The Opera

"An opera as monumental and well-crafted as Craig Bohmler’s
Riders of the Purple Sage can now lay claim to a rightful
place in the canon of works about the American West."

Broadway World

The Riders of the Purple Sage opera had a serendipitious beginning in July of 2011.  On that day, an Arizona-based composer sought shelter from a storm in Payson, Arizona's "Zane Grey Museum." While there, Craig Bohmler picked up a copy of Zane Grey's most famous work, Riders of the Purple Sage. In that moment, Bohmler's vision for an opera based on the great author's work was born.  Six years later, the first American Western opera premiered, commissioned by Arizona Opera as part of its Arizona Bold program. 

Bohmler composed the music for the Riders of the Purple Sage opera with librettist Steven Mark Kohn putting words to the music.  Both men are experienced, gifted individuals.

Craig Bohmler is a composer whose works have been performed on stages around the world.  He has composed four operas and ten musicals as well as numerous concerti, wind ensemble, choral, and symphoic works.  For more information about Bohmler, click here. 

Steven Mark Kohn has worked with Craig Bohmler frequently, writing lyrics for Bohmler's The Quiltmaker’s Gift, Unstoppable Me, The Tale of the Nutcracker, and The Three Redneck Tenors. His three-volume set of American folk song arrangements premiered at Carnegie Hall. Kohn has composed scores for several award-winning animated children’s films for PBS, ABC, and the Disney Channel. His diverse talents have also extended to television jingles for Fortune 500 companies. For more information about Kohn, click here.

The Riders of the Purple Sage opera figuratively "jumped" off the stage to the audience thanks to the set design by internationally acclaimed artist Ed Mell. Mell's bold depictions of the American West are displayed in public and private collections such as the Rockwell-Corning Museum of Modern Art, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, the Scottsdale Center for the Arts.  He was named as Arizona's "Artist of the Year" and even designed the Arizona Centennial Postage Stamp. 

To view more of Ed Mell's work,  click here.

This exhibit only touches on the many aspects of the Riders of the Purple Sage opera.  Much more information including images, news coverage, publishing, licensing, videos and more can be viewed on the opera's website if you click here.