Suor Angelica: An Unmissable Immersive Opera Experience

This June 26-29, Out of the Box Opera (OOTB) will present a limited run of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Suor Angelica in a breathtaking location: the Basilica of Saint Mary. These four performances represent a unique opportunity to experience a one act opera in a venue that offers an unmatched sense of both intimacy and grandeur.

Earlier this year David Lefkowich, artistic director of OOTB and director of Suor Angelica, joined the rest of the creative team at the Basilica of Saint Mary to discuss OOTB’s mission to make opera accessible for audiences of all kinds and what makes Suor Angelica so special.

OOTB is a Minnesota non-profit dedicated to making opera more accessible for a modern audience. In the past it has held “Diva Cage Matches” in which opera divas literally face off in a boxing ring. Yes, there are ballgowns. Yes, there are boxing gloves. Yes, there are arias. OOTB also hosts concerts that fuse opera with other musical stylings like gospel and jazz. This production of Suor Angelica roves the halls of the Basilica of Saint Mary, inviting the audience to imagine that this basilica is home to the sisters of the opera.

“The opera moves through three spaces in the Basilica,” says Lefkowich. The audience follows the performers through the Teresa of Calcutta room and the Chapel, finally culminating in the Nave, which is visually stunning and an acoustic dream for the soaring music of Suor Angelica.

Getting permission to perform Suor Angelica in the Basilica of Saint Mary was not easy, but thanks to the work of Johan Van Parys and Patrick Schneider, the production was approved. Although the themes of the opera are difficult, the overarching message and beauty of the music made this a worthy collaboration.

Because OOTB offers an out of the box opera experience, expect a deviation from the usual theater guidelines. A typical theater environment might chastise audience members into silencing their phones and keeping them out of sight for the duration of the performance, but OOTB encourages its audience to take photos and videos when they feel so moved. “We want people to share this experience on their social media,” Lefkowich explains. “Hopefully their friends see those snippets and will be inspired to attend, too.”

The creative team behind the production of Suor Angelica is robust. The Basilica of Saint Mary is co-producing Suor Angelica alongside OOTB, which is reflected in the creative leadership. Both Johan Van Parys – who is the Basilica’s director of liturgy and sacred arts – and Patrick Schneider, who is the Basilica’s director of music, are involved in the production. Carson Rose-Schneider (no relation to Patrick) is the chorus master for OOTB. Christopher Verdosci is the stylist for the production and Stephen Hargreaves is the music director and conductor.

Although Puccini is a beloved composer (in fact, there are multiple Puccini operas being produced in Minnesota in 2024), Suor Angelica is one of his rarer pieces. “When I heard we were doing Suor Angelica I thought, well, it’s still Puccini,” Patrick Schneider said. The rest of the panel laughed with him, although Schneider and other members of the panel were quick to list off some of their favorite arias and moments from Suor Angelica, of which there are many.

Part of the reason why Suor Angelica is a lesser-known part of Puccini’s repertoire is because it is part of his triptych, Il trittico. This collection of three one-act operas also includes Il tabarro (“The Cloak”) and Gianni Schicchi. Most audiences did not have the patience for the full triptych and Gianni Schicchi, a dark comedy, quickly overshadowed the more serious Suor Angelica and Il tabarro.

Tangentially, for anyone interested in experiencing more of Puccini’s triptych, Johnny Skeeky (a reimagination of Gianni Schicchi that keeps Puccini’s score and adds a contemporary libretto), has its world premiere at Theatre Latte Da this summer. Performances run from May 29-July 7.

One of the unique elements of Suor Angelica is that the entire cast is composed of women. The opera is a glimpse into the life of Sister Angelica, a young woman from a wealthy family who was forced to become a nun after giving birth to an illegitimate child. After seven years in the convent, Sister Angelica is finally visited by one of her family members – La Zia Principessa (or “The Aunt Princess”) – who tells her that not only must she waive her share of the inheritance, but also that her son is dead. Sister Angelica is grief stricken and chooses to drink poison to be reunited with her son. Too late, she realizes that suicide is also a sin, and though she fears that she has condemned herself to hell, the Virgin Mary appears in her final moments and offers her one last kindness.

The tragic role of Suor Angelica will be sung by Alexandra Loutsian, who has gained a reputation as a fearless and masterful opera singer. Mezzo-soprano Alice Chung, who has found acclaim for her glamorous, powerful singing, will be the haughty La Zia Principessa. The remainder of the cast is Minnesotan talent, with Lucy Thrasher as La Badessa (the Abbess), Jennifer Eckes as La Zelatrice (the Monitor), and Natalia Harrison as Suor Genovieffa (Sister Genevieve).

OOTB has been creating innovative opera experiences for quite some time, leaning deep into the belief that opera can and should be fun for a modern audience. Suor Angelica is a perfect addition to OOTB’s existing catalogue. Whether you are a longtime lover of opera, a curious newbie, or just a person who likes impressive acoustics and gorgeous architecture, this is an unmissable production. OOTB’s Suor Angelica is certain to be one of the highlights of Minneapolis’ performance arts scene this summer.

Tickets are on sale now and available through the OOTB website, listed below.

Puccini’s Suor Angelica
June 26, 27, and 28 at 7 PM
June 29 at 2 PM
Basilica of Saint Mary, 88 N. 17th St, Minneapolis
www.outoftheboxopera.org