Director's Statement by Kevin Newbury

Kevin Newbury, Stage Director of Fellow Travelers. © Marcus Shields

In the 2025/26 season, Seattle Opera will present Fellow Travelers, one of the most frequently performed new operas of the past decade, in collaboration with New York-based artistic collective Up Until Now, as part of a national project that brings this important story to stages across the country. This special initiative, which is launching in Seattle, is one of the largest consortium projects within the US opera industry and is headed by director Kevin Newbury (The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs ’19) and producer Jecca Barry.

Fellow Travelers has been a constant companion in my life for over fifteen years. This story — and this opera — has gifted me lifelong friendships and lifelong collaborators and it has been a consistent catalyst for connecting with thousands of audience members from many disparate backgrounds… across many generations… all around the country.

I can remember every moment of the journey. From the first time I read Thomas Mallon’s novel (in one sitting) … to the moment I burst out laughing reading librettist Greg Pierce’s first crack at the opening scene… to the moment I got goosebumps first hearing composer Gregory Spears’ rich chord cluster that sparks when Hawk & Tim’s eyes first meet.

I remember directing our very first workshop when no one wanted to leave the room… and I remember our opening night in Cincinnati… and every opening night since … when no one wanted to leave the theater.

As we prepare to open the next chapter in our Fellow Travelers journey to celebrate the opera’s 10th Anniversary, I have been reflecting a lot on my values as an artist, especially as a Queer artist making work during these uncertain times.

I believe in the power of history. I believe that we stand on the shoulders of the people that came before us who fought so hard and sacrificed so much for us to have the rights we have to today. I believe in the power of art to build community. And I believe in the power of a good love story.

What can I say? I am a sucker for a good love story. And Fellow Travelers is, first and foremost, a good love story. I invite you to find me in the lobby after the show and tell me yours.

Fellow Travelers opens February 21, 2026, at McCaw Hall. Learn more at seattleopera.org/fellowtravelers.