by Brenda Huggins, Executive Creative Producer | July 8, 2026
On June 30, 2026, MassOpera’s new leadership team brought to the stage a thrilling and heart-felt program to celebrate Pride Month by championing queer voices and stories. This online feature by Olivia Liu of Bartv Boston paints a clear picture from the point of view of the Boston Area’s Chinese community about the evening’s artistry and community festivities. Enjoy an English Translation below, compiled by MassOpera’s Director of Community Engagement, Wen Gu:
Bartv Boston | Reported on-site by Olivia Liu
BOSTON, June 30, 2026 — As the golden glow of a summer evening settled over Tremont Street in Boston’s South End, an unmistakable sense of anticipation began to fill the historic brick walls of Piano Craft Gallery. At precisely 7:00 p.m., MassOpera’s special Pride Month concert, Pride is a Riot: Raising Hell with High Notes and Higher Heels, officially began.
Serving as the finale of Boston’s Pride Month celebrations, the concert brought together approximately 30 to 40 audience members of diverse ages and backgrounds. Through a vibrant program of opera and musical theater favorites, the evening celebrated not only vocal artistry but also community, inclusivity, and artistic expression.
Live from the Venue: A Soundscape Inside a Historic Gallery
Piano Craft Gallery is itself a work of art. Its soaring ceilings and exceptional acoustics provided an ideal setting for operatic performance. Audience members began arriving about thirty minutes before the concert, gathering around complimentary non-alcoholic refreshments and light snacks while chatting in an atmosphere that felt more like a friendly social gathering than a formal recital.
As pianist Sage Fogel struck the opening chords, however, the room quickly settled into attentive silence.
The concert was jointly curated by MassOpera’s newly appointed Executive Creative Producers Brenda Huggins and Marcus Schenck, featuring an impressive lineup of emerging opera artists from the Boston and New York regions.
Soprano Laura McHugh, praised by The Boston Globe as “jaw-droppingly talented,” opened the evening with a virtuosic duet, featuring mezzo-Soprano, Mary Kray. Laura’s brilliant upper register and compelling dramatic interpretation immediately captivated the audience. Baritone Marcus Schenck demonstrated both his artistic and creative leadership, delivering a nuanced performance that revealed remarkable emotional depth.
One of the evening’s highlights came with the appearance of countertenor Lucas Ludwig Coura. Performing Baroque repertoire with extraordinary vocal clarity, his ethereal timbre floated effortlessly through the gallery, transporting listeners across centuries.
Mezzo-soprano Mary Kray and tenor Seyquan Mack each contributed selections spanning both opera and musical theater, showcasing the remarkable versatility of the vocal arts. Throughout the evening, host Morgan Chalue connected each performance to the broader spirit of Pride Month through engaging and humorous commentary, helping audiences appreciate not only the music itself but also its themes of diversity, inclusion, and liberation.
From Left: Marcus Schenck (Executive Creative Producer and Baritone), Laura McHugh (Soprano), Sequan Mack (Tenor), Lucas Ludwig Coura (Counter tenor), Mary Kray (Mezzo-soprano), Sage Fogle (Piano), Morgan Chalue (Host and Emcee), andBrenda Huggins (Executive Creative Producer) Photo: Jamal Dzhamaldinov
Eighteen Years of Commitment: Building a Stage for Singers
The concert also reflected MassOpera’s eighteen-year mission to expand opportunities for opera artists.
Founded in 2008 by Dana Varga, former Artistic Director of MassOpera, the company was established to create more performance opportunities for Boston-area opera singers, particularly women, who at the time faced limited professional opportunities despite representing roughly 70 percent of opera school graduates. Throughout her leadership, MassOpera maintained a programming philosophy that intentionally emphasized opportunities for female performers, promoting greater gender equity within the operatic profession.
Earlier this year, Varga passed the leadership of the organization to a new generation of artistic leadership. Speaking briefly with Bartv during the event, she expressed her satisfaction at seeing producers Brenda Huggins and Marcus Schenck successfully combine the themes of Pride Month with innovative operatic programming.
“The soul of this company has always been about opening both the stage and the audience to everyone,” Varga said. “Tonight’s concert shows that spirit continuing in a younger, more diverse way.”
Audience Perspectives: A Journey of Learning and Inspiration
During intermission and following the performance, audience members remained enthusiastically engaged in conversation with the artists. Among them was Chinese audience member Zhou Junpei, who attended with the goal of learning from professional performers.
“I came today simply to learn,” Zhou told Bartv. “We’re amateur singers who mostly sing for enjoyment, so opportunities like this—where we can observe professionals up close, study their breath control and musical phrasing—are incredibly valuable. As soon as I heard about this concert, I knew I had to come. I wanted to listen, observe, and learn.
Discussing his expectations for events like this, Zhou noted that while Boston offers abundant cultural resources, accessible, high-quality opera outreach events remain relatively uncommon.
“Classical music and opera are what I love most,” he said. “But they often feel distant or intimidating to ordinary audiences. MassOpera creates an opportunity that goes beyond simply attending a performance—it invites people into a community.”
Smiling, he added that this was his second time attending a similar MassOpera event. “The last one was another recital. When I saw Laura, Marcus, and tenor Seyquan on tonight’s program, I knew I couldn’t miss it.”
When asked about Dana Varga’s longstanding commitment to advancing gender equity in opera, Zhou expressed strong admiration.
“It’s truly inspiring,” he said. “In a field that is often viewed as very traditional, taking concrete action to support women artists is incredibly meaningful. It reminds us that opera is not only about artistic beauty, but also about fairness and the future.”
More Than a Concert
Running approximately ninety minutes, Pride is a Riot represented far more than an evening of performance. As part of MassOpera’s ongoing mission to make opera more accessible, the series successfully combined classical vocal artistry with contemporary conversations surrounding identity and inclusion. While maintaining a high artistic standard, the event also fostered a welcoming sense of community.
Following the final curtain, many audience members lingered to speak with the performers and take photographs. Several younger attendees remarked that it had been their first truly immersive opera experience.
The performers likewise expressed heartfelt appreciation for the audience’s enthusiasm. Marcus Schenck reflected on the evening by saying,
“The energy tonight flowed both ways. Your attention and your response brought music written centuries ago vividly back to life here in Boston in 2026.”
Shortly after 9:00 p.m., the concert concluded with a powerful ensemble finale filled with hope and celebration. As audience members stepped back onto Tremont Street, now illuminated by the city’s evening lights, many departed with expressions of satisfaction born from an evening enriched by music and shared experience.
From the seed Dana Varga planted eighteen years ago to the vibrant voices heard onstage tonight, MassOpera demonstrated that opera is not merely a treasured art form of the past, but a living, evolving tradition that belongs to everyone. On this summer evening, Boston’s Pride Month resonated with soaring voices, fearless celebration, and, above all, the shared passion of a community brought together through music.
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- View the program details online HERE.
- Missed the concert, but want to support the cause? DONATE HERE
- Enjoy photos and video clips from the concert on MassOpera’s Instagram
- Find out more about the Piano Craft Gallery