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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Opera Santa Barbara (OSB) announced today that its 27|28 Season will include two operas at The Granada Theatre: Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot on October 1 and 3, 2027, and Camille Saint-Saëns’s Samson and Delilah on April 7 and 9, 2028. These will be the company’s first productions of both operas, which are renowned for their epic scale, the Olympian vocal demands they place on their lead singers, and their large orchestras and choruses. The company’s third opera of this season will be announced in a separate release.
“Opera Santa Barbara is delighted to be returning to The Granada after an absence of four years,” said Kostis Protopapas, OSB’s Artistic & General Director. “We are taking advantage of this opportunity to finally tackle two epic works that have been on our wish list for many years.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome our Resident Company, Opera Santa Barbara, back to The Granada,” said Palmer Jackson, Chairman and CEO of The Granada Theatre. “There’s something especially meaningful about seeing our local opera company bring grand opera to life on our stage. The scale and ambition of these two productions promise an exciting homecoming, and we look forward to sharing it with our community.”
Both operas will receive new productions from two of OSB’s favorite director/designer teams. Octavio Cardenas and Daniel Chapman, whose successful history with the company includes Rigoletto, Pagliacci, and Zorro, will conjure up the mythical world of Turandot. Crystal Manich and François-Pierre Couture, who led the company’s forays into the Wagnerian realm with Das Rheingold and The Valkyrie, will stage Samson and Delilah, which famously concludes with a collapsing temple.
A lineup of powerhouse singers headline the casts: in Turandot, Alexandra Loutsion will sing the title role and Adam Diegel will portray Calaf, singing the iconic ‘Nessun Dorma’. In Samson and Delilah, Robert Stahley and Sarah Saturnino will take on the title roles, with Ben Lowe as the High Priest of Dagon. Alexandra Enyart will conduct Turandot, and Protopapas will conduct Samson and Delilah.
Ticket Information: Beginning today, current OSB subscribers can purchase tickets through The Granada Theatre Box Office by visiting ticketing.granadasb.org or calling (805) 899-2222. Sales to the general public will open at a later date. For more information about these productions, visit operasb.org.
About Opera Santa Barbara: Since 1994, Opera Santa Barbara has been the premier professional opera company on California’s Central Coast. The company has staged more than 100 productions, from beloved favorites and lesser-known classics to contemporary American works, featuring nationally recognized performers alongside the region’s own artists and craftspeople. Beyond its mainstage season, Opera Santa Barbara nurtures emerging artists, introduces students to fully staged live opera, and offers free and low-cost concerts and educational programs throughout the Santa Barbara area. For more information, visit operasb.org.
