New Wave Opera to perform hERSTORy: feminist arias & ensembles at Revolution Hall’s Show Bar

August 1, 2025 – Portland, OR: New Wave Opera (NWO) heads to Show Bar at Revolution Hall, a community hub with a casual vibe and creative pulse, for Herstory, an evening of music inspired by the strength and brilliance of women, past and present! 
Audiences can enjoy a signature Show Bar cocktail, glass of wine, or pint of beer with dinner or appetizers from their mouth-watering menu while enjoying dramatic, poignant, and funny arias, art songs, and ensembles on themes of feminism, queer love, motherhood, and persistence in the face of adversity. The program highlights work by local women & LGBTQ+ composers Theresa Koon, Dianne Davies, Lisa Neher, Barbara Ulman, and Caroline Louise Miller alongside mainstay composers of vocal music Libby Larsen & William Bolcom, and Jodi Goble (winner of the 2024 National Association of Teachers of Singing Art Song Composition Award). 

“Modern compositions give voice to fuller, more authentic experiences of women and LGBTQ+ communities—unlike much of the standard repertoire, which often leans on outdated stereotypes,” says New Wave Opera President and Resident Mezzo Lisa Neher. “At New Wave Opera, we’re passionate about programming living composers because their work reflects the depth and diversity of real lives.”
New Wave Opera will also preview selections from September’s upcoming Atoms & Artifacts production, which is a double bill of two west coast premieres: Marie Curie Learns to Swim by Jessica Rudman and Kendra Preston Leonard and Alice Tierney by Melissa Dunphy & Jacqueline Goldfinger.

“Show Bar is the perfect venue to explore opera in a low-key, casual environment,” shares NWO Board Member and stage director for Alice Tierney, Brandon Michael. “If you’re a first-time attendee or opera-curious, you can engage at your own pace and you’ll be welcomed with friendly faces from the music community.”
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Herstory features the cast & pianists for Atoms & Artifacts, an array of Portland’s finest talent: sopranos Lindsey Rae Johnson, Henriët Fourie, Nicole Hanig, & Amanda Rose Taddeo, mezzos Lisa Neher & Alishia Garcia, tenor Scot Crandal, and baritone Dan Gibbs, with pianists Stephen Lewis & Sequoia on the keys. Audiences can get to know the performers they will see on stage in September. 

No registration is required for this event, just show up anytime between 8-10 pm to hear some great music and enjoy a delicious beverage, dinner, or an appetizer.  To learn more about this show and more from the upcoming season, visit NEWWAVEOPERA.ORG.

EVENT SUMMARY

​What: Herstory
When: Saturday, August 16, 2025 | 8 pm - Late
Where: Show Bar at Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St #101 | Portland, OR 97214
Tickets: No Registration Required
Cost: $10 Cover at the Door

For Media Inquiries, Contact Lisa Neher, President, New Wave Opera

Herstory Performers
​Lindsey Rae Johnson, Henriët Fourie, Nicole Hanig, & Amanda Rose Taddeo, Sopranos
Lisa Neher & Alishia Garcia, Mezzo-Sopranos
Scot Crandal, Tenor
Dan Gibbs, Baritone
Stephen Lewis & Sequoia, Piano