MSU Opera Theatre: Grapes of Wrath | November 23, 2025, 3:00 PM

Presenting the university premiere of The Grapes of Wrath (2018 revised edition), the sweeping American opera based on John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. With music by celebrated composer Ricky Ian Gordon and libretto by Michael Korie, the opera follows the Joad family as they journey westward, driven from Oklahoma by the Dust Bowl in search of a better life. Both powerful and deeply human, the story explores themes of resilience, loss, and hope. Considered an “American Masterpiece,” Composer Ricky Ian Gordon’s lyrical score captures the emotional landscape of a family struggling to survive. Sung in English with English surtitles.  

CONDUCTOR: Octavio Más-Arocas
STAGE DIRECTOR: Melanie Helton
SET DESIGNER: DJ Selmeyer
LIGHT DESIGNER: Brent Wrobel

Gordon will be a guest artist in residence during the production and will join Director Melanie Helton for preview lectures held 45 minutes before each performance.

Generously sponsored by James and Susan Bonfiglio, the Eleanor H. and Harold E. Leichenko Opera Endowment established by Lauren Julius Harris, Friends of Jay D. Meetz, and the Richard and Joan Witter Endowment for MSU Opera Theatre. The entire Opera Theatre Season is underwritten by the Worthington Family Foundation.