There’s no way to expect that the team at Texas A&M’s MSC OPAS could surpass last year’s 50th anniversary season, but they have, and they’ve already sold out a special event in March 2024!
Season 51 begins this evening at Rudder Auditorium, with The Barricade Boys’ West End Party. If you like the harmonies of four singers who perform Motown to doo wop to rock and roll, this is the concert to kick off the season in Rudder Auditorium. Students can still get $10 rush tickets if you haven’t purchased yours yet.
Then, if you are ready for the comedy of Tina Fey, you have two chances to catch the musical comedy, “Mean Girls,” and you can imagine the dialogue and music that will accompany the story of a group of performers who sing and dance their way into poking fun at the girls who picked on everyone during those growing up days. November 1 and 2. Ann Cobb Wiatt Main Stage.
Two weeks later, get ready for Jesus Christ Superstar and go back to 1970 and remember the lyrics of the musical that Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber created, and some 52 years later is still going strong. Who can forget “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and “Superstar”? (note: Mature audiences). November 15 and 16. Ann Cobb Wiatt Main Stage.
Just in time for the Holidays, there’s Cirque Dreams Holidaze, where Broadway meets circus arts. The entire family will be enthralled with this amazing production. December 5 and 6. Ann Cobb Wiatt Main Stage.
In Spring 2024, get ready for Richard Thomas to star as Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” with the script by Aaron Sorkin, directed by Bart Sher. Mature audiences will appreciate this one. January 16 and 17, 2024. Ann Cobb Wiatt Main Stage.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, treat your ladies to “Little Women” and enjoy the rich history of Louisa May Alcott’s creation of life in a large American family. For all audiences. February 13 and 14. Ann Cobb Wiatt Main Stage.
The final show of the series is a musical “Come From Away” that takes you to a town of 7,000 stranded passengers and a small town in Newfoundland that welcomes them. As described, “On 9/11, the world stopped. On 9/12, their stories moved us all.” June 25 and 26. Ann Cobb Wiatt Main Stage.
Two “Singular Sensations” are “The Doo Wop Project with a night of immersion in 1950s harmonies and smooth dance steps set to old and new songs alike. February 21.
If you are multilingual then you can sing along in any one of 25 languages for the evening called “Pink Martini,” where 12 musicians will blow your mind with jazz, world music, cabaret, and film scores from the ‘50s,” and yes, you can sing along! March 21.
Three entries in the Intimate Gatherings Series include: singer Stacey Kent (October 18) for a night of jazz from a stunning vocalist who has sold over 2,000,000 albums internationally. Then, Voctave takes the stage November 9, with 11 singers who deliver a cappella versions of songs from “the corner of Broadway and Main Street.” They’re all across social media so you’ve seen them there. Now see them here, November 9. Finally, Forever Young rounds out the series with vocalists who combine songs from The Beatles to Billy Joel, from Johnny Cash to Brooks & Dunn and Bon Jovi to boot. There’s a story to go with the music that you’ll enjoy. All Intimate Gatherings performances are in Rudder Theatre.
Two special events define the season. Bluey’s Big Play is set for March 2 and 3, 2024 and every child in the Brazos Valley likely knows the TV show, but this is a full-scale stage show presented by the BBC Studios and Andrew Kay with Windmill Theatre. This production is one sponsored by OPAS encore, the fund-raising guild of the MSC Opera and Performing Arts Society, where your donations and gifts go to make possible extraordinary programming for children as their mission.
A few days later, if you were smart and moved fast enough, or were already a season ticketholder, you knew about “An Evening with Yo-Yo Ma,” set for March 6, 2024. He returns to Texas A&M after 20 years and of course the evening is sold out. People are definitely hoping to find tickets available, so if your schedule changes, don’t be shy. Please contact the MSC OPAS ticket office and let them know! Something like this doesn’t last long in the “availability” department for sure, and true to form, the Aggie community moved fast and snapped up the available tickets. Another good reason to be a season ticketholder, right?
The entire season is made possible by a largely unseen group of dedicated volunteers who work year-round to plan for the coming year. Funds are raised by special events including the annual OPAS Gala each January, and other special events in the year. OPAS Executive Director Anne Black has had substantial experience in programming outstanding seasons of entertainment and works closely with an OPAS Board of Directors and her outstanding staff to make all this happen.
Callaway-Jones is proud to be one of many community sponsors each season as they bring so much of the arts to the Brazos Valley, and we don’t have to drive all the way to Austin or Houston for “big city” programs! Our deep thanks to OPAS volunteers and we’ll see you soon at Rudder! For tickets and all program information, visit https://www.opastickets.org/
