News & Reviews
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Aida opera returns to Norfolk six years after COVID cancelation
March 12, 2026 Nick Broadway WAVY.com NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Through countless hours of practice and prep work, Virginia Opera got ready to show Aida. Then the COVID pandemic happened, shutting it down in March 2020. Six years later, they are finally bringing opening...
VA Opera brings Verdi’s Egyptian tragic romance “Aida” to Norfolk on Coast Live
March 6, 2026 Coast Live WTKR.com NORFOLK, Va. — Singers Deborah Nansteel and Grant Youngblood join Coast Live to discuss Virginia Opera's production of "Aida," bringing the timeless Egyptian tragic romance to life with a stunning rendition of Verdi's grand spectacle....
JACQUELYN VANDENPLAS COMBINES PASSION FOR THE ARTS AND LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE AS NEW DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
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...
Opera Review: ‘Intelligence’ presented by Virginia Opera at George Mason University Center for the Arts
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...
Emotionally compelling history in ‘Intelligence’ from Virginia Opera
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...
A quilt of guilt and beauty: Civil War opera ‘Intelligence’ brings history home in Norfolk
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...
Richmond’s hidden espionage history explored in opera ‘Intelligence’
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...
Grammy-nominated opera about spies, war and freedom debuts this weekend
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...
Explore Civil War spy stories at Library of Virginia’s ‘Intelligence’ event
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...
VA Opera’s “Intelligence” brings Civil War espionage tale to life on Coast Live
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...