Northern Light Opera Company Incorporated

 In 2000, a recently retired Professor of Music and his wife moved from Indiana to their summer home in Park Rapids, Minnesota, which meant a long-held dream of creating a light opera company might now become a reality. Conversations began with local church choir members; a Board of Directors was formed and By-Laws written and submitted for state approval; Riverside Church was chosen as the venue; and the Northern Light Opera Company (NLOC) was introduced to the Heartland Arts community on July 11, 2002.

 The new light opera company was well-received, and became another opportunity for community building. At the time, the founder’s daughter, with undergrad degrees in music and theater and a graduate degree from Juilliard, and a son-in-law with theater degrees from Baylor and Ohio, lived in New York City with their young family. When they decided that Park Rapids was a better place to live in the summer, NLOC gained professional stage and tech directors. Park Rapids Area High School became the home for NLOC productions from 2003 to 2014; in 2015, they moved to the Park Rapids National Guard Armory. 

Through the years, many community members have performed in popular musicals, assisted by volunteers who help build sets, make costumes, etc. NLOC has become known for its high-quality productions, and surveys reveal that locals, as well as visitors, have attended many, or all, productions over the years. Summer 2024’s production of Chicago transformed the Armory into a 1920s vaudeville theater, complete with an orchestra on stage, cafe tables, and all the razzle-dazzle of the times. The cast, musicians and crew, with the assistance of community volunteers, produced an event with all shows sold out and attendees left reminiscing about their experience at the Armory. For more information, go to our website: www.northernlightopera.org.

In addition to summer musicals, NLOC has developed other theater-related projects.

NLOKids was first created in 2010 to give cast members’ kids an opportunity to be on stage. In 2016, when NLOC produced Annie Get Your Gun, the cast included members from the Indigenous community of Pine Point, which triggered the beginning of a collaboration with Pine Point Schools that brought children from both communities together. In a 4-week drama camp, guided by NLOC staff, 8-13-year-olds write a story and music, create props and costumes, and perform their play for friends and families in both Pine Point and Park Rapids. In 2024, they added a new venue: Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen. This special project has received recognition from both Guthrie Theater and the Minnesota Star Tribune.

 In 2021, WorkBench: New Play Workshop was created, with playwrights from NYC assisting aspiring writers to create a 10-minute play in one week. Each play is then read/performed by NLOC actors before a live audience, leaving the writers amazed and the audiences impressed.

 In 2022, WorkBench: Filmmaker Intensive was introduced. Led by a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, novice participants create a story, then film, direct and edit their newly created movie in just 3 days. The results are shown to an audience, followed by a talk-back with the filmmakers and actors. 

In 2023, A Very Good Christmas Carol was workshopped as a project of a former NLOKid and his former college roommate, and presented, free of charge, after Park Rapids’ annual Christmas tree lighting festivities. It will be presented at the Armory again in 2024 on November 29 and 30 as NLOC’s holiday gift to the community.

The Northern Light Opera Company has become integral to the Arts Community in the Park Rapids area. For more information, check the website: www.northernlightopera.org.

NLOC projects are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Region 2 Arts Council and Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

 CHICAGO "Finale" July 26 - August 3, 2024

Northern Light Opera Company 20th Anniversary Celebration

Little Shop of Horrors  July 28 - August 5, 2023

Hello Dolly!  July 29 - August 1; August 10-12, 2022

NLOC's Theater Camp trip to Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis MN  to attend the production of For the People, November 4, 2023

NLOKids Theater Camp writing the script for the production of Lost in a Tune, performed for family and friends in Pine Point MN and Park Rapids MN, July 14, 15, 2023

Workbench Filmmaking Workshop,