I had the opportunity to attend a dress rehearsal performance of Faust by Houston Grand Opera at the Wortham Theater. This was my first time attending a dress rehearsal performance, and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. I had a couple of favorite scenes, but my favorite was probably ‘Walpurgis Night’ that included ballet dancers and Faust being seduced by beautiful women from previous eras. I highly recommend the performance. Opening night for this performance is Friday, October 30, 2026.
Faust is one of the most popular French operas ever written and I can see why. It had everything you’d want in a performance. It originally premiered in the mid-1800s in Paris and was written by Charles Gounod. It was also the very first opera performed at the Met Opera in New York City in 1883.
The production is told through five acts and has a runtime around 3 hours long. Although it’s long, it was engaging and very enjoyable. Matthew Polenzani played the role of Faust, Pretty Yende who made her HGO debut played Marguerite. Both did an incredible job. Highlights for me included the incredible songs, costumes, set designs, and my favorite part had to be the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra; they are always amazing. This is easily a production that I could watch more than once.
