Friendship, Tragedy, and the American Spirit

There can be no more fitting way for HGO to celebrate the centennial of the birth of composer Carlisle Floyd— who founded the company’s Butler Studio Program with then-General Director David Gockley in 1977— then a special staging of his evocative opera Of Mice and Men performed by a cast of artists from the 2025-26 class of the Butler Studio. Based on John Steinbeck’s 1937 novella of the same name, the acclaimed 1970 opera will be presented in the Wortham’s intimate Cullen Theater. The opera shares the poignant tale of two laborers seeking work during the Great Depression: George, small and shrewd, and Lenny, whose intellectual disability and formidable strength often lead to trouble. Together, the friends dream of buying a plot of land all their own, where they can live in peace, but their story ends in tragedy— and an act of mercy made all the more moving by Floyd’s haunting score with its masterful blend of folk tunes and blues melodies. Join HGO for an unforgettable operatic experience as the company honors the great American composer whose legacy is inseparable from their own history.