way you experience this exquisite opera.

Skylark Opera Theatre and The Museum of Russian Art will present Eugene Onegin March 25-27 and April 1-3, 2022 in a perfect pairing of outstanding Minnesota-based performers and a venue that will immerse you in the action. American Sign Language interpretation will be available for the performances on Friday, March 25th and Sunday, April 3rd. Seating for this special production is limited to only 100 patrons per performance, so mark your calendars and order your tickets early.

COVID protocols will be in place for the health and safety of everyone attending. All cast, crew and theater personnel have been fully vaccinated. Adherence to public health precautions will be in place including:

• Audience members wearing masks at all times in The Museum of Russian Art;

• Proof of vaccination and a photo identification card required.

Seating Information

There are 104 seats available for each performance of Eugene Onegin, all surrounding a center stage area that will create an immersive, intimate opera experience.

Rows A, C and E are the first rows immediately around the performance area.  Rows B, D and F are the 2nd rows. The rows are not elevated; the seating is offset to allow for an unrestricted viewing experience.

 For each of the longer side-rows, the seat number 1 is nearest to the entry of the museum gallery.  They are consecutively numbered through seat 24, which is nearest to the back of the gallery where the piano will be located.

 Rows E has 3 seats numbered from left to right as you enter the museum gallery; Row F has five seats also numbered from left to right as you enter the museum gallery.