In Act One, an ageing patriarch clings to his last shreds of dominance, refusing to cede his power to the next generation. In Act Two, an empowered female crashes through the glass ceiling and shoves the patriarch off his throne. In Act Three, the deposed monarch, confused and befuddled by the mysterious ways of his successors to the throne (Gens X,Y, and Z), finally lets go of his drive to assert his authority, turns on the metaphorical TV, and gives way to the joys of retirement. 

The fates could not have chosen a more fitting way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis than by bringing back Don Pasquale, the first piece ever performed by this illustrious company. Donizetti’s evergreen masterpiece, arguably the greatest opera buffa ever composed, sings wittily of the joys and pains of ageing, of the ever-shifting relationship between young and old, and, finally, of the satisfaction which comes from accepting one’s mortality. It’s pretty amazing that I was only seven years old when I directed that first Don Pasquale a half century ago, no? OK, I was actually 25 at the time, which means I’m now…well, you do the math! In any event, there have been a lot of developments during those 50 years, beginning with the ways in which opera designers and directors like Marsha Ginsburg and I approach the timeless masterpieces which have been handed down to us. 

Take a look at the photos of the 1976 production on these pages and compare them to the aesthetic of the current one, which replaces period-specific picture postcard realism with a more open-ended fluidity, in an attempt to conjure up a psychic space in which the eternal conflict between young and old can be seen from different shifting perspectives. Perhaps some of you are saying to yourselves, “Hmmm…I kind of prefer how the ’76 production looked,” but the heady controversy circling around tradition versus innovation has played a key role in keeping the mad art form called opera provocative, challenging, and lively during these past 50 years. 

The dynamic young singers in the cast of Don Pasquale those many years ago were stellar members of an exciting new generation of American opera singers who, with the looks and acting chops of movie stars, suddenly began to be snapped up by the opera houses of the world: Ron Raines, Vinson Cole, Peter Strummer, and Sheri Greenawald, one of the reigning divas of OTSL. Their careers were lovingly supported and developed by OTSL, as were the careers of countless singers, conductors, directors, coaches, designers, stage managers, etc., of the succeeding generations, who have been fortunate enough to take part in the brilliant first half century of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. 

Leadership support for Opera Theatre’s 50th anniversary season comes from Noémi Neidorff.

Leadership support for Don Pasquale comes from the Steward Family Foundation.