DETROIT (WWJ) -- Michigan Opera Theatre is getting a makeover.
To mark its grand re-opening, the organization announced Monday it will be changing its name to Detroit Opera, launching with the April premiere of Puccini’s “La boheme.”
The name change comes after 50 years of operation, and marks a new beginning for the company, which was founded by the late Dr. David DiChiera in the early 1970s.
Opera executives say they believe the re-brand will create a “new and ambitious standard for American opera” that will focus on “community, accessibility, artistic risk-taking, and collaboration.”
“As we enter our second half-century, and with all the unique new productions emerging, our Board and Trustees decided that it was time for a change," President and CEO Wayne S. Brown said in a press release. “We are a Detroit-based company operating in Detroit, a city with a growing national and international recognition as an arts-focused city. We want to take advantage of that recognition and add to it.”
Speaking with WWJ, Detroit Opera board chair Ethan Davidson says they believe leading with a Detroit-based name will provide the company with power and strength, and also show the company's pride for the city.
“We always felt that we were a Detroit company [and] we want to promote that,” Davidson said. “I think that when the board got together and started to talk about this, we all agreed that you gotta be Detroit-forward.”
Davidson also added that Detroit Opera will be partnering with several other opera companies over the next year, including New York's Metropolitan Opera.
“La bohème,” which will be the first in-person production from Detroit Opera in more than two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, kicks off on April 2.
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