Q&A with Brittany Crinson

Wig and makeup designer Brittany Crinson answers questions about life backstage, crazy wigs and a few of her favorite things. Q: How long have you worked with DMMO?  This is my 7th season with DMMO! Q: How did you start out in the industry? I went to cosmetology school and shortly after started working at Michigan Opera Theatre running…

Q&A with Michael Adams

Baritone Michael Adams, who stars as Ping in Turandot and Donald in Billy Budd (and was last seen at DMMO as Lescaut in Manon), answers questions about growing up, opera, family and BASEBALL. Q: Did you grow up in a musical family? When did you start singing? Yes, my father is a singer so I grew up…

Heartland Youth Choir to take the stage in TURANDOT and BILLY BUDD

Singers and musicians from around the world are arriving in Indianola to prepare for Des Moines Metro Opera’s 45th Festival Season, featuring performances of Puccini’s Turandot, Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd and Astor Piazzolla’s María de Buenos Aires. These world class artists and technicians come together for eight brief weeks…

45th Summer Festival Events

Thursday, May 18 at 7:00pm Smiles of a Summer Night Film Screening Fleur Cinema & Café (4545 Fleur Drive) FREE ADMISSION For more info, click HERE Thursday, May 25 at 7:00pm Peter Ustinov’s Billy Budd Film Screening Fleur Cinema & Café (4545 Fleur Drive) FREE ADMISSION For more info, click HERE Saturday, May 27 at…

Q&A with Troy Cook

Baritone Troy Cook, who stars as Fredrik Egerman in A Little Night Music (and was last seen at DMMO as de Brétigny in Manon and Younger Galileo in Galileo Galilei), answers questions about opera, singing, family and superpowers. Q: Did you grow up in a musical family? When did you start singing? I didn’t really grow…

Casting call for supernumeraries

Did you know that not all of the performers on stage at Des Moines Metro Opera are singers? Each season a wide range of dedicated individuals participate in DMMO’s productions as non-singing extras. These extras, known as supernumeraries (“supers”) play many roles such as servants, soldiers or party guests and help to fill out crowd…

Turandot – What’s in a name?

From its first telling to its operatic premiere in 1926, the story of Turandot spans an 800-year journey. Though the opera is primarily based on Carlo Gozzi’s 1762 play of the same name, the original tale has its roots in a Mongol fable from the 13th century. The legend revolves around a 19-year-old woman called Khutulun…

DMMO announces lineup for 2017 Staging Connections

Because great works of art build bridges into our communities and lives, Des Moines Metro Opera created the Staging Connections Series to further explore the intersection between operatic performances and a multitude of connected disciplines. In the months leading up to our 45th Summer Festival Season, we are pleased to present an exciting slate of…

Storytime returns to the Carnegie Library

The Indianola Public Library and Des Moines Metro Opera are pleased to announce that the library’s popular storytime program will be returning to its original home at the historic Indianola Carnegie Library on Saturday, April 29 from 11:00-1:30pm. Children of all ages are welcome to enjoy “The Pet of the Met” read by Janis Comer,…

DMMO announces restoration and expansion of Carnegie Library

Words & Music at the Carnegie: from historic library to OPERA CENTER Des Moines Metro Opera has grown and flourished over the past four decades, expanding its performances, creating statewide educational opportunities for thousands of students and reaching out to under-served populations that otherwise would have no possibility of experiencing an opera. For the past…

A week on the road with OPERA Iowa!

Our educational touring troupe has officially hit the road for its 31st annual outreach tour! This year’s tour will bring the troupe to Iowa, Wisconsin and Missouri as they perform Jack & the Beanstalk, a children’s opera by John Davies, and Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, for schools and communities across the region. Here’s a look…

Q&A with Dennis Hendrickson

Name: Dennis Hendrickson Position at Des Moines Metro Opera: Patron Services Manager Nickname: Mr. DMMO Length of time you have worked at DMMO? As a college student and first year music educator, I worked summers for Des Moines Metro Opera from 1974-1978. I started working full-time for the Company in 2002 after teaching for 25…