The Florentine Opera
Milwaukee, WI

The Continual Reinvention of a Classic

As Milwaukee’s oldest performing arts organization, The Florentine Opera is no stranger to the idea of reinvention. Which, in the tradition-laden realm of opera, is somewhat of a challenge. The need has always been to strike that balance between the art form’s traditionalist supporters and an untapped, primarily younger, audience who have never had more choice when it comes to entertainment.

After a brand overhaul completed in 2017, The Florentine’s identity and market positioning has continued to evolve with its energetic CEO, Maggey Oplinger, inspiring ambitious programming that manages to effectively strike that balance between old and new.

o&o studio have been working closely with Maggey and her team to develop thematic graphics that capture the free spirit and bold attitude of the Florentine, and are then expressed in its season highlights each year. A recurring theme each year is one of contrasts — both the mix of traditional and contemporary, but also the many diverse perspectives that are becoming more and more apparent in the opera space.

An emergent stylistic theme over the last few seasons has centered on collage. This has been driven by the fact that performers are often not booked, and sets not fully baked, until well after the season has been launched. This limitation has yielded a series of compositions that double down on the idea of contrasts, but through collage allow the the different elements of each opera to be expressed in compelling ways.