Opera Columbus, the Wexner Center for the Arts, and Beth Morrison Projects presented the Ohio premiere of The Old Man and the Sea at Mershon Auditorium on October 10 and 12, 2025. Composed by Paola Prestini with a libretto by Royce Vavrek, the opera reimagines Ernest Hemingway’s novel with water on stage and a multidisciplinary production approach.

The cast featured Armando Contreras as Hemingway and Santiago, Rodolfo Giron as Manolin, Yvette Keong as La Virgen del Cobre, and Measha Brueggergosman-Lee as La Mar. Choreographer Sidra Bell, a former Wexner Center intern and Ohio State graduate student, returned to contribute movement direction.

“This opera is bold, completely new to Ohio, and full of the kind of experiences that push the boundaries of what multi-disciplinary opera can be,” said Julia Noulin-Merat, General Director and CEO of Opera Columbus. The collaboration brought together three organizations to stage what producers called a “game-changer experience” for Columbus audiences.

Source: https://www.operacolumbus.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/OperaColumbus_OldManandtheSeaNR_FINAL.docx