
International Theatre Database
Category
Opera
Country
United States
Run Dates
Jun 27 - Jul 18, 2026
Run Time
140 minutes
2026.06.27 ~ 2026.07.18
Des Moines Metro Opera
Premiere
John Steinbeck’s timeless story Of Mice and Men—in the hands of the Father of American Opera, Carlisle Floyd—becomes a deeply moving opera of great beauty and power. George and Lennie are two migrant ranch workers who dream of owning a small piece of land and a shack they can call their own. But George cannot always shield Lennie—a childlike giant with a love for soft things—from the dangers around them. As tensions rise on the ranch, the cruelty of the boss, the loneliness of the workers, and the restless unhappiness of the boss’s young wife set in motion a chain of events that will change their lives forever. Presented as part of the Carlisle Floyd Centennial, this masterful adaptation brings Steinbeck’s unforgettable characters vividly to life through Floyd’s richly expressive score.