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On May 24, those cries will be renewed when the opera company kicks off its 50th season with four mainstage productions, a concert and a ton of celebratory events.

The season begins with "Die Fledemaus" (staged for the first time since 1989) opening May 24. Johann Strauss II's operetta is a comedy about mistaken identities. That's followed by the world premere of "This House" from renowned composer Ricky Ian Gordon and Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Lynn Nottage and her daughter Ruby Aiyo Gerber. Opening May 31, it is about a family's connection to their ancestors and their Harlem brownstone.

"Don Pasquale," about a man trying to prevent his heir from marrying a poor girl returns on June 8. The opera was also part of OTSL's very first season. Former St. Louis Symphony Orchestra maestro Leonard Slatkin will conduct the season's finale, Benjamin Britten's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," based on the Shakespeare play, which opens June 14.

Over the last five decades, OTSL has staged 45 world premieres, 27 American premieres, and hundreds of classic operas presented in English. The company has also gained an international reputation, created extensive outreach programming and launched the careers of prominent artists like tenor Joshua Blue and sopranos Sydney Mancasola and Elena Villalón.

But Opera Theatre comes from humble beginnings. It was founded in 1976 by the collective of Leigh Gerdine, Laurance L. Browning Jr. and James Van Sant who envisioned bringing an opera festival to St. Louis.

OTSL’s first season was small with only 11 performances of four productions. Helmed by General Director Richard Gaddes, the fledgling organization made do with an operating budget of $135,000.

From the onset, St. Louisans knew they were seeing something special. In its infancy OTSL’s inventive programming gained recognition and accolades for its quality. In 1978 its production of Benjamin Britten’s "Albert Herring" was the first opera broadcast on American Public Television. In 1983, OTSL became the first U.S. company to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival.

50 years of shows and he hasn't missed any.

One of Opera Theatre’s biggest devotees, John Lesser, has been there from the beginning. A lover of both the classic repertoire and premiere works, calling him a superfan would be an understatement. A retired St. Louisan who presents opera classes to residents of his senior living facility, the Gatesworth, he holds the distinction of having seen every show of every production since its inception.

His path to OTSL represents the healing power of art. Following the death of his mother, Lesser, filled with sadness and grief, was invited by a friend to see the company's first production, Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale.”

"I originally said 'no' and explained the situation, and that I wasn't doing anything. He then said to me, 'In that case, we're not asking, we're telling you, be ready, and we'll pick you up!'" Lesser says.

“I had such a good time that I felt guilty about it. But I enjoyed it so much I thought that I should go again. I bought a ticket for the next performance. For that first season, I bought a ticket every night for each performance. The next year, I started buying the series, and I've been back for every show since then."

With his love of OTSL blooming, Lesser began to transition from being an audience member to a volunteer. He worked backstage helping guild paneling for a set and worked as a docent, spreading opera knowledge in the community. His love of opera made him the ideal person for talking to people in retirement communities, grade schools and other parts of the community.

Sitting in different seats for each show, this ironman of opera has many fond memories of OTSL productions from over the years.

“Everyone seems to remember 'Beatrice and Benedict' (staged in 1983), which was beautiful. But I remember weird things like Benjamin Britten's 'Paul Bunyan' (from 1984). It is not the greatest opera that ever happened, but the production was magical for me,” he says.

"When the stage lit up the first time and you saw the old and new growth of trees, and all the colors, that knocked me out. I cried every night at that stupid opera when it was over. Also, Bunyan never made an appearance. He was just a voiceover. But for the curtain calls, the singer, dressed up as Paul Bunyan, came out to take a call."

After 50 years of fervent patronage, Lesser remains just as excited about every production now as he was then. He's also one of the company’s biggest champions as he believes it is one of the city’s crown jewels.

"It is a uniquely St. Louis thing that's gotten so much acclaim nationally and internationally. The scale of it is such that it feels very intimate and very family-like. They make audiences feel like they are part of the show. Plus, there are opportunities to meet singers, instrumentalists and directors in the tent after the show. You can socialize with them. I also think (OTSL is) important for the community because of the learning opportunities they offer," Lesser says.

