A MAGIC MOMENT
The Butler Studio at Houston Grand Opera is built on a belief that artists grow most meaningfully when they live the work, not just study it. Our artists spend real time strengthening their technique, understanding their instrument, and building dependable habits that support their long-term development. They take voice lessons, refine language skills, and explore dramatic and musical choices with curiosity and intention. Preparing and performing a role on stage, however, is the real moment of alchemy. Everything the artists have been working on begins to merge into the magic moment that synthesizes all the hard work they have put in. This is also when their growth becomes visible and unmistakable.
Watching artists grow through the process of preparing a full role on stage is extraordinary. When I think about what it means to prepare and perform a major role, I think of Demetrious Sampson, Jr. For those of you who attended our Porgy and Bess production this fall, you saw this process unfold with Demetrious as Sportin’ Life. Watching him prepare that role was remarkable. He stepped into it with imagination, curiosity, and real commitment. He held his own among colleagues with much more experience, not through force but through presence, openness, and joy. The process that transformed him. Preparing the role at that level, with that cast, and with the expectations of the audience and the company surrounding him, reshaped him. He became a more dynamic artist because he lived the work fully. You could see his development in real time throughout the entire process, as he became a deeper artist with each rehearsal and each performance.
When I arrived at HGO to begin my role as Director of the Butler Studio, I was ready to advocate for the return of a dedicated Studio production, something HGO had not presented in 25 years. It felt essential because developing artists learn invaluable lessons from their experiences on stage. Upon my arrival, I quickly learned that General Director Khori Dastoor was ten steps ahead of me and had already planned for the return of just such a production: Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men in March of 2026. It was clear that we were aligned in our understanding of what these artists needed to grow.
The selection of Of Mice and Men is rooted in the Butler Studio’s founding. In 1977, HGO General Director David Gockley worked closely withcomposer Carlisle Floyd to establish a training program that could support young singers in meaningful ways. Just one year prior, Floyd had joined the faculty at the University of Houston, and that same year, HGO presented the world premiere of his opera Bilby’s Doll. This connection to both the company and the university shaped the early design of the program. The artists studied languages and took classes at the university while rehearsing for performances with the company. They were in an environment where learning and performing flowed naturally together. Floyd and Gockley believed in an integrated approach, one that allowed technique, academic depth, and stage experience to develop side by side. Their shared vision set the tone for everything that followed.
The year 2026 marks what would have been Floyd’s hundredth birthday, further elevating the importance of choosing this opera for the Butler Studio. Floyd’s influence on the artistic life of HGO is significant. His operas helped define the company’s identity, and his centenary adds meaning to this moment. Returning to the Studio production with one of his most powerful works honors his legacy and reconnects the program to the vision he helped create.
In the 1990s, under Studio Director Gayletha Nichols, having a production specifically for the program became an annual tradition. Many of these performances were premieres, which aligned perfectly with the company’s commitment to new American opera. A number of important HGO world premieres, such as Mark Adamo’s Little Women, began as these productions. New work and new talent evolved together, a direct continuation of the foundation Floyd and Gockley established.
Preparation for Of Mice and Men this season has been immersive and intensive. Through our partnership with the Alley Theatre, the artists began by working in acting class with the dramatic play version of the story. This allowed them to explore character, physicality, and relationships; to make discoveries; and to make strong choices about who their characters are before stepping fully into the opera. They have received extensive diction coaching to capture the tone of the language, and musical coachings to inhabit the score. Our goal has been for every artist to leave with a complete understanding of this opera, as well as with a repeatable process for learning any new role musically and dramatically, so they know how to approach each new preparation with confidence and depth.
We invite you to join us on March 13 and 15 in the Cullen Theater for the return of the Butler Studio production, a special weekend during which we will see so much artistic growth take place in real time. This moment honors the vision that Floyd and Gockley imagined and celebrates our artists of today as they move toward a bright future. It welcomes the community to witness what happens when talent, dedication, and opportunity meet. When that alchemy takes place on stage, something extraordinary unfolds, and we cannot wait to share it with you
