Pittsburgh Opera to open season with 'Opera's Little Mermaid'

There aren’t many major operas that the 84-year-old Pittsburgh Opera has not performed, especially ones that have been around since 1901.

But on Sept. 17, the Pittsburgh Opera will stage the company’s debut performance of Czech composer Antonin Dvorak’s “Rusalka” at the Benedum Center. The opera is the Czech version of the popular fairy tale “The Little Mermaid.” While there are similarities to the animated movie, there are aspects of the opera that are different.

For starters, the lead character’s name is not Ariel, it’s Rusalka. Also, Rusalka is not a mermaid, but rather a water sprite, also called a water nymph. But like the Little Mermaid, Rusalka falls in love with a human Prince and arranges for a witch to turn her into a human.

However, there are many obstacles for the couple to overcome, which makes for a suspenseful evening’s entertainment. The story is based on a Czech folktale and is similar to Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” – but not the same.

“It’s not just a little kids’ show,” Pittsburgh Opera marketing director Chris Cox said. “It is something for people of all ages to enjoy.”

It’s not only the first time that the Pittsburgh Opera will perform “Rusalka,” but also the first time the company will sing an opera entirely in Czech. English subtitles will be projected above the stage.

So what took the Pittsburgh Opera so long to get around to performing “Rusalka?”

“There’s a lot of great work out there and there are certain operas like ‘Carmen’ and ‘La Boheme’ that we do on a fairly regular basis and there are only so many slots for all the other ones,” Cox said. “’Rusalka’ just happened to be one that hadn’t gotten its turn until now.”

Cox said the opera’s patrons are excited about the long overdue performances, “especially the hardcore enthusiasts who yearn for us to put out stuff we haven’t done before.”

“It’s the total package – the music is great, the score is beautiful, the singing is fantastic, the set is very lush and gorgeous and magical and it will be a really fun evening for everybody,” Cox said. “’Rusalka’ is a great way to experience something that is both familiar and new. The story is familiar, but the way it’s performed is new.”

“Rusalka”’s run will be from Sept. 17-25 at the Benedum Center.