NOVEMBER 15 – DECEMBER 6, 2025
SILENT NIGHT
Libretto by MARK CAMPBELL
War and music may seem like opposites, but in Silent Night, they collide in the most extraordinary way. Composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell’s Pulitzer Prize–winning opera brings to life the true story of a spontaneous ceasefire on Christmas Eve during World War I—when soldiers on opposite sides of the battlefield found humanity in each other through song.
Based on the 2005 film Joyeux Noël, this powerful opera transports us to the trenches of 1914, where Scottish, French, and German soldiers are caught in the brutality of war. But on one remarkable night, their weapons fall silent. Moved by the voice of a German opera singer conscripted into battle, they step out of their trenches to share songs, stories, and even a game of soccer. It’s a fleeting moment of peace—one that defies orders, risks everything, and reminds us of the profound power of music to unite us, even in our darkest hours.
Puts’s sweeping score blends everything from simple folk tunes to grand, cinematic orchestration, capturing the raw emotion of both battle and brotherhood. Originally conceived by stage director Tomer Zvulun, this production has won multiple awards, including the Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Opera, and has captivated audiences across the world.
We couldn’t think of a more fitting way to open our season than with Silent Night, especially in November, when we honor our veterans and wartime heroes on Veterans Day. This season also marks the launch of Voices of Wellness, a new Florida Grand Opera initiative that invites first responders, veterans, military personnel, and medical professionals to experience the magic of opera.
Multilingual, with English and Spanish projected translations.
SILENT NIGHT
by Kevin Puts
Opera in 2 Acts
Libretto by Mark Campbell
First performed: 2011, Ordway Theatre, St. Paul
First time on stage at FGO
Sung in English, French, German, Italian and Latin
MIAMI
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County / Ziff Ballet Opera House
- Nov 15, 2025, at 7:00pm
- Nov 16, 2025, at 3:00pm
- Nov 18, 2025, at 8:00pm
FORT LAUDERDALE
Broward Center for the Performing Arts / Au-Rene Theater
- Dec 4, 2025, at 7:30pm
- Dec 6, 2025, at 7:30pm
| Director: | Tomer Zvulun |
| Conductor: | Christopher Allen |
| Scenic & Projection Design: | Erhard Rom |
| Projection Programmer: | Erin Teachman |
| Costume Designer: | Vita Tzykun |
| Lighting Designer: | Robert M. Wierzel |
| Wig and Makeup Designer: | Brittany Rappise |
| Production Stage Manager: | Jon Wangsgard |
| Fight Choreographer: | Rick Sordelet and Christian Kelly-Sordelet |
| Fight Team Coordinator: | Rosa Mercedes |
| Chorus Director: | Jared Peroune |
| Assistant Director: | Conor Hanratty |
| Assistant Conductor: | Felix Jarrar |
| Associate Lighting Designer: | Eric Norbury |
| Assistant Wig and Makeup Designer: | TBA |
| Production | A co-production of Florida Grand Opera, The Atlanta Opera, and Opera Carolina |
| English titles by: | TBA |
| Spanish titles by: | TBA |
| Anna Sørenson: | Susanne Burgess (11/16, 12/4, 12/6) ** |
| Anna Sørenson: | Sarah Joy Miller (11/15, 11/18) ** |
| Nikolaus Sprink | Kameron Lopreore |
| Father Palmer: | Mark Diamond ** |
| Jonathan Dale: | Elijah Brown |
| William Dale: | Joseph O'Shea * |
| Madeline Audebert: | Catherin Meza * |
| Lt. Audebert: | Alex DeSocio |
| Lt. Gordon: | Andrew Garland ** |
| French General: | Craig Irvin ** |
| Ponchel: | Elliot Madore |
| Lt. Horstmayer: | Kyle Albertson ** |
| Kronprinz: | James Mancuso * |
| British Major: | William Dopp * |
* FGO Studio Artist
** FGO debut
ARTISTS
Susanne Burgess (11/16, 12/4, 12/6)
SOPRANO
ANNA SØRENSON
Sarah Joy Miller (11/15, 11/18)
SOPRANO
ANNA SØRENSON
Kameron Lopreore
TENOR
NIKOLAUS SPRINK
Mark Diamond
BARITONE
FATHER PALMER
Elijah Brown
TENOR
JONATHAN DALE
Joseph O’Shea
BARITONE
WILLIAM DALE
Catherin Meza
SOPRANO
MADELINE AUDEBERT
Alex DeSocio
BARITONE
LT. AUDEBERT
Andrew Garland
BARITONE
LT. GORDON
Craig Irvin
BARITONE
FRENCH GENERAL
Elliot Madore
BARITONE
PONCHEL
Kyle Albertson
BASS-BARITONE
LT. HORSTMAYER
James Mancuso
TENOR
KRONPRINZ
William Dopp
BASS-BARITONE
BRITISH MAJOR
Tomer Zvulun
DIRECTOR
Christopher Allen
CONDUCTOR
SYNOPSIS/SINOPSIS
Prologue
