“It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” Woops, that’s supposed to be for Christmas…Well, actually, we’re sticking to it. And why not? The Fort Worth Opera Festival is practically the “Hap, happiest, season of all” when it comes to the Arts in Fort Worth!

Saturday, May 12 marks the Opening Night of the Sixth Fort Worth Opera Festival (technically the 66th Season), and kicks off with the always popular Tosca by the great Puccini. And what a way to begin!The “grand opera” set will feature one of the tallest sets ever in Bass Performance hall as Director Daniel Pelzig presents a traditional period setting of this blockbuster. The cast features soprano Carter Scott as Tosca and baritone Michael Chioldi as Scarpia — both performed the roles in Fort Worth’s 2005 production of the same work and were met with rave reviews.

Sunday, May 13th will feature the opening performance of renowned American composer Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers in the intimate Scott Theater, and will continue the company’s tradition of producing a chamber opera in a non-concert hall setting. Three Decembers chronicles three decades in the lives of a Broadway diva and her adult son and daughter. Called “a modern masterpiece” by Opera Today, Three Decembers is based on the play Some Christmas Letters by Terrance McNally. Soprano Emily Pulley and baritone Matthew Worth will both make their Fort Worth Opera debuts in the production.

Saturday, May 19th opens the second of the “greatest hits” of opera with what is widely considered on of Mozart’s finest operas — The Marriage of Figaro. The production will feature many young rising stars such as bass-baritone Donovan Singletary, soprano Andrea Carroll, baritone Jonathan Beyer, and soprano Jan Cornelius, each in their Fort Worth Opera debut.

Saturday, May 26th is the final “Opening Night” in Bass Performance Hall with the regional premiere of acclaimed American composer Mark Adamo’s Lysistrata. Based on Aristophanes’ work of the same name, the New York Times calls the production a “fantastical riff on the ancient Greek play.” Texas native (and no stranger to the DFW metroplex) soprano Ava Pine will take on the title role, and tenor Scott Scully plays her Athenian warrior lover. Fort Worth Opera Studio artist Meaghan Dieter leads the Athenian women as Kleonike, and her Spartan and mezzo-soprano counterpart is Fort Worth Opera Studio alum Alissa Anderson. Bass-baritone Seth Mease Carico performs the role of Leonidas (Lampito’s husband). The Athenian couple Myrrhine and Kinesias are performed by Fort Worth Opera Studio alum Ashley Kerr and baritone Michael Mayes. Altogether the cast will work to bring out the satirization of humanity’s endless legacy of war — both between nations and the sexes.