Mary Poppins

Ghosts

"The true horror in Ghosts is the devastating toll that obsession, hatred, cruelty, abuse and neglect can inflict on the human psyche." The San Diego Union-Tribune

Faust et Hélène & L’heure espagnole

"John de los Santos delivered clear, solid stage direction that emphasized occult decadence in the Boulanger and eccentricity in the Ravel." - Opera News

Kinky Boots

"Director John de los Santos and the talented cast created something transcendent and special." - Dallas Voice

The Copper Queen

"The Copper Queen begins like a ghost story, but evolves into much more. Julia’s aria, “Still Pretty,” deserves to become to become a 21st American opera standard." - Opera News

Cag + Pag

" ...de los Santos convincingly interspersed scenes from the two operas into a combined drama. The work was remarkably successful, creating something new from something old, and demonstrated how seamlessly these operas fit together stylistically and musically." - Opera News

Stardust

"...a journey through mythological archetypes and haunting multi-hued split-screen images. The mind behind these striking tableaux was director John de los Santos." - The Boston Globe

The Roost

"A mini-opera's moods of lust, fear, hope, and love capture our anxieties about this perilous time." - DC Metro Theater Arts

SCHEDULE & PRODUCTIONS

LIBRETTI

The Christmas Spider

Composed by Clint Borzoni

The Roost

Composed by Marc Migó

The Shower

Composed by Scott Bradley Joiner

Carmilla

Carmilla, composed by Robert Paterson Currently in development Inspired by Joseph Le Fanu's 1872 novella, Carmilla is a tale of nightmarish seduction and resilient courage.

When Adonis Calls

"One of the greatest strengths of When Adonis Calls lies in the creation of a libretto/concept by de los Santos." - Chicago Theatre Review

Service Provider

Service Provider details the erosion of modern romance by our obsession with mobile technology. When a loving couple goes out for their anniversary dinner at an elegant restaurant, the evening descends into farcical disaster as the incessant cell phone usage ultimately unmasks the fractured reality of their marriage.

The Copper Queen

The Copper Queen, composed by Clint Borzoni The Copper Queen was  selected as the winner of Arizona Opera's inaugural commission initiative, Arizona SPARK. The Copper Queen focuses around the cultural lore of a real woman in Arizona history, Julia Lowell, who lived at The Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee, Arizona during the first decade of the twentieth century. 

When Adonis Calls: Asheville Lyric Opera 2018 World Premiere Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JVMzxcH9ww

Sweet Potato Kicks the Sun

"...turns the medium inside-out to be both appealing to new audiences and palatable for veteran audience members." - Santa Fe Reporter

Service Provider: Lake George Music Festival, 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKRQNWMQL0I&t=484s

The Merry Widow

"The production brims with energetic performers, some taking extravagant advantage of the wide comic berth director and choreographer John de los Santos affords them." - La Scena Musicale

Un Ballo in Maschera

"A Masked Ball looked good and moved well, thanks to director de los Santos ." - Houston Press

María de Buenos Aires

"For this production, director John de los Santos has crafted a thoughtful, clear narrative" - The San Diego Union-Tribune

La Traviata

"John de los Santos provides virtuoso choreography for the matador's episode..." - The Dallas Morning News

Otello: LoftOpera, 2017 Full Performance

Vivaldi & Pergolesi

"LoftOpera has created a moving Stabat Mater...De los Santos imagines that the Virgin Mary is mourning not only the death of her ‘son of God’ but also deaths of four of her children." - Berkshire Fine Arts

Pure Country

"...the performances and songs are so appealing; it takes you to a thoughtful place on more than one occasion." - The Dallas Morning News

Otello

"John de los Santos' direction set up the conflicts well, adding nuance where the libretto doesn't bother." - The Wall Street Journal

La Cage Aux Folles

"We need ‘La Cage’ more than ever. Skylight's production of the musical shows it’s still relevant -- and tons of fun. The accomplished choreography and rapid-moving spectacle stem from John de los Santos."- Urban Milwaukee

Le Comte Ory

"... the polish and panache of the staging, directed by John de los Santos, keep the farce from ever seeming amateurish. It's a perfect union of New York's most raucous and delightful opera company with one of the most raucous and delightful works in the repertory."- The New York Times

