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Opera Boston Underground, began in January, 2007 when Gil Rose and a handful of up-and-coming singers presented an evening performance of Kurt Weill repertoire at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge. Late-arrivals to that first event were greeted by a line winding around the block. Since then, the Underground has taken on a life of its own. A program featuring a selection of songs inspired by Ainadamar drew a tremendous crowd last fall and an evening performance of four short operas delighted a packed house in February of 2008..

Audiences and the press have taken readily to the concept of casual opera. In addition to its consistently sold-out shows, the Boston Globe Magazine recognized Opera Boston Underground as a “Best of the New” pick for 2007. The success of the Underground proves that opera does not need to be grand in order to be good. “Opera comes in all shapes and sizes and lengths,” says Gil Rose.

For those who might be intimidated by stately opera houses, Underground paves an informal and affordable way into the world of opera. For those who are already avid opera attendees, it provides the rare opportunity to experience the art form in an intimate setting. The program supports Opera Boston’s mission and vision to promote opera as a contemporary art form and to present innovative events that make opera relevant to people’s lives. As Underground continues to smash stereotypes—with its exuberant young singers, its unusual setting, and its engaging repertoire—it reaches out to new audiences and inserts opera into the popular cultural landscape.

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