Up Close and Parallèle: Heroes

Opera Parallèle’s annual gala, Up Close and Parallèlle, is fast approaching! On Saturday, October 3, at Marines’ Memorial Club, along with a fabulous dinner, wines, auction, and general festivity, we’ll present Heroes, starring Michael Mayes. OP audiences got an explosive introduction to Michael last February, when he sang the role of Joe De Rocher in our production of Dead Man Walking with incredible power, personality, beauty, and humanity.

When Michael accepted our invitation to be the featured performer at the gala, we knew we wanted to show attendees what a multifaceted performer he is, and let them see other sides of his artistry. Artistic Director Nicole Paiement and Creative Director Brian Staufenbiel conceived and created a “jukebox opera,” which both represents the spirit of our company – the best of contemporary opera, with a focus on great storytelling – and provides Michael Mayes with a vehicle to entertain and amaze us.The result is Heroes, which traces the journey of a hero through loss, excitement, longing, and redemption in arias by Leonard Bernstein, Mark Adamo, Jake Heggie, and others. You won’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind performance, given by one of our favorite singers in the best Opera Parallèle style!