Buffalo Opera Unlimited

05/11/2026

BOU has made the difficult decision to postpone the world
premiere of Carry My Own Suitcase to our 2026-2027 season.

Days before rehearsals were scheduled to begin, a principal
cast member became unable to continue with the production.
After exhausting every available option to secure a qualified
replacement, we determined that postponement was necessary
to preserve the artistic integrity of this important premiere.

For more than 40 years, Buffalo Opera Unlimited’s mission has
been to produce professional, high-quality performances, and
this production deserves that same standard of excellence.

Patrons who have already purchased tickets will be
contacted directly regarding available options.

We are deeply grateful for your continued support and remain
committed to bringing this powerful work to the stage next season.

04/30/2026

Meet the Cast of CARRY MY OWN SUITCASE

Quinn Patrick Ankrum returns to Buffalo to play the role of Diana, Roger's mother. She loves her son and wants what's best for him, even if letting go isn't always easy.

Mezzo soprano Quinn Patrick Ankrum is praised for singing with lyric beauty and compelling artistry. An eclectic musician, favorite roles/works include Rosina, Zerlina, Meg (Falstaff and Little Women), Bach’s “B minor” and Mozart’s “C minor” Masses, Mahler’s Wayfarer songs, Handel’s Messiah, Berio’s Folksongs, and Elgar’s Sea Pictures. She has sung recitals throughout the US and in the UK, and is co-creator of Living Song Project; she recently premiered Lisa Neher’s No One Saves the Earth from Us but Us and Eriksson Hatfield’s God’s World in a series sponsored by the Cincinnati Song Initiative. This season she sings works by Caroline Shaw (Is a Rose) and Susan Kander/Roberta Gumbel (Carry My Own Suitcase). Ankrum received her training at Trinity University in San Antonio, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the Eastman School of Music, the Glimmerglass Opera Young American Artists Program, and the Baltimore Opera Studio. A finalist and winner in numerous competitions, she now serves the profession as an adjudicator. An Associate Professor of Voice at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, and a Licensed Body Mapping Educator devoted to musicians’ wellness, she is honored to train the next generation of artists for the classical and musical theatre stages

Learn more and purchase tickets at buffalooperaunlimited.org

04/23/2026

We are exremely grateful to County Legislator Taisha St. Jean T**d for securing an additional $6000 in public benefits funding for BOU, bringing our total from the County to $15,524 for 2026!

04/22/2026

Meet the Cast of CARRY MY OWN SUITCASE

Roger, 25, loves SpongeBob and pizza with olives. He admires his brother Billy and longs to move into his own apartment. Roger also lives with severe autism.

Roger is portrayed simultaneously by a speaking actor and a dancer. Together, they take us inside Roger's world of emotion, sound, and movement.

Christian Boudreaux (Speaking Roger, BOU debut) is a lecturer, graduate student and academic advisor within the department of Theatre & Dance at the University of Kansas (KU). Christian studies the intersection of safety and traditional artistic spaces, and teaches theatrical movement and stage combat. Christian has recently performed in Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette" and Menotti's "Amahl and the Night Visitors" with Kansas City Lyric Opera. Christian has also worked as Movement & Fight Director for KU's production of "Pippin" and has co-choreographed and performed in KU's University Dance Concerts. Christian was an original cast member of "Carry My Own Suitcase" during its conception at the University of Kansas playing the role of Roger.

Gwenyth Daretany (Dancing Roger, BOU debut) will graduate in May from the University at Buffalo with a degree in Music Theatre and a concentration in dance. Most recently she was the swing, Sleeping Beauty, assistant choreographer and fight captain for the University at Buffalo Department of Theatre and Dance's production of "Into The Woods." Other recent credits include "Urinetown" (Senator Fipp/Dance Captain/Fight Captain), "The Pajama Game" (Gladys Hotchkiss, ACTF Nominee) , "Ernest And The Pale Moon" (Gwendoline), "Three Sisters" (Masha), "9 to 5" (Featured Dancer/Ensemble/Understudy Kathy). She started training in dance at a very young age and has trained in a variety of dance styles and techniques, including Jazz with Fosse technique, Ballet, Musical Theatre, and extensively in Modern. She has also previously played a dance body double for Edna St. Vincent Millay in a production of "Renascence."

Learn more and purchase tickets at buffalooperaunlimited.org

04/08/2026

There's still time to sign up for an audition. Make sure your voice is heard!

Auditions for our 26/27 season are approaching quickly! Slots are still available on April 10, while April 17 is filling up quickly. Sign up now to make sure your voice is heard!

buffalooperaunlimited.org/audition

Friends of Eastman Opera Finger Lakes Opera Fredonia Choirs Buffalo State Music Department University at Buffalo Department of Music Buffalo and WNY's Vocal Alert Opera-Lytes Opera Guild of Rochester

03/29/2026

Happy World Piano Day! BOU is proud to celebrate our team of pianists today (the 88th day of the year) and every day. They’re our rock-solid support at each and every rehearsal, coaching, and audition—evoking the sound of an orchestra with only ten fingers.

Earlier this year we featured them in a program of opera classics arranged for 2 pianos-4 hands. Thank you, pianists!

03/24/2026

Auditions for our 26/27 season are approaching quickly! Slots are still available on April 10, while April 17 is filling up quickly. Sign up now to make sure your voice is heard!

buffalooperaunlimited.org/audition

Friends of Eastman Opera Finger Lakes Opera Fredonia Choirs Buffalo State Music Department University at Buffalo Department of Music Buffalo and WNY's Vocal Alert Opera-Lytes Opera Guild of Rochester

03/14/2026

BOU is deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Georgi Eberhard. Georgi was one of the most talented wig and make-up artists in the opera business and called Buffalo home. More than that she was a true opera lover and brought a radiant warmth and vibrant energy to the rehearsal room and backstage.

We were fortunate to have Georgi work with us on our fall 2025 PAGLIACCI and looked forward to a continued partnership. Please join us in sending love to her friends and family.

03/13/2026

Are you passionate about supporting the arts? Do you love connecting with people? BOU's new Sales Representative position might be right for you!

The Sales Rep. is in charge of securing program ads and season sponsorships from local businesses and community partners. As a remote, commission-based position, your earning potential is limitless and the hours are as flexible as you want.

Learn more at the link below on a new way to support WNY's premiere opera company!

https://tinyurl.com/54h5y6zx