Gods, Valkyries and a Full Orchestra Are Headed to the Pantages

Wagner’s Valkyries Are Coming to Tacoma

Tacoma Opera is bringing gods, warriors and one of classical music’s most recognizable scores to the Pantages Theater. Its production of Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre takes the stage Friday, October 9, and Sunday, October 11.

The opera is the second installment of Wagner’s four-part Ring Cycle. Tacoma Opera began its journey through the saga with Das Rheingold last year; now the consequences of that story move into a more personal conflict.

At the center are Siegmund and Sieglinde, played in Tacoma by guest artists James Chamberlain and Jessica Sandidge. Their story unfolds alongside a struggle among the gods over duty, loyalty and the choices people make for those they love.

If the title is unfamiliar, you may still know its music. Die Walküre contains the famous “Ride of the Valkyries,” a piece that has traveled far beyond the opera house into popular culture.

Tacoma Opera is presenting the work as a fully staged production with a full orchestra. It will be sung in its original German, with projected English supertitles to help audiences follow the story as it unfolds.

The setting is part of the occasion, too. The Pantages has hosted performances in downtown Tacoma for more than a century, and its stage will become the setting for the next chapter of this sweeping musical undertaking.

The Friday performance begins at 7 p.m. on October 9; the Sunday performance begins at 2 p.m. on October 11. Doors open an hour before each show.

For the cast, performance details and tickets, visit the Tacoma City Theaters event page..