DETROIT — Yuval Sharon’s contract as artistic director of the Detroit Opera was extended Thursday for three years through the 2027-28 season as he shifts the company toward themed seasons.
Sharon is planning America for 2025-26, Faith for 2026-27 and Sustainability for 2027-28. He said he wanted to get away from seasons that have unconnected presentations where “the programing is something like a smorgasbord.”
“Whenever I go to a smorgasbord, I have an upset stomach,” he said.
Sharon started with the company in 2020. The first of the seasons under his new deal will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the second will address religious figures and stories, and the third will focus on environmental justice and climate change. Four productions are being scheduled for each season.
“I wanted to experiment with a format that could actually fully unify the organization, so meaning everything that’s happening on stage and everything that’s happening off stage can feel like one piece.” Sharon said. “I thought, ‘What are the topics that could open up a dialog with other institutions or other organizations in Detroit that could facilitate a yearlong engagement?’”
A 44-year-old known for innovation, Sharon’s initial 2020-21 season in Detroit included “Twilight: Gods,” a version of Wagner’s “Götterdämmerung” trimmed to just over an hour and presented in a parking lot outside the Detroit Opera House because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
His 2022 version of Puccini’s “La Bohème” presented the four acts in reverse order, allowing Mimi’s health to improve rather than deteriorate. His new staging of Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” next April explores artificial intelligence with the four lovers as robotic inventions.
Sharon in 2018 became the first American to direct at Bayreuth with “Lohengrin” in a production that will be revived in 2025 as conductor Christian Thielemann returns to the Richard Wagner Opera Festival.
