‘Swan Lake,’ ‘Cinderella’ part of Wichita Grand Opera’s 2015 season

Magical fairytales, classic ballets, and a comedic satire are among the performances that the Wichita Grand Opera will offer in the new year. On Monday, the company announced the details of its 2015 season, which will begin next spring and run through early fall. That’s a bit later of a start than in recent years, but the programming remains diverse.

The schedule includes two classic ballets performed by the Russian National Ballet Theatre, Prokofiev’s “Cinderella” and Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake”; two grand operas by Verdi and Puccini, “Turandot“ and “Don Carlo”; and Offenbach’s opera buffa (or comedic opera), “The Grand Duchess.” Most shows will be performed in Wichita at Century II Concert Hall, though there will be a few traveling additional performances.

The annual Chairman’s Opera Ball will be held on June 20, and will be themed “Casino Royale.” “A Night at the Opera,” the company’s annual summer gala, will take place on two nights: July 17 at the McPherson Opera House and July 18 for “Opera on the Lake” at Wichita’s Bradley Fair Shopping Center.

Here are the season’s shows:

Prokofiev’s ‘Cinderella’

7 p.m., April 25, Century II Concert Hall

The rags-to-riches fairytale made famous by Walt Disney’s movie originally debuted as a ballet and will kick off this year’s season. The Russian National Ballet Theatre will dance the tale about a girl transformed by her fairy godmother.

Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake’

7 p.m. May 3, Century II Concert Hall

The Russian National Ballet Theatre will perform the classic love story about a swan queen put under a spell by an evil sorcerer and the prince whose affection and devotion breaks the curse.

Puccini’s ‘Turandot’

7 p.m. Aug. 28, Century II Concert Hall; 3 p.m., Aug. 30, Carlsen Center, Overland Park

Puccini’s final opera is set in China’s Imperial City and tells the tale of an icy princess who mandates that her suitors solve a series of three riddles in order to win her hand. The penalty for failing to answer correctly is death. This is a new production for Wichita Grand Opera and will be the first time the company performs in Overland Park’s Carlsen Center. It will be performed in Italian with English supertitles.

Verdi’s ‘Don Carlo’

7 p.m. Sept. 25, Century II Concert Hall; 3 p.m. Sept. 27, Stiefel Theatre, Salina, KS

An epic love triangle ensues in the quest for peace. Spain’s King Phillip II must marry the French Princess Elisabeth, though her heart belongs to Phillip’s son, Don Carlo. It’s a tale of duty vs. desire, and another inaugural production for the opera company. The show will be performed in Italian with English supertitles.

Offenbach’s ‘The Grand Duchess’

7:30 p.m. Oct. 10, 2015, McPherson Opera House; 7 p.m. Oct. 16, 2015, Century II Concert Hall; 3 p.m. Oct. 18, 2015, Century II Concert Hall

The season will end on a lighter note in this comedic opera about a young duchess who has a weakness for men in uniform. When she becomes infatuated with Private Fritz, she quickly promotes him to the post of commander-in-chief, though his heart belongs to another woman. This is an English-language performance and a new production for the company.

Season subscription packages are on sale now and range from $72-$356. They can be purchased by calling 316-262-8054 or online at www.selectaseat.com. Individual tickets, ranging from $40-$95, will go on sale March 1. For more information, visit www.wichitagrandopera.org.

This story was originally published October 6, 2014 at 2:29 PM with the headline "‘Swan Lake,’ ‘Cinderella’ part of Wichita Grand Opera’s 2015 season."