Summer, 1914: At a Berlin opera house the performance is disrupted by the announcement of war. The life and career of the singers Anna Sørensen and Nikolaus Sprink change, as Nikolaus has to go to war. In Scotland, William urges his younger brother Jonathan to enlist. In Paris, pregnant Madeleine is angry as her husband Audebert departs for war. December 23, 1914: An attack by French and Scottish soldiers on the German line fails. Nikolaus stabs a man and despairs at the violence. William is shot and dies. In the bunker later, the soldiers are shocked by the slaughter. December 24, 1914: In the morning, little Christmas trees are delivered to the German soldiers, a gift of the Kronprinz who is camping in a chalet nearby. Nikolaus is ordered to sing for him later and looks forward to reuniting with Anna at that occasion. The French soldiers receive wine, sausages, and chocolates. The Scottish soldiers get crates of whisky. Later, in the evening, Anna and Nikolaus perform for the Kronprinz. Nikolaus has to return to the front, and Anna follows him. At night, a French soldier moves out with some grenades to infiltrate the German line. Some Scottish soldiers start singing. Nikolaus responds with a Christmas song (“Silent Night”), soon the Scottish bagpiper starts to accompany him, and Nikolaus raises a Christmas tree on the bunker. The Christmas truce starts as the lieutenants agree to stop fighting until the morning. The soldiers come out and the French soldier returns without using his grenades. The soldiers intermingle, talk, and exchange provisions. Anna appears. Father Palmer conducts a mass. Anna sings of peace. Jonathan, however, finds the body of his brother and vows to take revenge.
December 25, 1914: In the morning Jonathan buries his brother. A decision is made to extend the truce to allow for the burial of other soldiers. Later in the morning Father Palmer delivers the last rites as the bodies are carried away. During the day, the news of the truce reaches the British, French, and German headquarters. It is received with disbelief, anger, and the determination to punish the soldiers. In the evening Horstmayer wants to arrest Nikolaus for insubordination, but Anna takes his hand and leads him across the no-man’s land toward the French side. Horstmayer’s order to shoot him is ignored. Nikolaus and Anna ask the French for asylum.
December 26, 1914: The British Major punishes the Scottish soldiers by transferring them to the front lines. On his order, Jonathan shoots a German soldier crossing the battlefield. The soldier is actually the Frenchman, Ponchel, in a German uniform who was disguised to cross the lines and visit his mother. The French General orders Audebert to Verdun and disbands his unit. The Kronprinz transfers the German soldiers to Pomerania. The no-man’s land is empty at the end.
Prólogo
Verano de 1914: En un teatro de ópera de Berlín, la función se ve interrumpida por el anuncio de la guerra. La vida y la carrera de los cantantes Anna Sørensen y Nikolaus Sprink cambian, ya que Nikolaus debe ir a la guerra. En Escocia, William insta a su hermano menor, Jonathan, a alistarse. En París, Madeleine, embarazada, se enfurece al ver partir a la guerra a su esposo, Audebert. 23 de diciembre de 1914: Un ataque de soldados franceses y escoceses contra la línea alemana fracasa. Nikolaus apuñala a un hombre y se desespera ante la violencia. William recibe un disparo y muere. Más tarde, en el búnker, los soldados quedan conmocionados por la masacre. 24 de diciembre de 1914: Por la mañana, se entregan pequeños árboles de Navidad a los soldados alemanes, un regalo del Príncipe Heredero, que acampa en un chalet cercano. Nikolaus recibe la orden de cantar para él más tarde y espera con ilusión reencontrarse con Anna en esa ocasión. Los soldados franceses reciben vino, salchichas y chocolates. Los soldados escoceses reciben cajas de whisky. Más tarde, por la noche, Anna y Nikolaus actúan para el Príncipe Heredero. Nikolaus debe regresar al frente y Anna lo sigue. Por la noche, un soldado francés sale con granadas para infiltrarse en la línea alemana. Unos soldados escoceses comienzan a cantar. Nikolaus responde con un villancico (“Noche de Paz”), y pronto un gaitero escocés se une a él. Nikolaus coloca un árbol de Navidad en el búnker. La tregua navideña comienza cuando los tenientes acuerdan cesar el fuego hasta la mañana. Los soldados salen y el soldado francés regresa sin usar sus granadas. Los soldados conversan, intercambian provisiones y se mezclan. Anna aparece. El padre Palmer oficia una misa. Anna canta sobre la paz. Jonathan, sin embargo, encuentra el cuerpo de su hermano y jura vengarse.
