English soprano Lesley Garrett once said, “I would just like to say that opera is no longer about fat people in breastplates shattering wine glasses.”
In fact, opera may be the most misunderstood and maligned form of the performing arts. The perception is often that the tickets are too expensive, the vibe too exclusive, the stories too archaic and convoluted to follow—and it’s all in a foreign language. Perhaps that’s why Reno’s own Nevada Opera did not survive beyond the Great Recession. But members of the Nevada Opera Association, including singer Nicole Dzadek, remained passionate about the art form, and about convincing a new, younger audience that opera not only can be affordable and understandable, but also a lot of fun.
Their efforts led first to P’Opera, a short-lived series of light opera, jazz, Broadway and contemporary music performances, which was followed, in summer of 2023, with Firebird Light Opera.
“There were about 25 of us, a sort of ragtag local group who were like, ‘Hey, we want to start a company together!’” said Dzadek, current president of Firebird, a company whose name refers to the phoenix rising from the ashes.
She said that while P’Opera was more of a revue-style group that wasn’t entirely focused on opera, Firebird is intended to reintroduce full-length operas, but in a style that’s more accessible, lighthearted and, importantly, in English. It may also include musical theater shows with some operatic elements, such as Phantom of the Opera, Oklahoma! or Carousel.
Dzadek, who earned her music degree at the University of Nevada, is also a singer who has performed with Nevada Opera, UNR and P’Opera and Firebird.
The company’s vice president, Lynne Gray—a retired math professor from the Bay Area who moved to Reno 22 years ago—began following her passion for opera by getting involved in Nevada Opera, studying the art form and eventually drawing on her teaching expertise to share her newfound knowledge with others. She has taught it at UNR through its Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and at Truckee Meadows Community College for nearly 20 years. Her instruction has even extended to illuminating audiences before Fathom Events’ Metropolitan Opera shows when they come to local movie theaters.
Joining Dzadek and Gray is a company of roughly 40 opera aficionados and performers who lend their assorted talents, with some sitting on the board. After founding Firebird, their work involved securing a venue, buying rights to a show and mounting its first official show, The Pirates of Penzance, which enjoyed two well-received weekend performances in May 2024 at Carson City’s Brewery Arts Center. Its second show in October, Haunted Cabaret, was a revue-style production featuring spooky scenes from a variety of shows as a fundraiser at the National Automobile Museum. Those funds are helping the company mount its next production, Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, March 28 and 30 at the Nugget Casino Resort.
“Die Fledermaus in German means ‘The Bat’ or ‘The Flying Mouse,’” Dzadek explained, adding that it’s a particularly approachable show for those who might be hesitant to try opera. “The bat in the story is a wealthy gentleman who is playing a practical joke on his friend and other people in the community. So, the whole opera is about a practical joke. It’s fun, and there’s a wonderful party scene in the second act, where everyone in the audience gets champagne, so they all feel like part of the party.”
Dzadek, who also is making the show’s elaborate costumes by hand, adds that the show is performed in English and contains dialogue as well as song, making it easy to follow along. She and Gray said tickets are priced affordably, from $40 to $200, which includes the champagne.
Ultimately, the company hopes that audience members who may previously have avoided opera will give it a try and discover a new appreciation for it.
“It’s exciting; it’s vibrant; and it’s relevant,” Gray said, adding that she’ll be offering a preshow talk for those looking to get their feet wet. “If you haven’t tried opera, this is the easiest, least-expensive way to figure out what it’s all about and come join the party.”
Said Dzadek: “Opera is fun; it’s emotional. … It’s everything. When you hear good opera, it taps into your soul. If you allow yourself to just get wrapped up in it, it’s an experience unlike anything else.”
Learn more at www.firebirdlightopera.org.
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