Mixed Precipitation presents: Tales of Hoffmann

Saturday, August 29, 2026 | 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Cascade Lake Park | Zumbro West Park, 88 23rd Ave SW, Rochester, MN 55902

The wild adventures of a traveling poet and the dark spirits who pursue him.

Mixed Precipitation celebrates 18 years of outdoor summer fun with our futuristic version of Jacques Offenbach’s 1881 opera Tales of Hoffmann (Les Contes d’Hoffmann). With classical opera and a playlist of 90s grunge and pop tunes, this outdoor opera extravaganza is fun for all ages.

$5 - $50 suggested donation per person. No one turned away for lack of funds.

Free for kids and youth under 18.

This performance is presented in partnership with Rochester Art Center.

IMPORTANT INFO ABOUT THIS OUTDOOR SITE:

This performance is at Cascade Lake Park, 88 23rd Avenue SW in Rochester.

PARKING: Parking spots available in the paved lot off of 23rd Avenue SW. Follow the posted signage to the performance area outside of Canfield Amphitheater.

BATHROOMS: ADA-accessible restrooms are available in the Cascade Lakeside Building

PETS: Leashed dogs and pets are welcome at this site.

WHAT TO BRING: Bring a water bottle or beverage, sunscreen, and a folding chair or a blanket for sitting on the grass. Picnics are also welcome. Please clean up and haul out your trash.

WHO'S IN THE CAST:

Tenor Felix Aguilar Tomlinson leads the cast as the poet Hoffmann, following his performance at King Idomeneo in 2025. Bass-Baritone Rodolfo Nieto plays the role of Lindorf, the shapeshifting demon who follows Hoffmann and sabotages his romantic affairs. As Hoffmann hops from city to city, he falls in love with three different women: Olympia, Antonia, and Giulietta. The robot Olympia is played by Lizz Windnagel. Lexi Reed plays the musical prodigy, Antonia. Joni Griffith performs the role of Giulietta, the gambler.

Playing multiple roles and multiple instruments are Beth Gusenius, Joel Mathias, Nick Miller, Gary Ruschman, Trevor Woggon, and Alex Yang. Designers on the team include puppeteers Ches Cipreano and Jake Quatt, scenic designer Lisa Kudas, and costume designer K Marie Mielke.

The production is led by staging director Scotty Reynolds, choreographer Antonia Perez, and fight and intimacy coordinator Tessa Dahlgren. Our adaptation was created by Reynolds with music director Gary Ruschman and writer Phill Takemura Sears, and stage manager Will Dierenfield.

MORE ABOUT HOFFMANN

Offenbach and librettist Jules Barbier based the opera on the short stories of German writer E.T.A. Hoffmann. Hoffmann's dark romantic style is often compared to Edgar Allen Poe for his haunting and fantastical tales. He’s known as the godfather of horror, fantasy, and the uncanny.

His work has been adapted for the stage as The Nutcracker and Coppélia, and he’s influenced the work of filmmakers Tim Burton and David Lynch. Offenbach is known for his infectious tunes and his hundreds of comical light operas, including

La Belle Hélène and Orphée aux Enfers ("Orpheus in the Underworld"). In our version of Tales of Hoffmann, timeless melodies like “The Barcarolle” and “The Doll Song” are featured alongside clever covers of 1990s grunge tunes by Nirvana, Courtney Love, Offspring, Melissa Etheridge, and Cake.