At Cowtown, Opera Kansas to perform story of the American dream as seen by homesteaders

Editor’s note: Opera Kansas announced on Jan. 30 that it was postponing the production until March 1-2.

Opera Kansas is celebrating the state’s birthday next weekend with a modern piece that’s part historical and part supernatural — and taking it to the Old Cowtown Museum.

“Proving Up” is a story of the American dream — and sometimes nightmare — as seen by homesteaders in Nebraska in the 1870s.

“It takes place in Nebraska, of course, but homesteading took place in Kansas as well, so we thought it was something that would resonate with our local audience,” Opera Kansas executive director Matt Schloneger said.

Written in 2016, “Proving Up” has been performed by companies across the country, with the Washington Post calling it “harrowing … powerful … a true opera for our time.”

“It’s a story and a mission that fits with Cowtown as well,” Schloneger said.

The 75-minute, one-act performance includes a cast of seven and an orchestra of 13 with some rather unique instrumentation, including eight harmonicas and several acoustic guitars that are hung from a railing and played with mallets.

“It’s a combination of folk from the 1870s — imagine fiddle tunes — but it’s also kind of surreal,” Schloneger said. “Imagine if you’re going to a horror flick, where some of the music might sound like that too.”

Cowtown may be providing speakers or presentations on Kansas history before the opera begins, Schloneger said.

Its stage director is Jesse Koza, cultural arts administrator for the City of Wichita and former general director of the Joplin, Mo.-based Heartland Opera Theatre.

“Proving Up” is a modern opera and a great introduction to the art form and satisfying for aficionados, Schloneger said.

“People sometimes get scared of modern classical music and opera and they shouldn’t be,” he said. “This is also very unique, engaging and entertaining, combining lots of sounds that are meant both to tell and portray the story.”

“Proving Up” is an example of opera that reaches beyond a niche audience, Schloneger said.

“If you’re someone who enjoys Kansas history and someone that enjoys spooky ghost stories, this will be a great show for you,” he said. “It’s something that’s interesting and unique and something to try if you’ve never tried an opera before.

“People see the word ‘opera’ today and they get scared off and think it won’t be something accessible or entertaining to them,” Schloneger added. “One of the main aspects of our mission is to bring opera into the community and bring out new fans for this wonderful art form that we love, and illustrate that it is accessible and relevant in 2025.”

‘PROVING UP’ BY OPERA KANSAS

When: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Jan. 31-Feb. 1

Where: Old Cowtown Museum, visitors center, 1865 Museum Blvd.

Tickets: $35 adults, $25 for students and seniors, from operakansas.org

This story was originally published January 25, 2025 at 6:14 AM.