San Diego Opera Brings Fellow Travelers to Southern California for Limited Engagement

This summer the San Diego Opera will introduce a rare and moving treat to California audiences. July 10 to 12 2026 the company will present the Southern California premiere of Fellow Travelers at the historic Balboa Theatre in downtown San Diego. With only three performances and no other California dates planned this haunting production is already making quiet waves among opera sophisticates and cultural leaders alike

Adapted from Thomas Mallon's 2007 novel Fellow Travelers, this contemporary opera is far from conventional. At its center is a gorgeous but troubled love affair between two men caught in the firestorm of 1950s political paranoia. Set against the backdrop of the scandalous McCarthy years in Washington D C the action unfolds in an environment of fear, deception and top-level ambition. But it is also a tale of longing. Of authenticity. And of the delicate courage it requires to tell the truth in a dishonest world

A Story of Hidden Love and Public Consequences

Fellow Travelers follows the affair of Hawkins Fuller, a charming State Department diplomat and Timothy Laughlin, a recent college graduate with political aspirations. As the two men become immersed in an illegal relationship their individual relationship becomes increasingly threatened by the pervasive moral hysteria of the Lavender Scare when gay federal employees were stalked and purged from the government workforce

With beautiful staging and an emotionally affecting score the opera conveys both the excitement of being close and the horror of being exposed. Composer Gregory Spears contributes a distinctive musical idiom to the production, one that combines baroque complexity with minimalist restraint. The end result is a score that sounds ageless with flashes of heart-wrenching beauty and subtle devastation

Greg Pierce's libretto based heavily on Mallon's novel provides depth and emotional understanding to the characters. Without words, the unspoken is powerful. The play never transgresses the bounds of melodrama but stays in the fragile moments that characterize human attachment

From National Acclaim to San Diego Debut

Since its world premiere at Cincinnati Opera in 2016 Fellow Travelers has reached hearts and critics across the United States. It has been widely acclaimed for both its artistry and its relevance with productions at Lyric Opera of Chicago Minnesota Opera and Boston Lyric Opera among others. The Washington Post called it a piece of "aching lyricism" and The New York Times "powerful and moving"

San Diego Opera's production is the first anywhere in Southern California of Fellow Travelers. That alone makes it a significant cultural event in the area. It is also, though, a presentation of Fellows' dedication to producing new works as well as the traditional repertoire. By choosing this opera San Diego Opera confirms its status as a forward-thinking and thoughtful voice on the national arts scene

A Symbolic Location in the Heart of the City The setting of Fellow Travelers is the Balboa Theatre, a gem of downtown San Diego's historic Gaslamp Quarter. With Spanish Revival architecture rich furnishings and cozy atmosphere the theater is the perfect place for a work as visually beautiful and emotionally intense as this one

Fri and Sat nights at 7:30 PM and a Sun matinee at 2 PM. These handful of performances will fly by particularly in light of the production's sole California appearance. San Diego Opera subscriptions for the 2025–2026 season are available now and single tickets will become available to the public starting Tuesday September 2 2025

Why This Opera Matters Today

Whereas a 1950s context Fellow Travelers does have something to say to our own modern-day culture. Privacy identity politics fear and the price of silence are concerns still at hand. For the majority of audience members the issues of the opera will be compelling to the point of unease. And that is the very reason it is so critical

Opera has always possessed the power to distill grand struggles of society into the intimate space between performers. It makes the abstract personal. And when done with grace and veracity as in Fellow Travelers it reminds us why the art form is still relevant

In a world far too often governed by spectacle this production stands out. It offers something that is rarely offered. It offers vulnerability. It offers humanity. And it invites us to bear witness

An Elegant and Emotional Summer Evening

For readers of Fine Homes and Living who enjoy thoughtfully curated cultural experiences, Fellow Travelers presents an evening to remember. Pair the performance with dinner at one of downtown San Diego's prize-winning restaurants or post-show drinks with bay views. Whether you're an opera buff for life or a newbie to the form this production is the perfect introduction to the world where storytelling and beauty meet

Make It a Date to Remember

With only three performances in July and no additional California show dates, Fellow Travelers will be one of the most intimate cultural experiences of the year. If you're in the mood for a contemplative work of art that stays with you long after the last curtain this is it. The San Diego Opera continues to amaze and delight with its forward-thinking strategy for programming. And with Fellow Travelers it welcomes us into a tale that is heartbreaking and essential. This summer recline in the Balboa Theatre and let the music take you somewhere else.

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