Thaïs

Austin Opera brings Jules Massenet's Thaïs to The Long Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, November 13, and Sunday, November 15. It's a new production for the company, and it's part of their 'Opera Unleashed: Epic Masterpieces with Timothy Myers' series, which they launched in 2023 to mark his appointment as Sarah and Ernest Butler Music Director. The series focuses on company premieres, and Thaïs is the latest to join that list.

If you're not familiar with the story, it's a tale of sensuality and spirituality. The courtesan Thaïs is the most admired woman in Alexandria, living a life of excess devoted to Venus, until she crosses paths with Athanaël, a monk whose mission of faith turns into a consuming obsession. The opera runs through three acts, moving from the banks of the Nile to a desert convent, and closes with Thaïs's death in beatitude. It's sung in French with projected English titles, and it runs two hours and 45 minutes with one 20-minute intermission.

On stage, Nicole Heaston takes the title role of Thaïs, with Troy Cook as Athanaël, Sergio Martinez as Palémon, and Dominick Valdés Chenes as Nicias. Timothy Myers conducts the Austin Opera Orchestra and Chorus. The production is directed by Crystal Manich, with choreography by Michael Pappalardo. It's a co-production with Spoleto Festival USA, where it premiered in 2025 to critical acclaim before making its Texas premiere here.

There are two performances: Friday, November 13, at 7:30 PM and Sunday, November 15, at 2:00 PM. Both are at The Long Center.