Opera Kansas presents Staggerwing, Winner of the 2020 Zepick Modern Opera Commission, Now expanded to a full-length, two-act opera
Lisa DeSpain and Rachel J. Peter’s STAGGERWING celebrates the historic flight of Louise Thaden and Blanche Noyes as they compete in – and win – the 1936 Bendix Trophy Air Race – the first year female piloting teams are allowed to compete. Their plane: a Beechcraft Staggerwing Model C-17.
The jazz-themed opera also highlights the contributions of Olive Ann Beech, co-founder and president of Beech Aircraft (later known as “The First Lady of Aviation”) and her husband Walter Beech, fierce advocates for women’s acceptance and equality in the skies.
