‘Don Giovanni’ brings Wichita Grand Opera back to stage

As a newly minted master’s degree graduate at Wichita State, Alan Held performed in “Don Giovanni” alongside his mentor, George Gibson.

Gibson told Held that the Mozart work was the greatest opera ever written, and Held recalls rolling his eyes at the statement.

Decades later, Held is a world-renowned operatic bass-baritone, and has played Leporello — the manservant to the title character — more than any other role, except one, in his career.

“I’ve done it all over the world and I love it,” Held said. “It is so well-crafted. It’s an ensemble cast, it’s so fun to be in, and it’s so powerful.

“Now, to me, ‘Giovanni’ is probably the greatest opera ever written, which is why I wanted it to be … the first opera we did (after the pandemic),” said Held, general and artistic director of Wichita Grand Opera.

“Don Giovanni” will be performed Thursday, Friday and Sunday at Wichita Center for Performing Arts.

“Start at the top, y’know?” Held said with a laugh.

The title role will be sung by Alex DeSocio, a Wichita native who has performed with several regional companies and is former resident artist with Pittsburgh Opera.

Held said he first heard DeSocio four years ago while teaching in Miami.

“I was thrilled to find out he was from Wichita, because then we can have him back here,” he said.

Held will again sing the role of Leporello, while another Kansas opera legend — Samuel Ramey, who has sung Leporello many times — will shift to the role of Commendatore.

“He’s of a place in his career where it is ideal for him to be the gravitas of the production, so to speak,” Held said. “He’s a legend. To have him trod the boards with us is an honor, not only for our audiences but for this cast, which is generally a young, energetic cast. To work with a master like Sam, that’s good stuff for them.

Ramey is retiring from his teaching position at Wichita State this spring, said Held, director of the opera program at the university, but Ramey will still be available to coach singers.

The director of “Don Giovanni,” Alex Chown, is resident director of the New York City Opera and is bringing several creative perspectives to the production, Held said. The conductor, Whitney Reader, is another Wichita native, currently based in Germany.

The Wichita Center for Performing Arts stage doesn’t have an orchestra pit, Held said, so the musicians will be on stage. The orchestration is smaller than usual, he said, but more reflective of what it would have been in Mozart’s time.

Surtitles will be projected above the performers.

Held said the performance can be a good introduction for opera newbies.

“The story is one that’s very easy to follow,” he said. “The music is absolutely incredible, very well-defined characters. And it’s funny. People think of it as another tragedy, but there’s comedy in this piece too.”

The Wichita performance, he said, can be appreciated more than in a 3,000-seat opera house.

“You’re very close,” he said. “You can see every expression and you’re very involved with the performances.”

“Don Giovanni” by Wichita Grand Opera

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, May 27-28, and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 30

Where: Wichita Center for the Performing Arts, 9112 E. Central Ave.

Tickets: $25-$50, from wichitagrandopera.org or 683-3444