Opera San José Unveils 2022-23 Season Under New General Director Shawna Lucey

Opera San José supporters gathered virtually tonight to welcome new General Director Shawna Lucey and hear her unveil plans for the company's 2022-23 season, a joyful lineup that offers audiences a renewed chance to gather and celebrate live performances.

The company's 39th season, presented September 10, 2022, to April 30, 2023, will feature four mainstage productions at the majestic California Theatre in downtown San José.

Said Lucey, "Our season will feature new productions and treasured classics, with thrilling artist debuts that give our audiences a first look at the stars of tomorrow in four productions we know will charm, move, and delight." Lucey also intends to maintain Opera San José's international digital presence, utilizing its state-of-the-art Heiman Digital Media studio to produce works offered to audiences around the world, in addition to the company's live mainstage offerings. The company's third annual singer showcase will be among the events produced in the studio.

Lucey also noted Opera San José's history of female empowerment. "The storied legacy of founder Irene Dalis, who displayed unwavering dedication to the development of new talent, will continue to remain at the core of the company's vision," she says. "I'm happy to say that under the stewardship of my predecessor Khori Dastoor, Opera San José successfully navigated hardship throughout the pandemic, and has emerged stronger and more vibrant than ever before. I am honored to be part of this legacy and committed to furthering the company's mission to make opera more accessible to all. A large part of these efforts will be driven by partnering with communities here in the South Bay." In this vein, Lucey announced the international debut of a female conductor (details below).

The season launches with an all-new vibrant and celebratory production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, transported to India during Victorian Imperial rule (Sept. 10 - 25, 2022) - originally announced as the company's 2020-21 season opener and postponed due to COVID - followed by a dazzling production of Alma Deutscher's Cinderella (Nov. 12 - 27, 2022) that will feature the conducting debut of the internationally-acclaimed young composer/musician. The season concludes with handsome revivals of two classic works that will feature major role debuts for rising young artists: Verdi's comic masterpiece, Falstaff (Feb. 11 - 26, 2023), and Puccini's political thriller, Tosca (April 15 - 30, 2023).

For more information or to purchase subscriptions ($100-$550) the public can visit operasj.org or call (408) 437-4450 (open Monday through Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm). Subscriptions are on sale now; single tickets will go on sale July 5, 2022.

Shawna Lucey joins Opera San José as the fourth General Director in the company's history. Lucey's international career as a stage director includes work with San Francisco Opera, where her legacy production of Tosca was chosen to launch the company's 99th season in August of 2021. She made her directorial debut at Opera San José in 2018 with La traviata, a production brilliantly staged with skill and imagination, that offered a compelling contemporary viewpoint. Her directorial work has been seen across the country, from The Metropolitan Opera to Dallas Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera, and many others. Her international career includes staging works at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the Bolshoi Theater, and Schauspiel Hannover, among many others. She has also assisted esteemed directors, including Stephen Lawless, Lee Blakeley, John Caird, Peter Schumann, and Francesca Zambello. In addition to opera, Lucey has staged theatre and musicals, including a production of Gilbert & Sullivan's rollicking The Pirates of Penzance, which BroadwayWorld lauded for its "contemporary flair, dousing the classic with a touch of modern Monty Python alongside Carol Burnett Show moments. A true contemporary comic delight faithful to the original Gilbert and Sullivan intent." Lucey holds BAs in Theater and Italian from the University of Texas at Austin and received her MFA in Directing & Movement from the Boris Shchukin Theatre Institute of the Vakhtangov Theater in Moscow. She is also enrolled in Columbia University's Master of Science program for Non-Profit Management and has served as an adjunct professor in Speech and Theater at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, encouraging the next generation of artists while teaching courses on acting, design, stage management, and directing.