Oklahoma City University will stage its 75th Anniversary Opera Gala Nov. 20-22 at Kirkpatrick Auditorium, marking three-quarters of a century for the school's Oklahoma Opera and Music Theater Company.
The production features three soprano roles drawn from Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata," Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" and Giacomo Puccini's "La Rondine," according to OCU. Each act centers on a different student soprano portraying a legendary heroine. Director David Herendeen will serve as an on-stage host, bridging cast transitions from a fireside setup and sharing the histories behind the stories and composers.
"Opera was the original blockbuster entertainment," Herendeen said. "It delivered the chills, the emotions and the gargantuan spectacle."
Herendeen said the gala showcases OCU's approach of training performers in both traditional opera and musical theater. That model has produced alumni including Kristin Chenoweth, Kelli O'Hara, Leona Mitchell and Isaiah Bailey, the current lead in "Phantom of the Opera."
Coburn returns to mentor students
Internationally acclaimed soprano Sarah Coburn has returned to OCU for the fall 2026 semester as one of the Bass School of Music's first resident artists. Coburn, an OCU alumna who studied under voice professor Larry Keller and Herendeen, is working with the student sopranos preparing for the gala roles.
Beyond her career on stages like the Metropolitan Opera, Coburn is a practicing psychotherapist who specializes in performance anxiety and mental health for performers, according to the university. That combination gives students both technical vocal coaching and practical tools for managing high-pressure stage careers.
New program goes beyond short-term visits
The Resident Artist program is new this year. Overseen by Associate Dean and musicology professor Dr. Jake Johnson, it moves beyond the typical short-term masterclass model with a longer commitment. Each appointed artist spends two full weeks on campus every year for three consecutive years. The artists are listed on the official faculty roster.
"We want artists whose professional experience complements, rather than replicates, what our current faculty offers," Johnson said.
The program's inaugural cohort includes Coburn for the fall and award-winning film and television composer Jay Wadley for the spring 2027 semester. Wadley is the founder of the Brooklyn-based Found Objects composer consortium. The school may eventually expand the roster to include multiple resident artists at once, with future appointments aimed at singer-songwriters and commercial producers.
Tickets and showtimes
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, and Saturday, Nov. 21, with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, Nov. 22. Tickets are available at okcu.edu/tickets or by calling 405-208-5227.
