Minnesota Opera

05/28/2026

Join us this weekend for NOOMA: an opera for babies! 🎶

The production, performed annually at the Flint Hills Family Festival, invites audiences into an expanding and contracting world, immersing them in parachutes’ movements, and inviting them to explore the physical and metaphorical possibilities of breath. This work is co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall, San Francisco Opera, and MN Opera.

Event details:
🗓 Various time slots, May 29-30
📍Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
All ages welcome; recommended especially for children ages 0–2 years old.

Tickets and details at ordway.org/festival

05/27/2026

Looking back at the first listen of the orchestra workshop for "The Many Deaths of Laila Starr," composed by Kamala Sankaram with a libretto by Minita Gandhi. ✨

The final orchestral workshop is a major milestone in the life of a new opera, bringing together the full orchestra, cast, and chorus for the first time. It’s a chance for the creative team to hear the work in its full form and make final refinements as the opera comes to life.

Commissioned and developed through MN Opera’s New Works Initiative and adapted from the acclaimed graphic novel by Ram V and Filipe Andrade, "The Many Deaths of Laila Starr" premieres this fall, opening the 2026–2027 season!

Learn more about the production at mnopera.org

📸 Photos by Tim Evans

05/18/2026

That’s a wrap on "Pagliacci" 🎭

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Ordway for this incredible run, and congratulations to the extraordinary company who brought this gripping story to life.

What a way to close the 2025-2026 season. ❤️

Photos by Cory Weaver Photographer

05/16/2026

Closing weekend is here for “Pagliacci” 🎭

The show must go on, but how? For Canio and his traveling troupe, painted smiles and colorful costumes belie infidelity and betrayal. As the line between performance and reality blurs and the drama onstage begins to mirror the turmoil offstage, “Pagliacci” begs the question, does art imitate life, or does life imitate art?

Catch the final performances: Saturday, May 16 at 7:30PM and Sunday, May 17 at 2PM. Tickets and details at mnopera.org/pagliacci 🎟

Photos by Cory Weaver Photographer

05/15/2026

Go backstage with supernumerary Hannah Celine Benditt as she transforms into Capitano! 🎭✨

Shoutout to makeup artist Alisa, Wig, Hair & Makeup Designer Priscilla Bruce, and the MN Opera Costume Shop for the incredible artistry behind the scenes.

Don’t miss “Pagliacci” this closing weekend, May 16 and 17 at the Ordway! Tickets and details at mnopera.org/pagliacci

05/14/2026

A moment from “So ben che difforme, contorto son io” from “Pagliacci” performed by Reginald Smith, Jr., Baritone as Tonio.

Don't miss the final three performances at the Ordway, May 14, 16, and 17. 🎟️ Tickets and details at mnopera.org/pagliacci

Cover photo by Cory Weaver Photographer

05/14/2026

“Pagliacci” continues tonight and we’re celebrating with a social media takeover! 🎉

Join Elise Meichels Parker, violinist in the MN Opera Orchestra, as she takes over our social media for the day. Follow along for BTS moments from the orchestra pit, sneak peeks, and a closer look at everything that goes into bringing this incredible production to life.

See “Pagliacci” tonight or join us this weekend, May 16 and 17. Tickets and details mnopera.org/pagliacci

05/14/2026

"...an ideal first opera, a mere 105-minute commitment that gives a great sense of what the art form’s all about…” - Rob Hubbard, Star Tribune

If you’ve ever been curious about opera, this is the perfect place to start.

Read the full review below and join us tonight at the Ordway for one of our final performances of "Pagliacci."

Tickets and details at mnopera.org/pagliacci

The production features impressive voices, exceptional acting, and expert sound and costume design.