Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL) announced the cast and creative line-up for its upcoming 2026 production of Romeo and Juliet, which includes notable company debuts by an exciting roster of rising stars. Featuring lush period costumes by the designer Robert Perdziola, Opera Theatre’s production promises to be a sweepingly beautiful staging of Shakespeare’s most famous romantic tragedy.

The roles of the ill-fated young lovers will be brought to life by soprano Emma Marhefka (Juliet) and tenor Leonardo Sánchez (Romeo), both in their OTSL debuts. Marhefka was a 2025 Grand Finals Winner of the Metropolitan Opera’s Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition and made her Santa Fe Opera debut this past summer as Musetta in La bohème. Sánchez is similarly regarded as one of the most promising tenors of his generation, with recent appearances ranging from the Zürich International Opera Studio to Ópera Nacional de Chile to the Orchestre National de Lyon.

This period production will be conceived and directed by Keturah Stickann, who returns to OTSL for the first time since 2016. The Grammy® Award-winning St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will perform Charles Gounod’s evocative score under the baton of celebrated Spanish conductor Ramón Tebar in his OTSL debut. Principal casting for Romeo and Juliet also includes the company debut of baritone Eleomar Cuello as Mercutio and the return of bass-baritone Nicholas Newton as Friar Laurence. Additional roles for the production will be filled later this winter with members of Opera Theatre’s 2026 Richard Gaddes Festival Artist and Gerdine Young Artist Programs.

“Conducting Romeo and Juliet, one of my favorite operas, for my debut at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is something which I am looking forward to so much,” said conductor Tebar. “Not just because it is one of the most beloved works worldwide, but also because it is one of those works that has appealed to people of all backgrounds and ages for many centuries for its portrayal of the most basic human feelings. It’s an opera that has everything: love, drama, death… This will be my first time conducting this work in English, which I feel is especially important and relevant for its immediacy.” 

“Romeo and Juliet is one of the most well-known stories in literature, and has been presented in many different adaptations,” added director Stickann. “I am thrilled for the opportunity to tell this story in my own way with the help of Maestro Tebar, a terrific cast, and of course the brilliance that Gounod brings to the table.” 

Performances of Romeo and Juliet will take place June 13–27 at Opera Theatre’s long-time home, the Loretto-Hilton Center at Webster University. Season subscriptions are already on sale at ExperienceOpera.org and single tickets will go on sale on Monday, October 27. For more information, patrons may visit OTSL’s website or contact the box office at (314) 961-0644. 

About Romeo and Juliet: 

From the moment they meet at a masquerade ball, Romeo and Juliet are swept into a love as fierce as it is forbidden. Defying a generations-old feud, the young lovers swear to be together — no matter the costs. They marry in secret, clinging to the hope that love might conquer all. For one fleeting, breathless week, they steal moments in the shadows, even as tragedy gathers at the gates. But love cannot escape fate, however unbearable it might be. Gounod’s lush, romantic score brings new emotion to this tragic tale of young love.

In addition to Romeo and Juliet, Opera Theatre’s 2026 Festival Season offers Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic operetta, The Pirates of Penzance, making its return to the Opera Theatre stage after more than a decade; the Tony Award-winning musical The Light in the Piazza, with a book by Craig Lucas and music and lyrics by Adam Guettel; and the highly anticipated company premiere of A Streetcar Named Desire, led by Artistic Director Designate Patricia Racette and Principal Conductor Daniela Candillari. Opera Theatre will also present its annual young artist showcase, Center Stage, highlighting the talents of the company’s Richard Gaddes Festival Artists and Gerdine Young Artists, and the free community concert Our Songs, which features a different guest curator each year in a celebration of music, connection, and community.

Single tickets for the 2026 Festival Season will go on sale on Monday, October 27.