Ars Nova Performances

Operas, Musicals, Recitals, and Theatre

Ars Nova typically presents four to five productions a year. Each season usually includes a classical adult opera, opportunities for younger students to participate in opera roles, operettas, and musical theater, including Disney productions for younger students and audiences. Some of the productions are performed at the VBC Playhouse with live orchestra. These productions typically give Ars Nova students performance opportunities as part of their training, although some productions have open casting auditions. The degree of musical talent in the productions is impressive, especially for local theater. Productions often include guest talents, such as members of the Huntsville Ballet company, plus lovely costuming and set design to provide productions which are as beautiful to watch as to hear. Excellent direction ensures performances that are fresh and confident, with lots of humor!

2022 - 2023

January, 2023

Various locations

2021 - 2022

Music by Richard Rodgers.  Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.  Adapted for Stage by Tom Briggs from the teleplay by Robert L. Freedman.

Sept 16-18, 2022

Dream Theatre

Magnificent Musicale

Featuring your favorite composers:  Rodgers and Hammerstein, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Andrew Lloyd Weber.

11 JUNE, 2022 

Randolph’s Thurber Arts Center

A magical evening of music by Russian composers, including Rimsky-Korsakov’s Snow Maiden.

27-29 JAN, 2022

Thurber Arts Center
4915 Garth Road
Huntsville, AL 35802

2020 - 2021

A musical exploring the world of disabilities, cultural differences, and how we can embrace love through our differences.  Coming from vastly different perspectives, but concluding at the same point, this show captures our season’s theme– very different voices can blend in loving harmony to create hope.

27-29 AUG

VBC Playhouse

UNSUNG HEREOS

Honoring all essential workers and their families, featuring familiar Broadway songs.  A celebration open to the entire community.

13-14 August

By Giuseppe Verdi.   Ars Nova presented  with fresh new innovations to make them more accessible to all the people – presented with spoken dialogue in English, while glorious arias are sun in Italian with supertitles.  This will include the famous chorus Brindisi (La Traviata) and the Anvil Chorus (Il Trovatore).

11-13 JUNE

VBC Playhouse 

2020

We had a great time at Ars Nova on the Lawn – social distancing and listening to songs sung by our wonderful students and teachers.  And great food from Fast Frankies Wicked Eats and Sno depot!  

6 AUG, 2020

ARS NOVA SCHOOL 
2828 Drake Ave
Huntsville, AL

CULTURAL KALEIDOSCOPE

Cultural Kaleidoscope is a musical journey exploring Folk and traditional music from the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Asia with the final destination being America. Songs included are “Shenendoah,” “The Legend of John Henry’s Hammer,” and excerpts from Gershwins Porgy and Bess. Students, former students and faculty are your tour guides on this journey.

29 FEB, 2020

SOUTHWOOD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

2019

AN EVENING WITH STRAUSS

Ars Nova performed excerpts from Der Rosenkavalier and Ariadne auf Naxos in The Carriage House in downtown Huntsville. 

28 DEC, 2019

THE CARRIAGE HOUSE

THE GOOSE GIRL

Ars Nova School of the Arts presents The Goose Girl.  A wonderfully fun children’s opera based on a Grimm’s Fairy Tale.
Directed by Anna Lee.

NOV, 2019

Various Locations

2018

SOUR ANGELICA

By Puccini, starring Christie Weber. Suor Angelica is the story of a mysterious woman who enters the convent and receives tragic news.
Directed by Mariah Beachboard

Gianni Schicchi

This updated performance of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi is the story of a 1980s family who employs a trickster to revise a dead relative’s will. Gianni Schicchi is a 1 act comedic opera, but this aria is all heart.
Directed by Mariah Beachboard

SEPT, 2018

VBC PLAYHOUSE

2017

HANSEL AND GRETEL

In this classic fairy tale, a walk in the forest turns into a discovery of delights and frights.  A gingerbread house tempts Hansel’s and Gretel’s taste buds but beware …  behind those sugar-coated gumdrop walls lurks a witch!  Hansel and Gretel must stick together to free the forest from a wicked spell.  See what two clever children did!  

OCT, 2017

Various Locations

Die Fledermaus

Die Fledermaus (the bat) is an operetta first performed in 1864 in Vienna. And it’s been making music lovers laugh ever since.
Directed by Susan Kelly, Assistant Director Demi Vanderwerff

SEP, 2017

VBC PLAYHOUSE 

Additional Past Performances

2019 Really Rosie
2018 The Little Prince
2018 Ars Nova Concert  
2017 Ars Nova Vocals – Anna Lee, Belle Morris, Caroline Oldfather, Tyler Henderson
2017 La Boheme
2016 CAV & PAG
2015 Marriage of Figaro
2015 Shakespeare Words & Music
2014 Carmen
2014 Madama Butterfly
2012 Cosi Fan Tutti
2009 Macbeth