Opera in the Ozarks, fresh off the grand opening of its brand-new multimillion-dollar theater just west of historic Eureka Springs, is expanding its artistic programming beyond the summer season with a new film series. The inaugural event will take place Sunday, November 9 at 2 p.m., featuring a screening of Goodbye, Mr. Chips – an opera by Gordon Getty, reimagined for film and starring Opera in the Ozarks alum Nathan Granner in the title role.

Following the screening, Granner — an acclaimed tenor with an international opera career — will appear live on stage for an engaging conversation about the making of the film and his personal artistic journey. Both the film screening and the post-show talk will take place at Inspiration Point Center for the Arts in Eureka Springs (16311 Hwy. 62 West).

Based on James Hilton’s beloved 1934 novella, Goodbye, Mr. Chips tells the moving story of a devoted schoolteacher at an English boys’ boarding school whose decades of service become a testament to love, loss, and the lasting power of education. The film, directed by Brian Staufenbiel, features Granner as Mr. Chips alongside Marnie Breckenridge (Kathie), Lester Lynch (Merrivale), and Kevin Short (Ralston and Rivers), with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City portraying the students of Brookfield. The film’s score is performed by an orchestra conducted by Nicole Paiement.

Nathan Granner

Since the film’s 2021 world premiere at Festival Napa Valley in partnership with the Mill Valley Film Festival, Getty’s cinematic opera has been screened by leading opera institutions including Opera Philadelphia, New York City Opera, OPERA America, and Des Moines Metro Opera.

“Launching this new film series in our new theater — with one of our own alumni at its heart — feels like the perfect way to extend Opera in the Ozarks’ spirit into the year-round calendar,” said Nancy Preis, General Director of Opera in the Ozarks. “We’re thrilled to welcome Nathan back and to invite our community to experience opera in an entirely new form.”

Composer Gordon Getty, now 91, is celebrated for his lyrical and emotional works for the voice, including four operas and numerous chamber and orchestral compositions. Goodbye, Mr. Chips continues his legacy of combining timeless stories with lush, modern musical storytelling.

This screening marks the first in a planned ongoing series of opera-related film presentations at Opera in the Ozarks’ new theater, offering audiences new ways to experience the art form year-round. Details for future screenings will be announced in the coming months.

Tickets for Goodbye, Mr. Chips are $20 and are on sale now at opera.org or by calling the box office at (479) 253-8595.

ABOUT NATHAN GRANNER
In addition to playing the title role in Gordon Getty’s Goodbye, Mr. Chips, tenor Nathan Granner has enjoyed a unique and diverse performing career which has allowed him to leverage his distinctive timbre and impressive range in a multitude of projects and productions. A graduate of the University of Missouri Kansas City and an alumnus of Opera in the Ozarks (1992, 1993), Nathan has enjoyed a wonderful career singing all over the world. Stemming from his early breaks at Wolf Trap, Glimmerglass, and as a Metropolitan Opera National Competition winner, Granner’s career path has been and continues to be blessed with distinction and variety. He was also a founding member of the Sony Masterworks recording group, The American Tenors.

ABOUT GORDON GETTY
With the 2021 premiere of his operatic film Goodbye, Mr. Chips, composer Gordon Getty adds a fourth opera to his list of compositions, which includes works for orchestra, chorus, and vocal and instrumental soloists. His works have been performed by Leipzig Opera, Welsh National Opera, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Bolshoi Ballet, San Francisco Symphony (Michael Tilson Thomas), Russian National Orchestra (Mikhail Pletnev), and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (Sir Neville Marriner). Getty’s life in music is the subject of Peter Rosen’s 2016 documentary There Will Be Music. Recent honors include the European Culture Prize and Opera America’s Hall of Fame.

ABOUT OPERA IN THE OZARKS
Opera in the Ozarks, a not-for-profit organization, has been a training ground for young artists since 1950. Singers are selected for its annual summer season from national auditions. Vocalists from across the country take the Opera in the Ozarks stage each year, and the orchestra features talented musicians from across the nation. Over the years, Opera in the Ozarks has launched the careers of many talented singers who have gone on to perform in premier opera houses around the world. For more information visit opera.org.

 

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