25 de Diciembre de 1914: Por la mañana, Jonathan entierra a su hermano. Se decide extender la tregua para permitir el entierro de otros soldados. Más tarde, el padre Palmer administra la extremaunción mientras se llevan los cuerpos. Durante el día, la noticia de la tregua llega a los cuarteles generales británico, francés y alemán. Se recibe con incredulidad, ira y la determinación de castigar a los soldados. Por la noche, Horstmayer quiere arrestar a Nikolaus por insubordinación, pero Anna lo toma de la mano y lo guía a través de la tierra de nadie hacia el lado francés. La orden de Horstmayer de dispararle es ignorada. Nikolaus y Anna piden asilo a los franceses.
26 de Diciembre de 1914: El mayor británico castiga a los soldados escoceses trasladándolos al frente. Por orden suya, Jonathan dispara a un soldado alemán que cruza el campo de batalla. El soldado es en realidad el francés Ponchel, vestido con uniforme alemán, quien se había disfrazado para cruzar las líneas y visitar a su madre. El general francés ordena a Audebert que se dirija a Verdún y disuelve su unidad. El príncipe heredero traslada a los soldados alemanes a Pomerania. La tierra de nadie queda desierta al final.
DIRECTOR'S NOTES
Notes by TOMER ZVULUN
From the first moment that I listened to Silent Night; it deeply touched a personal side in me. Kevin Puts’s music along with Mark Campbell’s libretto uniquely captures the dichotomy of love and WAR and creates a world that is both specific and universal at once. It captures the humanity of the characters and the comforts that friendship and music bring to the bloodiest and most inexplicable of all human experiences — WAR. WAR, whether today in Iraq, Israel, or a century ago all over Europe, evokes a chaotic, surreal world. The characters that inhabit this world are completely lost in it. As often is the case in WAR. Our production was conceived as an entangled nightmare that progresses vertically. The structure of the opera is extremely intricate and complicated. The space is the key to the concept: It allows for the fluidity that the storytelling requires. Frequently, the vertical nature of the set allows for simultaneous action on different levels. As an Israeli, I know WAR very intimately. From the Lebanon WAR in my childhood in the 1980s through the intifada and the suicide bombings in the streets of Tel Aviv in the 1990s to the endless battle at the Gaza Strip, WAR is a state of being in Israel. In the early ‘90s, I entered the most surreal situation possible for a carefree teenager: I served in the army for three years as a medic in a combat infantry unit. As a young 18-year-old, I learned a thing or two about violence, fear, loss, and the constant brush with death. I learned to shoot, fight, run, hide — not only physically, but also emotionally. Hide the fear of dying young. What got me through that time and stayed with me forever was the humanity that I found in every daily situation with the members of my unit. I remember the strong friendships we formed, the coffee we would share on endless nights, the music we listened to in sentry, and the stories I heard from my comrades about their girlfriends, mothers, loves, lives, homes … most of all, we were recognizing that we all hid the same fear: that we may never see them again. That is the most fundamental aspect of being a soldier: missing the ones you love, your family, your home, your innocence, your youth. Those may be lost forever as soon as you put on uniforms and walk out the door. That’s why I found the story of Silent Night so moving, personal, and yet universal at the same time. Each one of the characters is acutely aware of his mortality, fears, and loves. In the midst of this unimaginable time of terror, the music, friendship, and humanity emerge to provide a momentary solace from the horrors of that futile WAR.