Opportunities

Houston Grand Opera’s Opera to Go! (OTG) presents fully staged, 45-minute operas at Houston-area schools and community centers. Complete with costumes, sets, and live piano accompaniment, these high-energy performances are sung in a bilingual setting and are designed especially for today’s student audiences.

Most performances will occur on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with occasional additional performances or overnight travel.

Opera to Go! is a touring program of Houston Grand Opera: a unique initiative that connects the company to our community through performance and collaboration. Opera to Go! (OTG) brings opera to young and new audiences (as well as families and seniors) in schools, libraries, and community spaces. Artists perform high-energy, fully staged performances in a variety of Houston area locations and beyond to educate and engage audiences about opera by telling stories with words and music. The operas will be performed in an Spanish and English bilingual setting and are complete with costumes and portable sets. Each performance is followed by a brief audience Q&A with the cast.

Opera to Go presents high-energy operas at schools, libraries, and community centers in fully staged, 45-minute performances. Our 2024-2025 season performances will feature two short productions: Slopera! and Don’t Let the Pigeon Sing Up Late!, both with music by Carlos Simon and libretto by Mo Willems.

Opera to Go rehearses and tours seasonally throughout the school year, from September 2024 to May 2025.

The year-long tour of Slopera!/Don’t Let the Pigeon Sing Up Late! will feature three main cast singers total, across both productions:

Slopera!: Soprano (Piggie), Baritone (Elephant Gerald)
Don’t Let the Pigeon Sing Up Late!: Soprano (The Pigeon), Mezzo-soprano (A Pigeon), Baritone (Ima Pigeon)
Both productions will be sung in a bilingual Spanish/English libretto. Each Opera to Go performance will include one full run of each production followed by a brief cast Q&A session. The soprano and baritone cast members will have roles in both productions. There will also be an opportunity for three cover roles this year.

Opera to Go! is designed especially for today's audiences throughout the Houston area, including some overnight touring to surrounding areas in Texas. We are eager to cast singers that reflect the diverse communities of Houston. Although fluency in Spanish is not required, singers who are bilingual in English and Spanish are especially encouraged to audition.

Schedule

OTG Artists commit to performance days at the beginning of each calendar season upon acceptance of an agreement. Performance days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Performance times are standardly within the “school day”. The maximum number of performances allowed is three per day at no more than two venues. Please note, OTG Ensemble services may be requested for additional visits during the regular working periods. No performance and/or rehearsal days will be scheduled fewer than ten (10) days in advance without approval from artists.

Performances may be scheduled on a non-performance day (Monday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) or outside the school day as determined by the HGO C&L Programs Manager and will be compensated at the extra service day rate determined by the artist’s agreement. If there are no performances, workshops, residencies, or rehearsals scheduled ten (10) days prior to a “normal performance day” then that day is free, and the artist may make alternate plans.

Rehearsal Period:

All singers (including covers) must come to the first rehearsal with music learned and memorized. Call times will be 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Mondays – Fridays (unless otherwise stated), with a one-hour lunch break and additional breaks determined by the rehearsal schedule. Artists will be required to attend all rehearsals and workshops unless otherwise stated. Rehearsals and workshops take place at the Wortham Theater Center. During the rehearsal period, artists will be responsible for paying for parking when at the Wortham Center.

Performances

During the season, performances may start between 7:30 AM and 4:00 PM, or within the “school day,” on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Artists are responsible for transportation and agree to arrive at the performance location 30 minutes prior to show time. Artists will be available for a full hour past the final show start time for strike and load out of set. This does not include time for travel or parking. Artists must check with the Touring Stage Manager before they leave a performance venue. Artists will be required to sign in and to present a valid photo ID at each school.

Upon arrival and before dismissal, all artists shall participate in the duties of unloading/loading the OTG van as assigned by the OTG Stage Manager. Please note that the OTG Assistant Music Director may be excused from certain kinds of lifting in this process and may be assigned other duties to help unloading/loading the van, these duties and/or restrictions will be known to all members of the Ensemble by the day of the first dress rehearsal.

Releases

We understand that, as performers, you may receive other offers during the season. Please be aware that all OTG artists will sign a letter of agreement with HGO as a binding contract. Requests for releases must be made by submitting a detailed email to the C&L Programs Manager at least twenty-one (21) days before the requested date. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Once a performance date is scheduled, conflicts that require the cancelling of a show may not be requested.

Equal Opportunity

Houston Grand Opera is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at HGO are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws or regulations. HGO will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. HGO encourages applicants of all ages.