Houston Grand Opera presents Carlisle Floyd's American masterpiece Susannah, a powerful opera blending revival hymns and Appalachian folk song, opening the 2026-27 season.
Houston Grand Opera opens its 2026-27 season with Susannah, Carlisle Floyd's American opera set in the hills of Tennessee. It runs at the Wortham Theater Center through early November, with the first performance on Friday, October 23.
If you're not familiar with the story, it's a heavy one. It follows a young woman whose life is turned upside down after church elders spot her bathing in a creek—a moment that triggers a wave of cruel gossip, judgment, and a harrowing assault. The music pulls from the setting, blending revival hymns and Appalachian folksong, and the libretto is written in a colorful regional dialect that keeps the Tennessee hills front and center.
Floyd wrote Susannah as a deeply American work, timed for the country's 250th birthday and the centennial of his own birth. He was a minister's son, and those roots run through the whole thing. The production is a new staging by Patricia Racette, with soprano Sylvia D'Eramo in the title role. Baritone Rod Gilfry plays the Reverend Olin Blitch, and tenors Bille Bruley and Aaron Blake take on Sam and Little Bat. Conducting is James Gaffigan, who returns to the podium as the company's new Music Director Designate.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Houston and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
It's a big opening for HGO, one of the largest opera companies in the U.S., with 76 world premieres under its belt and three nominations for Opera Company of the Year at the International Opera Awards. There are five performances to choose from: Friday, October 23 at 7 PM; Sunday, October 25 at 2 PM; Saturday, October 31 at 7:30 PM; Saturday, November 6 at 7:30 PM; and Monday, November 8 at 2 PM. Tickets run from $25 to $210, and the Wortham is at 501 Texas Ave.
