Image courtesy Cincinnati Opera
The Cincinnati Opera’s newest event series blends rich, creative stories with new and unexpected connections through imaginative experiences. “Underscore,” which premiered last month, offers a means to learn and celebrate the history of opera through theatrical exploration, in-depth discussions, and collaborative storytelling.
Underscore consists of three total shows, each highlighting one of the main stage operas of the 2026 Summer Festival season: Salome, Carmen, and Lalovavi. The series was developed by Audrey Chait, artistic programs and new works manager, and Artistic Director Evans Mirageas, in collaboration with other members of the Cincinnati Opera team.
Underscore’s first event, “The Importance of Being Oscar: A Nearly True Story of Oscar Wilde’s First Visit to Cincinnati,” took place at Music Hall on March 3. “We highlight the opera Salome that is based on a single play by Oscar Wilde,” says Chait. Salome, by Richard Strauss and Hedwig Lachmann, tells the story of Salome, the teenage princess of Judea, who becomes infatuated with imprisoned prophet John the Baptist. The opera will perform at Music Hall on June 18 and 20.
Image courtesy Cincinnati Opera
“The Importance of Being Oscar,” meanwhile, was a one-act play dramatizing an interview Wilde gave right before his first lecture at Cincinnati’s Grand Opera House during his speaking tour of America. “What we ended up doing was writing a play that also featured classical singing about Oscar Wilde’s visit to Cincinnati in the 1880s,” says Chait. “All these cultural institutions that exist today, Oscar Wilde also interfaced with. How wild is that?”
From actors who are local favorites in the city to opera singers and a pianist, “The Importance of Being Oscar” was a standout. Although the Cincinnati Opera is not generally in the habit of producing plays, audiences still dressed in ways that were reminiscent of Wilde and the style that he inspired, showing up with their full “sartorial creativity on display.”
Following suit in the remainder of the series is “Carmen’s Revenge: An Operatic Murder Mystery” on April 21 at Second Sight Spirits and “The Afrofuturist Salon” on May 7 at Artsville.
During “Carmen’s Revenge,” audiences will hear some of the famous arias from the acclaimed opera throughout the evening while immersing in a whodunnit murder story. The Cincinnati Opera will perform Carmen on July 25, 29, and 31, and August 2.
This murder mystery picks up after the end of Act IV of the original opera by Georges Bizet, Ludovic Halévy, and Henri Meilhac—and all of the cast members could be suspects, with one of the characters the lead detective. It is up to the audience, in this unique and interactive experience, to be deputized as assistant detectives to figure out who murdered one of the cast members, navigating clues and plot twists during the live performance.
“It’s great if you’ve never seen Carmen before because we’ll give you everything you need to know about the story. But it’s also great if you’ve seen Carmen 10 times,” says Chait. At the end of the show, audience members submit their vote for who they think the killer is.
Underscore’s final production, “The Afrofuturist Salon,” lets audiences step into Kevin Day and Tifara Brown’s Lalovavi, the first of three commissions from The Black Opera Project, a new opera development initiative sponsored in part by the Mellon Foundation that highlights the resilient spirit and heritage of the Black American experience. Lalovavi follows the story of Persephone, youngest daughter of the ruler of Atlas (formerly Atlanta), and will be performed on July 9 and 11. Lalovavi, set 400 years into the future, is “set in a fantastical world that really borrows from a lot of the classic sci-fi and fantasy traditions,” says Chait.
Image courtesy Cincinnati Opera
Audiences at “The Afrofuturist Salon” on May 7 at Artsville will step into a vibrant, original universe of Lalolavi that fuses cultural innovation and cocktails inspired by the legacy of hair, style, and identity.
The evening will feature a panel discussion with Lalovavi librettist Tifara Brown, wig designer Tiara Jones, and UC Assistant Professor of Africana Studies Cassandra Jones, exploring their own experiences creating stories that approach the genre in a different way.
“The Afrofuturist Salon” will also include a DJ set featuring spoken word and remixes inspired by the opera, and a danceable DJ battle, with hopes that it “manifests into something where people are dancing and enjoying themselves,” says Chait.
“I really want audience members to feel like they had a great standalone experience at any one of these events, where they were entertained and feel like they learned something,” she adds. “I also want them to feel curious to engage with opera more and to come see us again.”
Tickets for “Carmen’s Revenge” and “The Afrofuturist Salon” are $25 and available in advance on the Cincinnati Opera website.
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