Service Provider

"The crowd-pleaser was “Service Provider” by Christopher Weiss and John de los Santos, about a couple whose anniversary dinner in a restaurant is compromised by the wife’s constant texting and the husband’s lover’s subsequent intrusion." - The Washington Post

The Astronaut Love Show

"Sharply directed by John de los Santos, The Astronaut Love Show is well worth seeing for its great music, wacky stories, and fabulous cast ."- blogcritics.org

Great Scott

"Choreographer John de los Santos devised a perfectly (and purposely) tacky pre-earthquake dance with four male dancers and a large ewer. ...they were mesmerizing."- San Diego Story

The Rose and the Knife

"this youthful company drew a youthful audience of 400 to a warehouse deep in Bushwick, Brooklyn, for a performance of — lieder? I was surprised, too, as I was by the effectiveness of the production, which wove together song cycles by Berlioz and Mahler into an affecting, excellently played and sung reflection on lost love."- The New York Times

Daughter of the Regiment

"genuinely funny and at times tender"- Opera News

The Golden Apple

Named one of the Top Ten Theatre Productions of 2014 by The Dallas Morning News Named one of the best theatre productions of 2014 by the Dallas Observer

Dogfight

Named one of the Top Ten Theatre Productions of 2014 by The Dallas Morning News

Soho Cinders

"Uptown Players American premiere offers a welcome and deliciously adult take on the fairy tale. John de los Santos [provides] smart direction and snappy choreography." - The Dallas Morning News

The Pearl Fishers

"…a thrilling and gorgeous production. This is the best work that director/choreographer John de los Santos has done to date. He doesn’t overburden the opera and lets it speak for itself." - Theater Jones

Carousel

"Stage director and choreographer John de los Santos’ background includes both opera and musical theater, and it shows. There are differences between what kind of staging works for each, and it’s nice to see an opera company perform a musical with an understanding of the differences." - The Daily Progress

Roméo et Juliette

" John de los Santos livened the ballroom scenes with effective choreography that was well executed."- Opera Today

Green Sneakers

"John de los Santos’ thoroughly considered staging offered a narrative within the music and text’s emotional diversity." - Stage and Cinema

Cendrillon

"...a shimmery, sweet confection. The overall production, directed by John de los Santos, was very pretty, conjuring up all those storybook pictures from the past -- sumptuous costumes in muted pastels and shining fabrics, fantastical wigs, and simple but effective scenery." - Louisville.com

Hello Again

*Named one of the Top Ten Theatre Productions of 2012 by The Examiner

Sweeney Todd

"You can’t bring off this kind of volatile, satirical story without a keen understanding of human nature and delicate chemistry. What de los Santos has accomplished is breathtaking.”- The Examiner

Smokey Joe’s Café

“It would be hard to complain that the production of Smokey Joe’s Cafe that WaterTower Theatre opened Monday lacked soul. It captures the passion of the songs of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, as well as their wit, verve and, yes, sophistication. Choreographer John de los Santos keeps the nine performers moving along and gets the audience’s blood boiling."- The Dallas Morning News

Spring Awakening

*Named one of the Top Ten Theatre Productions of 2011 by The Dallas Morning News *Named one of the Top Ten Theatre Productions of 2011 by The Examiner *Named the #1 Theatre Production of 2011 by Alexandra Bonifield of Critical Rant & Rave with recognition for Outstanding Choreography *Column Award Winner for Best Choreography

The Mikado

"... sly, imaginative, very humorous and sophisticated...(de los Santos) maintains continuity throughout the two acts and slips into the traditional sections gracefully. He skillfully blocked the more than 23 players imaginatively...and provided rowdy choreography." - Daily Gazette

Don Giovanni

"The minuet, accompanied to some of Mozart's most famous music, becomes a madcap but meticulously complex tango, beautifully choreographed by John de los Santos." - D Magazine

Closer To Heaven

*Named one of the Top Ten Theatre Productions of 2010 by The Examiner *Readers Voice Award for Best Musical by the Dallas Voice