EVERY FALL, the artistic directors behind Utah’s most treasured cultural institutions step forward and make their case — not with tidy mission statements but with the season itself: This is what’s worth your time. This is what they believe will move you. We asked five directors to share the production they’re most excited about this year, the show they’d recommend to a first-time audience member, and whether a common theme or artistic vision emerged as they carefully shaped the season ahead.
Utah Opera
Season Summary: A dynamic season that blends beloved classics with contemporary storytelling.
CHRISTOPHER MCBETH, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Mention almost any opera to Christopher McBeth and he lights up, which makes asking for his favorite production this season feel slightly unfair. Opera, he says, is uniquely capable of finding beauty anywhere because it is “a synergistic combination of several art forms.”
Still, there’s a noticeable spark when he begins talking about The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs. Utah audiences briefly glimpsed the production in 2023 before illness and logistical complications forced Utah Opera to cancel the remainder of its run after a single performance. It was a bitter disappointment for both audiences and artists — and one the company vowed to correct. “It was devastating to all involved but unavoidable,” McBeth says.
The opera transforms Silicon Valley mythology into something unexpectedly lyrical: flannel-clad visionaries singing about circuitry and ambition against a backdrop of pulsing electronic soundscapes and traditional orchestration.
Jobs, he admits, is the company’s heaviest lift this season. But nearly everyone involved wanted another shot. “In a manner of speaking,” he says, “it’s a chance to complete a labor of love — to finish the ‘Jobs.’”
For opera newcomers, McBeth suspects Cinderella or Zorro may provide an easier entry point. He describes Cinderella as “delightful for the entire family” and praises Zorro for weaving Spanish and English together in inventive ways. (“Plus, who doesn’t love a sword fight?”)
These more traditional productions also offer one of opera’s greatest spectacles: the sheer force of the unamplified human voice filling a hall. “The performers are singing incredibly difficult music while making it sound effortless,” McBeth says. “Along with the orchestra, it creates something you simply can’t replicate on a recording.”
What surprises him most, though, is not longtime patrons but first-timers. “I’m continually delighted by the response from newcomers who say, ‘I never knew how much I would like this!’”
UTAH OPERA 2026-2027 SEASON
2026 SEASON
Zorro || Oct 10-18
2027 SEASON
Cinderella || Jan 16-24
Don Giovanni || Mar 6-14
The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs || May 8-16
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