photo by: Courtesy of Lawrence Opera Theatre

A scene from Lawrence Opera Theatre's 2022 production of "La Cenerentola."

After winning a nationwide performing arts award, the Lawrence Opera Theatre is feeling a bit like Cinderella – or, should we say, “La Cenerentola”?

“La Cenerentola” is the operatic retelling of the classic fairy tale that won the local theater group this year’s American Prize in opera performance. The honor was announced late last month, and Executive Director Linda Jorgensen said that since they found out, “we’re all just super, super thrilled.”

When she told Artistic Director Hugo Vera that they’d won, she said, Vera couldn’t believe it. “He was just like, ‘Shut up – we did not!’ And I said, ‘We did, we did!’ And we had a little, like, fangirl moment.”

“It’s very, very exciting,” she said.

photo by: Courtesy of Lawrence Opera Theatre

A scene from Lawrence Opera Theatre’s 2022 production of “La Cenerentola.”

As the Journal-World reported earlier this year, The American Prize is a nonprofit arts competition that judges recorded performances in music and theater from around the country. Lawrence Opera Theatre learned this summer that it was a finalist, and it was competing against an opera company in Walnut, California, for the prize.

Lawrence Opera Theatre actually staged the winning show in 2022, and it was conducted by Raffaele Cipriano and directed by Joseph DeSota. It was also the first show DeSota directed for the group, and he updated the 19th-century work with staging and costumes inspired by high school movies from the 1980s.

Lawrence Opera Theatre’s shows are cast with classically trained performers from a variety of backgrounds – music students, educators and some artists who’ve had long careers as professional opera singers, such as Vera himself.

Winning The American Prize, Jorgensen said, could help attract even more talent.

“I think it really helps establish us as an organization that artists should take seriously,” she said. “… In general, when people are recruiting performers, particularly those who have options in different markets, having national recognition demonstrates the level of work that we’re doing. It gives artists another reason to be interested in working with us.”

photo by: Courtesy of Lawrence Opera Theatre

A scene from Lawrence Opera Theatre’s 2022 production of “La Cenerentola.”

The company won’t be holding its next big production for quite a while, because planning for the upcoming season is just getting started. But Jorgensen said it could involve a special tribute to KU distinguished professor Joyce Castle, who’s been one of Lawrence Opera Theatre’s most important supporters.

“She’s one of our biggest donors each year, and a lot of our older participants had her as a voice teacher at some point in their life,” Jorgensen said.

Without loyal supporters, Jorgensen said, nothing the group does would be possible.

“Organizations like ours don’t really exist without community support, right?” she said. “Every ticket purchase, every donation, every participant, every volunteer and really every person who tells a friend about a performance helps make anything possible.

“We’re super, super grateful for the community for continuing to support us and believe in what we’re doing. And, don’t underestimate what happens in your own backyard.”

photo by: Courtesy of Lawrence Opera Theatre

A scene from Lawrence Opera Theatre’s 2022 production of “La Cenerentola.”