Lawrence Opera Theatre 2026 Season Auditions: deadline approaching!
Each August, Lawrence Opera Theatre brings singers together for a dynamic season of opera, musical theater, and other special events in Lawrence, Kansas. Performers work in an intimate, collaborative environment where preparation and usical rigor meet creativity and bold storytelling. Artists of all experience levels are welcome to participate and explore new repertoire, from established works to world premieres. Join us and take the stage for a season full of bold, unforgettable performanes!
Get ready to dive into a season full of bold storytelling and unforgettable performances:
Tunes & Brews (August 1, 2026): A lively evening of vocal selections in a relaxed social setting. Singers and audiences mingle over music, food, brews, and conversation, with preview performances from the upcoming season presented by understudies and covers, giving these artists the chance to showcase themselves in featured roles. High energy, fun, and a taste of what's to come!
Echoes of the Macabre (August 7, 2026): A curated evening of micro-operas and dramatic scenes exploring dark, mysterious, and unexpected stories. Performances include Face on the Barroom Floor (Mollicone), the famous seance scene from The Medium (Menotti), and The Seance (Timothy Peterson), with additional opera scenes under consideration. Singers will step into intense characters, navigate haunting emotional landscapes, and create unforgettable, suspensful moments on strage. Bold and thrilling, this program challenges artists to push their limits.
Songs for a Haunted Stage (August 13, 2026) and Phantom Follies (August 15, 2026): A lively concert blending opera scenes, arias, and musical theatre numbres. Singers bring ghostly tales, comedic surprises, and dazzling vocal moments to life. High-energy, playful, and full of surprises, this program gives performers the chance to shine across a mix of dramatic, humorous, and haunting repertoire.
Brewed Ambition ***PREMIERE*** (August 13 and 15, 2026): A comedic, contemporary one-act musical set in a struggling corporate coffee shop. Follow Deuce, a quiet busboy whose unexpected promotion gives him a taste of authority - and unleashes chaos. Sharp, satirical, and full of twists, this brand new musical challenges performers to inhabit vivid, dynamic characters while bringing humor, intensity, and edge to the stage. Described as "Macbeth in a Starbucks," this show is a thrilling exploration of power, confidence, and what happens when wanting more goes too far.
The Crucible (Robert Ward) (August 14 and 16, 2026): A powerful adaptation of Arthur Miller's classic, The Crucible plunges performers and audiences into a world of fear, suspicion, and moral conflicts. Intense and complex characters navigate a community on the brink of hysteria, and bring emotional depth, dramatic tension, and vocal precision to every scene. This production challenges artists to balance psychological nuance with musical rigor, offering a gripping and unforgettale theatrical experience.
Join us this August for a season of bold storytelling, unforgettable performances, and opportunities to explore new repertoire. Whether you're stepping onto the stage for the first time or returning to tackle challenging roles, Lawrence Opera Theatre offers a collaborative and inspiring environment to grow as an artist. Don't miss your chance to be part of a season that celebrates creativity, intensity, and the thrill of live performance. Take the stage with us! Application can be completed online at: https://www.yaptracker.com/applications/lawrence-opera-theatre-2026
