WHAT: On Mar. 15, 2026 at 2:30 p.m., Houston Grand Opera (HGO) will share the company’s new production of Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men via its YouTube and Facebook channels. The livestream of the matinee performance at the Wortham Theater Center’s Cullen Theater will provide online audiences with the opportunity to experience the classic opera featuring a cast comprised entirely of rising artists from the company’s Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio program. For audiences who wish to attend Of Mice and Men in person, tickets to both performances—on Friday, Mar. 13 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Mar. 15 at 2:30 p.m.—are still available at HGO.org.
Sam Dhobhany (George), Demetrious Sampson Jr. (Lennie), and Alissa Goretsky (Curley’s Wife) in Houston Grand Opera’s production of Of Mice and Men, Photo: Lynn Lane
Based on John Steinbeck’s 1937 novella of the same name, the acclaimed 1970 opera, composed by Floyd to his own libretto, shares the poignant tale of two itinerant laborers looking for work during the Great Depression: George, (bass-baritone Sam Dhobhany) and Lennie (tenor Demetrious Sampson, Jr.). Together, the friends set out to pursue their piece of the American Dream, but their story ends in tragedy—and an act of mercy made all the more moving by Floyd’s haunting score, with its masterful blend of folk tunes and blues melodies.
Directed by Kristine McIntyre with Benjamin Manis at the podium, the production is part of international celebrations marking the centennial of the birth of Carlisle Floyd—the composer, librettist, and educator known as the Father of American Opera. HGO’s presentation of the opera is a fitting tribute to Floyd, who co-founded the Butler Studio with then-General Director David Gockley in 1977, and who maintained a close relationship with the company until his passing in 2021. Over the years, five of Floyd’s operas received their world premieres in Houston.
Scene from Houston Grand Opera’s production of Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men.
Photo: Lynn Lane
Presented in partnership with co-producers Des Moines Metro Opera, Florida State University, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City, McIntyre’s striking new production—inspired by the photography of Dorothea Lange and grounded in American agricultural life—will be seen in Houston first.
The opera runs for two hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission. It is sung in English, with English subtitles offered for the livestream.
Scene from Houston Grand Opera’s production of Of Mice and Men, Photo: Lynn Lane
WHO: The production features a cast of gifted artists currently training with HGO’s Butler Studio program: bass-baritone Sam Dhobhany as George; tenor Demetrious Sampson, Jr. as Lennie; soprano Alissa Goretsky as Curley’s Wife; tenor Shawn Roth as Curley; bass Ziniu Zhao as Candy; baritone Geonho Lee as Slim; tenor Michael McDermott as Carlson; and tenor Luka Tsevelidze as Ballad Singer. Kristine McIntyre directs, with Benjamin Manis conducting.
WHEN: Livestream to take place Sunday, Mar. 15, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. (U.S. Central Time).
WHERE: HGO’s YouTube and Facebook channels
TARIFF: Free
Find more about Houston Grand Opera (HGO) at www.houstongrandopera.org
