Free, family-friendly opera coming to the Aquarium
Long Beach Opera’s education team presents the American debut of "Acquaprofonda" at the Aquarium on July 12 and 13, 2025
Credit: Long Beach Opera
June 11, 2025
Long Beach Opera will present a free, family-friendly, half-hour opera called Acquaprofonda. On July 12 and 13, there will be two English performances in the Aquarium’s Honda Pacific Visions Theater at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. For thirty minutes before and after each show, there will be activity sessions that include crafts, photo opportunities, a Q&A with the singers, and more.
The story shares a theme of protecting our planet. Italian for “deep water,” Acquaprofonda follows Serena, a girl who discovers a mysterious whale sick from plastic pollution. With the help of a sailor, she inspires her father to stand up against the factory harming the ocean—and learns that one small voice can make big waves.
This work was created under the Italian platform Opera Education after being commissioned by the Teatro Sociale di Como in co-production with the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. After its reception, the show won the Filippo Sienbaneck award, a prize given to significant initiatives in the field of music education and/or the professional training of young people.
This Long Beach Opera event at the Aquarium includes access to the Honda Pacific Visions Theater (Aquarium admission is not included). For more information about the event and to RSVP, please visit Long Beach Opera’s website.
Aquarium general admission tickets are not required to attend the event in the theater but for those interested in also visiting the Aquarium, they are available for advance purchase/RSVP.
Acquaprofonda Creative Team
- Music by Giovanni Sollima
- Libretto by Giancarlo de Cataldo
- English Libretto by Ellen Moody
- Conducted by Oliver Chan
- Directed by Yekaterina Lynch
Credit: Long Beach Opera
“Long Beach Opera (LBO) is Southern California’s oldest and boldest opera company, with over forty-five years of challenging norms, taking risks and sparking meaningful conversation. Under the leadership of our Artistic Director & Chief Creative Officer James Darrah, we create uniquely immersive work that blends film, dance, new music and more. LBO is committed to centering underrepresented voices—striving to redefine the art form to make it more accessible to our entire community. Notable highlights include our 2019 world premiere of Anthony Davis’ The Central Park Five, which won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize, and the 2023 premiere of Pulitzer-finalist Kate Soper’s The Romance of the Rose.”
