News & Reviews

CoastalVirginiaMag.com By Chelsea Sherman March 1, 2026 From a young age, new Virginia Opera director of development Jacquelyn VandenPlas was enthralled with music and the arts. “I’ve always been in love with music,” VandenPlas said. “When I was about 5 years old, my...

MDTheatreGuide.com Jeannette Mulherin February 20, 2026 During the past several decades, American opera has seen an outpouring of new works that blend eclectic musical styles with uniquely American themes. “Intelligence,” which premiered in 2023, is evidence that...

DCTheaterArts.org Bob Ashby February 18, 2026 The opera focuses on an enslaved woman and an anti-slavery white woman who collaborated in spying for the Union in Richmond during the Civil War. There is a historical nugget behind the plot and leading characters of...

PilotOnline.com Page Laws January 30, 2026 A white woman and a woman she enslaved joined forces to spy on the Confederate White House. It’s “I Spy” — the 1960s TV show about a Black spy partnered with a white one — but so much more historical, locally significant and...

RichmondFreePress.com Free Press Staff Report January 29, 2026 With Richmond’s Civil War past as its backdrop, a new opera brings the city’s hidden history of espionage to the forefront through music, storytelling and live performance. The Library of Virginia and...

WHRO.org Vicki L. Friedman January 27, 2026 Virginia Opera is performing 'Intelligence,' which is based on two Richmond women who worked for the North during the Civil War. The opera will be performed in Norfolk, Richmond and Fairfax. Composer Jake Heggie is...

WRIC.com Alex Roever January 26, 2026 RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Library of Virginia and Virginia Opera will be presenting a discussion panel and performance of “Intelligence.” On Jan. 26, the Library of Virginia and Virginia Opera announced that there will be a free...

WTKR.com Coast Live January 26, 2026 NORFOLK, Va. — Adam Turner, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor for Virginia Opera, and Jacqueline Echols McCarley, singing the role of Mary Jane Bowser, join Coast Live to discuss "Intelligence," an opera based on a true story...

WRIC.com Clare Gehlich Oct 31, 2025 RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Those impacted by the government shutdown have the opportunity to receive complimentary tickets to Virginia Opera’s upcoming production of the classic “Cinderella” in one of three cities in the Commonwealth...

WTKR.com Coast Live October 30, 2025 HAMPTON ROADS, VA— Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, right? Well, the Virginia Opera is sharing a new take on the fairytale courtesy of Rossini. In this version, Cinderella doesn't lose a glass slipper but instead a bracelet....