DMMO – delivering excellence for Iowa cultural visitors

A scene from Act II of DMMO’s Porgy and Bess (2022). Photo by Jen Golay

Des Moines Metro Opera (DMMO) has a sterling reputation not only in its home state, but across the nation and within opera communities globally. Their visionary growth strategy has given Iowans unique bragging rights. Their programming is celebrated each year and draws a significant part of its patronage from outside the local market. Out-of-state guests or “cultural tourists” as DMMO calls them, make up between 25-30% of their audience. In essence, it is a global cultural ambassador for thousands of visitors to Central Iowa each summer, patrons who revel in the superior production quality and unique performance experience that this company consistently delivers.

A recent conversation with DMMO General and Artistic Director Michael Egel revealed that the enthusiasm for what this company produces begins with its leadership. 

“We are keeping the momentum going in year 51. We had a blowout season in 2022 for our 50th anniversary with ‘Porgy and Bess,’ the world premiere of ‘A Thousand Acres’ and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ We did not want to let the momentum up in year 51, and there is no better way than in the repertory we have chosen.

“People often ask, ‘Why Indianola?’ If you’ve been in that theatre (the 467-seat Pote Theater at the Blank Performing Arts Center), you know the immediacy of theatre of it, the thrill of the great singing. I spend a lot of time each year traveling across the U.S. trying to find the best emerging singers from around the world, and established singers. When I select a singer to come, this person is going to be a part of the tapestry of an incredible evening of the best voices, the best singing. We have people who are executing at that task at a very high level. We’ve established a great reputation for that, the great theatre, that great proximity between performer and audience member. We like to joke that, if you sit any closer to the performance, you have to put on a costume.”

Audience members not only come from the metro area, but from 42 different states and four other countries for the Des Moines Metro Opera experience. One reason is in how they structure their season — in repertory. 

“That’s a really good way of putting it (repertory) — a banquet. On the main stage in Indianola, each weekend, we do three, so you can see a different opera on Friday, Saturday and on Sunday. There are performances also out in the broader community. People love that format. Each opera is a completely different approach to music and theater and design.

“I am a big believer in theater design, costumer design, scenic design, video design as a core component of the totality that makes up this all-encompassing artform. It’s a mixture of these things, and knocking it out of the park on three different operas, if not more, draws people back here year after year.” 

The repertory for 2023 is anchored by Georges Bizet’s classic, “Carmen; The Love for Three Oranges” by Sergei Prokofiev, and “Bluebeard’s Castle,” a Béla Bartók opera that utilizes cutting-edge visual technology in its design. Two more works complete this season’s offerings: “DWB” (Driving While Black) by Susan Kander and Roberta Gumbel; and, “The Fall and the Rising,” by Zach Redler.

Full details and ticket availability can be found at https://desmoinesmetroopera.org.

Shakespeare, alien plants, mermaids, and a drowsy chaperone fill stages

While DMMO makes brilliant music in Indianola and elsewhere, other shows grace stages with appealing productions. Centuries-old scripts continue to entice and reverberate as Shakespeare again comes to life at the Salisbury House & Gardens as Iowa Stage Theatre Company continues one of the finest outdoor traditions since Greenwood Park echoed the Bard’s words more than three decades ago. This year, Iowa Stage presents “Twelfth Night” in the sublime setting of the grand south lawn of the magnificent Weeks’ “American Castle.” The next generation of Shakespearean performers continues its outdoors tradition as Class Act Productions (CAP Theatre) presents “The Comedy of Errors” in Haines Park Amphitheatre in Altoona. 

The Des Moines Community Playhouse gives its summer musical show an out-of-this-world jolt as Audrey 2 takes root in the irreverent rib-tickling show, “Little Shop of Horrors.” This is a great crowd-pleaser that makes its return to delight fans as well as newbies to the irresistible score. 

Saving all of its energy and resources for one grand, annual production is the Urbandale Community Theatre as it presents “The Drowsy Chaperone,” winner of five Tony Awards. This musical is about a die-hard theatre fan who plays his favorite cast album, and the characters come to life in this hilarious musical farce. ♦

John Busbee is a creative project developer, critic, playwright, author, producer and media professional. He has produced his weekly show, The Culture Buzz, on KFMG since 2007.