Des Moines Metro Opera Invites You to Picnic & Puccini!
A family opera adventure!
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 22, 2025
PRESS CONTACT: Noah Lucy, Communications Manager
Indianola, IA—Des Moines Metro Opera and the Indianola Chapter of the Opera Guild invite families, children, and opera lovers of all ages to experience Picnic & Puccini. This beloved annual event kicks off with a performance of The Billy Goats Gruff, a charming opera designed especially for young audiences. After the show, guests will enjoy a picnic lunch and a behind-the-scenes tour of the Blank Performing Arts Center.
More than just a performance, Picnic & Puccini is an immersive opera adventure that showcases DMMO’s extraordinary apprentice artists and invites guests to explore the magic behind the curtain. Get ready to tour the costume shop, meet the wig and make-up designers, venture into the orchestra pit and even see some theatre magic on the mainstage!
Picnic & Puccini is an event for everyone—perfect for families, childcare centers and day cares. With two dates, Friday, June 6 at 10am and Saturday, June 7 at 10am, there are plenty of tickets available for those looking to return to the opera or experience it for the first time. Tickets are $15/per person (online) or $12/per person cash or check). To purchase online, visit dmmo.org/picnic. To purchase by cash or check, contact Guild representative Chari Kruse at 515-979-1879 or charikruse@gmail.com.
About The Billy Goats Gruff
Arranged by John Davies, The Billy Goats Gruff takes a familiar tale and adds a fun operatic twist with a strong anti-bullying message. On the way home from school, three little billy goats encounter a steep bridge, a mean troll and a sticky situation that they must try to solve—and all set to some of the greatest classic music by Mozart, Rossini and Donizetti!
Many in the community may remember The Billy Goats Gruff from our 2025 OPERA Iowa tour. Over nine weeks, the OPERA Iowa troupe performed this delightful production 60 times, reaching more than 25,000 students across Iowa, South Dakota, and Missouri.
About the Cast
The featured artists of The Billy Goats Gruff include members of Des Moines Metro Opera’s acclaimed Apprentice Artist Program. We are thrilled to welcome mezzo-soprano Christine Boddicker as Ernesto Goat, tenor Ethan Burke as Dandini Goat, soprano Sabrina Langlois as Lucy Goat, baritone Harrison Hancock as the Troll, and pianist Alissa Cox.
Now in its 51st year, Des Moines Metro Opera’s Frank R. Brownell III Apprentice Artist Program is one of the oldest, largest and most respected programs of its kind in the United States. This comprehensive career training program takes the best and brightest opera talents in America on a seven-week program designed to provide the skills necessary to bridge the gap between academic study and a professional career.
About Des Moines Metro Opera
Lauded by The New Yorker as “one of America’s boldest smaller companies,” Des Moines Metro Opera is a progressive opera company located in the heart of Iowa that has taken its place as one of the world’s leading opera festivals. Founded in 1973, it’s one of the largest performing arts organizations in Iowa, annually producing over 100 performances in the metro area and across the region. In 2024, Des Moines Metro Opera was the only American company selected as a finalist in the Festival of the Year category at the International Opera Awards.
The 2025 Festival Season runs June 27 – July 20 and includes the long-awaited return of Richard Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, a new production of Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen and a new production of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress. Season subscriptions and individual ticket reservations are currently available for purchase online at dmmo.org/tickets or by calling the Box Office at (515) 209-3257.
Learn more about Des Moines Metro Opera.
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