Familiar Faces of 2025
Welcome back familiar faces this anniversary season!
At Opera Theatre, every Festival Season is truly the sum of its parts. Whether we’re presenting an exciting world premiere or a beloved classic, you can be sure that our casts and creative teams represent some of the best talent in the nation. One of the great joys of being a loyal attendee is getting to witness these artists grow from season to season — and it’s only fitting that in our 50th anniversary season, we’re bringing many familiar faces home to St. Louis.
Read on to see just a few returning faces of 2025. How many of them will you recognize?
Deanna Breiwick, soprano –Â Adele
Deanna previously appeared at OTSL as Johanna in Sweeney Todd (2012), Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance (2013), and Rosasharn in The Grapes of Wrath (2017). Originally from Seattle, Deanna’s 2024-25 season will take her as far as Opéra de Monte Carlo before returning to St. Louis next May.
Joshua Blue, tenor –Â Alfred
Joshua first came to OTSL as a Gerdine Young Artist (GYA) in 2015. He’s been in no fewer than four mainstage productions since then, most recently as Tamino in The Magic Flute (2022)! This past summer, Joshua had major engagements with the Royal Opera House and English National Opera.
Johnathan McCullough, baritone –Â Dr. Falke
In addition to his talent as a singer, Johnathan is an accomplished film director and Grammy nominee. Johnathan also got his start as a GYA in 2015, and returned to OTSL in 2022 to sing alongside Joshua as Papageno in The Magic Flute (2022). We’re so excited to see this dynamic duo reunite next season!
Justin Austin, baritone –Â LindonÂ
Justin has been making waves at OTSL since 2016, including recent leading roles in 2023’s Treemonisha and 2024’s The Barber of Seville. He also just won the Rising Star award at the 2024 International Opera Awards!
Adrienne Danrich, soprano –Â Ida
Adrienne made us laugh and weep in 2022’s world premiere of Awakenings in the role of Miriam. She also curated the concert Music as the Message to rapturous applause! As a born and raised St. Louisan, Adrienne can’t wait to return home for OTSL’s 44th world premiere.
Briana Hunter, mezzo-soprano –Â Zoe
Briana was a member of the GYA class of 2018, appearing in supporting roles in both La traviata and the world premiere of An American Soldier. Her first principal role at OTSL would have been in our canceled 2020 Festival Season, so her return in 2025 feels especially fitting.
Christopher Alden, Stage Director
Believe it or not, Christopher first appeared at OTSL in our very first season…and with the same opera! He directed our inaugural show, Don Pasquale, which opened our 1976 Festival Season. It’s a full-circle moment to have him return decades later as one of the most celebrated stage directors in opera.
Patrick Carfizzi, bass-baritone –Â Don Pasquale
Last seen at OTSL in 2024 as Don Basilio in The Barber of Seville, Patrick has an illustrious career of playing comedic roles on the world’s biggest stages. Prior to last season, Patrick was also featured in our 2014 production of The Elixir of Love as the wily salesman Dr. Dulcamara.
Sydney Mancasola, soprano –Â Norina
OTSL audiences first met Sydney as the mischevious Lisette in La rondine (2015). She then returned to OTSL for the starring role of Violetta in La traviata (2018). She’s also a former winner of our Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation Prize!
Leonard Slatkin, Conductor
The conductor laureate of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra needs no introduction, but we’re still thrilled to have him at the podium for this Britten gem! Leonard’s previous conducting appearances at OTSL include Ariadne on Naxos (1979), The Barber of Seville (1985), Gianni Schicchi (2021), and Highway 1, U.S.A. (2021).
Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano –Â Hermia
Jennifer is another hometown hero for OTSL! The mezzo-soprano grew up in St. Louis, studied at Webster University, and worked as an OTSL usher before becoming a GYA in the 2006 Festival Season. She performed principal roles at in 2008 (Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffman) and 2018 (Orfeo in Orfeo and Euridice) and even met her husband Chris here at OTSL.
Robert Mellon, baritone –Â Quince
Robert has been a familiar face at OTSL since 2016, when he was a first-year GYA, and has appeared in no fewer than five productions since then. But don’t be fooled by that number alone…Robert has played a staggering twelve roles across those five operas.
Explore the 2025 Festival Season
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