Guiding young artists

For its golden anniversary, OTSL is also celebrating the success of the Gerdine Young Artists Program. Designed in 1986 to ripen the talents of up-and-coming opera singers, its alumni include sopranos Christine Brewer, So Young Park and Erin Morley, tenor Russell Thomas, and many others.

One graduate etched into the legacy of the organization is mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano. A native of Festus who attended Webster University, the prolific singer has been involved with the company for half of its existence.

"My first encounter with (OTSL) was when I was in high school. I did their spring training program. It was there that I saw my first opera and had my very first voice lesson. Later, when I was at Webster University, I worked in the front of the house as an usher for a couple of summers. Then, in 2006, I became a Gerdine Young Artist," she says.

In 2008 she pulled double duty as the Muse and Nicklausse in "The Tales of Hoffmann."

"That was my first principal role on stage,” she says. “It happened with two weeks' notice because I stepped in for a colleague who was pregnant with twins. Due to the physical nature of the role, she didn't think it was a good idea to try and make that happen. I was finishing grad school at the time and got a call from the director, Paul Kilmer, asking me if I could learn the role in two weeks. I was moving out of my apartment and doing my master's degree finals, but I made it happen."

It was that same year, while singing at a party for a patron, that she met her future husband, pianist Christopher.

With her career in full swing, Cano returned a decade later to star in "Orfeo & Euridice." This season she will play Hermia in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream."

“I think the greatest testament of Opera Theatre of St. Louis is how many people long for the opportunity to return," Cano says. "Artists love to be invited back here. When we love a place and the experience and can be part of special projects we look forward to that invitation and opportunity.”

Coming full circle

In a season where the past meets the present, director Christopher Alden is a vital link. The director of this season’s “Don Pasquale,” he also directed the show in OTSL's first season. Yes, the same production that hooked longtime fan Lesser.

Now, Alden is an award-winning opera director. His minimalist style and ability to effectively wield humor, violence and sexual themes in productions has made him sought-after. He's worked with San Fransisco Opera, New York City Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and international companies. Back in 1976, however, Alden relatively unknown.

"I was just starting my career, and it was great to work in a brand-new company where something was being created out of nothing. This was their first production, and magically, all of these people came together to create something brand new and intriguing.

"We had a wonderful young cast. They were prime examples of exciting American opera singers who were just as interested in the acting side as the musical and vocal side," he says.

This season’s “Don Pasquale” is the culmination of a career that began with his first OTSL show.

"My aesthetic has developed over the years. The production I did here 50 years ago was quite literal. This version mixes reality and fantasy in spiky ways. It is a piece about youth versus old age and the conflicts found in that."

OTSL regularly gets written about in the national media and opera press for its groundbreaking works onstage. In recent years the company's efforts have yielded several St. Louis Theater Circle Awards, International Opera Awards, recognition from FOCUS St. Louis, and an OCA Champion of Diversity Award.

As the organization celebrates its 50th anniversary, General Director Andrew Jorgensen looks back on Opera Theatre's legacy.

"It is enormous. The legacy is 50 years of young singers whose careers have been launched at Opera Theatre and 50 years of world premieres. We're about to do our 45th world premiere, which shows that we continue to incubate and generate work that pushes the boundaries of this art form. I think it's had an enormous impact on the national, even the international opera world, which is enormously significant.

"But I think the legacy is also a community of patrons, audience members, volunteers, partners, staff, artists and artisans. We always talk about the Opera Theatre family and how we gather under the tent. I think there is this community that has been nurtured for 50 years, which is as important, if not more important, than any of the artistic output that has been generated along the way,” he says.

While OTSL is celebrating, it also is reaffirming its commitment to building a future by planning to build its own theater and campus, a plan that is still in its nascent stages.

“While we are celebrating the past, I think the way that you celebrate your 50th birthday is by looking forward,” he says.

“I believe the best is yet to come."