Opera Las Vegas receives glowing review from Operawire for world premiere of Behold the Man

“'Behold the Man' is an engaging opera. It outlines the ever-developing story of Borja’s near fall and eventual rise to fame with a rare combination of excitement and forgiveness. Along with an easy-to-follow synopsis, Cecilia Giménez is a relatable lead character and her heart of gold makes for an interesting character development that supports a comic opera’s happy ending. What often happens in new operatic works is the temptation to overemphasize a story in order to prove a point instead of letting it be more open to interpretation. This is where 'Behold the Man' excels. It does not push. In fact, what Paul Fowler and Andrew Flack emphasize the most is the innocent simplicity of humanity – the essence of human will.

In addition to focusing on a good story, Fowler and Flack chose Opera Las Vegas for their world premiere. This is also a very good thing. Vegas itself is a small city full of lights and entertainment that knows how to capture its audiences. General director Jim Sohre welcomed the audience and described how delighted he was to feature 'Behold the Man' as its 25th season opener. Audience members were all smiles as he spoke because he could not stop smiling. There was definitely something special in the air. Music director and principal conductor Joshua Horsch led the members of Las Vegas’ Philharmonic, chorus and youth chorus. His energy and attention to Paul Fowler’s musical references were spot on from the start."

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