When prolific composer Ludwig van Beethoven wrote the first iteration of his only opera — “Fidelio” — he dedicated it to a certain French statesman and general.
“He really admired Napoleon [Bonaparte],” Tara Faircloth, the stage director for the Utah Opera’s upcoming production of “Fidelio,” told The Salt Lake Tribune. “Then when Napoleon declared himself emperor, and kind of took a turn, he rescinded that dedication.”
This sparked a decade-long rewrite that resulted in three different versions of the opera — and the composer’s ultimate decision to not write another.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Director Tara Faircloth working on Utah Opera's production of "Fidelio" at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.
The story follows an innocent man named Florestan, imprisoned in a dungeon for three years by a government official whose corruption he was trying to expose. Florestan’s wife, Leonore, disguises herself as a man to infiltrate the prison administration, learn whether her husband is still alive and, if so, rescue him.
That rewrite journey tells us something else about Beethoven, Faircloth said.
“The themes of [an] anti-tyrannical leader were important to him,” she said. “He was really disappointed that his hero fell.”
Such themes, Faircloth said, resonate in today’s world too.
“They were applicable in the early 1800s, 100 years ago, today, and sadly, probably will be vivid themes that we can understand in another 100 years,” she said.
Faircloth considered those themes through a modern lens and has taken a new creative approach to her direction of the opera.
Beethoven’s original work features copious amounts of German dialogue and the songs deliver the same anti-tyranny message, which Faircloth said would have made for a repetitive experience. She wanted to reinvent the dialogue portion to differentiate between the two elements. In her production, the spoken elements are delivered by a new character, the Oracle, with a modern twist.
(Dana Sohm) Sharlene Wells plays the role of the Oracle in the Utah Opera's production of "Fidelio" in 2026.
“She is a kind of ethereal looking being who carries all of humanity’s wisdom with her in a book,” Faircloth said.
This oracle steps out between numbers and delivers quotes from the world’s great thinkers, including Martin Luther King Jr., Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Desmond Tutu and John Steinbeck. Faircloth spent a month trying to find the right people to include, and connecting those quotes to the “fiber” of the opera and melodies of the music.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Director Tara Faircloth working on Utah Opera's production of "Fidelio" at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.
“This character is trying to just remind us of the knowledge that we already have. We already know what’s right and wrong. But, sometimes we as humans just kind of lose our way,” Faircloth said.
Working on this opera in current times has been “surreal,” Faircloth added.
“One of the most beautiful musical moments is given to a chorus of criminals and prisoners who are let out of their cells for the first time in who knows how long, and they sing this gorgeous hymn to the ecstasy of a breath of fresh air,” Faircloth said.
Watching that scene on a stage, and then seeing pictures of prisoners in El Salvador, or “learning that people are being thrown in jail without due process” amid President Donald Trumps’ immigration crackdown is a stark reminder, Faircloth said.
“These are not hypothetical situations. They never have been. Atrocities happen all over the world all the time,” she said. “It’s my hope that [the opera] inspires us to look our neighbors in the eye and just put a little bit more love into the world.”
The Utah Opera will perform “Fidelio” from Jan 17-25 at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre. Tickets range from $19-$117 for the ground floor to $24-$104 on the upper floor, including $5 of fees. Discounted tickets are available for students and those under 30 with identification.