Utah Opera’s 2025-2026 season announcement immediately piqued my curiosity since the company would be opening with composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campell’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining. I admit to not having been an avid Stephen King fan over the course of my life, but I was nevertheless very intrigued to see how this well-known horror story would translate into an opera. I eagerly awaited the start of the opera season, and I purchased tickets to see The Shining with my friend Mony for opening night!!
Fans of The Shining will know that Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 movie adaptation starring Jack Nicholson differs in several significant ways from Stephen King’s novel. Moravec and Campbell’s opera more closesly follows the novel, so fans attending the opera can anticipate specific character and plot developments.
The Overlook Hotel has hired Jack Torrance (Craig Irvin), his wife Wendy (Kearstin Piper Brown), and son Danny (Bella Grace Smith) to be caretakers for the property while it is closed for the winter. The family regards this job as an opportunity for a fresh start, breaking with a past that involved job loss, alcoholism, and abuse. Jack relishes the proposed peace and quiet of the remote, desolate location to focus on writing his play and providing better for his family. Hotel manager Stuart Ullman (Christian Sanders), custodian Bill Watson (Aaron McKone), and cook Dick Hallorann (Patrick Blackwell) orient the family to their new accommodations, explain the hotel’s responsibilities (maintaining its old boiler), and reveal a few dark secrets from the hotel’s past. Halloran detects Danny’s psychic abilities, an attribute he shares and calls “the shining,” and he advises Danny to call to him if the Torrance family needs help. Ullman, Watson, and Halloran leave for the winter, and the Torrance family is on its own.
Soon into the family’s stay, Danny begins having troubling visions, he utters the strange phrase “redrum,” and Jack broods over having suffered his father Mark’s abuse (Christopher Clayton). While tending to the boiler, Jack uncovers memorabilia in the basement that reveal more harrowing incidents from the hotel’s past: the murder-suicide of former caretaker Delbert Grady’s family (Christian Sanders), Mrs. Massey’s suicide in Room 217 (Julia Holoman), and a mafia execution involving Horace Derwent (Rodney Sharp II). Jack becomes obsessed with the details of the hotel and believes it is now his story to tell, supplanting his plans to write a play. A troubled Wendy insists that they leave, but Jack refuses.
Odd occurrences accelerate, made worse by an approaching blizzard that will trap the Torrances at The Overlook: Jack finds a ghostly party in the ballroom, an oversized croquet mallet has been left behind, Danny enters Room 217 and leaves bruised and wet with lipstick marks on his skin, Jack hears his late father’s voice urging him to kill his family, the hotel’s ghosts fully possess Jack and exploit his deteriorating mental state, and Delbert Grady echoes the call to murder. Jack must decide whether to do the spirits’ bidding or find a way to save his family.
Maravec and Campbell’s composition and Utah Opera’s production create a satisfying and compelling adaptation of Stephen King’s story that Mony and I both enjoyed. Well-written recitative (sung dialogue and narration), dotted with a few arias, moves the narrative forward, providing a thorough exposition and then picking up speed as unsettling things happen in the hotel. Digital projections convincingly transport the audience to The Overlook, bring the building’s inner workings to life, and reveal its ghosts. I loved the mix of technology and traditional sets to create the world where the narrative takes place. The set design and color palette evoke that of Stanley Kubrick’s movie, and I gasped at the resemblance! I also liked how efficiently the set pieces move to convey being in different parts of the hotel.
Craig Irvin and Kearstin Piper Brown deliver superb performances as Jack and Wendy, featuring well-matched singing voices that blend warmth and pristine clarity. They make singing their roles look and sound easy and effortless. Kearstin Piper Brown’s Wendy is a loving and protective mother for young Danny, always looking out for his best interest. Craig Irvin gives the audience a nuanced, yet at times restrained, glimpse of Jack’s range of emotions: troubled husband, loving father, and increasingly psychotic property caretaker. Irvin’s performance is brilliant overall, but I wouldn’t have minded if he had pushed the envelope even further in depicting the chaos and craziness his character experiences. Christian Sanders is delightfully wicked in his portrayal of Delbert Grady, singing with a dynamic, charismatic flare that is highly entertaining to see and hear. Patrick Blackwell imbues Dick Hallorann with tenderness and sensitivity, making him an easily trusted mentor for young Danny. Blackwell’s performance of his final aria is particularly beautiful and inspiring, showcasing the low, rich tones of his voice.
Utah Opera’s production of The Shining will appeal to adult audiences who are open to edgier content. The production carries a content advisory for strong language, references to murder, sexual themes, brief depiction of nudity, and onstage violence. For reference, the opera is milder in each of those categories than Stanley Kubrick’s movie, with the most pervasive issue being the name of God used as an expletive. The Shining runs through Sunday, October 19, 2025. Click here for information and tickets.
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