” …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
“…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
“A mini-opera’s moods of lust, fear, hope, and love capture our anxieties about this perilous time.” – DC Metro Theater Arts
Composed by Clint Borzoni
Composed by Marc Migó
Composed by Scott Bradley Joiner
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, composed by Clint Borzoni
World Premiere: Asheville Lyric Opera, 2018
John de los Santos constructed the libretto for When Adonis Calls from the poems of Gavin Geoffrey Dillard.
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, 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.
“…turns the medium inside-out to be both appealing to new audiences and palatable for veteran audience members.” – Santa Fe Reporter
“One of the greatest strengths of When Adonis Calls lies in the creation of a libretto/concept by de los Santos.” – Chicago Theatre Review
“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
“A Masked Ball looked good and moved well, thanks to director de los Santos .” – Houston Press
“For this production, director John de los Santos has crafted a thoughtful, clear narrative” – The San Diego Union-Tribune
“John de los Santos provides virtuoso choreography for the matador’s episode…” – The Dallas Morning News
“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
“…the performances and songs are so appealing; it takes you to a thoughtful place on more than one occasion.” – The Dallas Morning News
“John de los Santos’ direction set up the conflicts well, adding nuance where the libretto doesn’t bother.” – The Wall Street Journal
“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
“… 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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“Arizona Opera just concluded its impressive 2014/15 season with a comically delightful and beautifully sung “Daughter of the Regiment.” It was stage director John de los Santos, in his Arizona Opera debut, that kept the opera’s pace brisk and crafted the richly amusing comic machinations.”- Curtain Up Phoenix
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
Named one of the Top Ten Theatre Productions of 2014 by The Dallas Morning News
“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
“…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
“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
” John de los Santos livened the ballroom scenes with effective choreography that was well executed.”- Opera Today
“John de los Santos’ thoroughly considered staging offered a narrative within the music and text’s emotional diversity.” – Stage and Cinema
“…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
*Named one of the Top Ten Theatre Productions of 2012 by The Examiner
“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
“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
*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
“… 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
“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
*Named one of the Top Ten Theatre Productions of 2010 by The Examiner
*Readers Voice Award for Best Musical by the Dallas Voice
*Named one of the Top Ten Classical Music Events of 2010 by theatrejones.com
*DFW Critics’ Forum Award Winner for Best Choreography
*Named one of the Top Ten Theatre Productions of 2009 by the Dallas Voice
“Stage director John de los Santos whipped up plenty of motion and heat.”
– Opera News
“The Living Opera’s version of Cosi fan tutte offers musical pleasures and a distinctly modern view of this old story of war between the sexes. As up-to-date as the latest iteration of Apple’s iphone…this is a sexier than usual Cosi, and it emphasizes the wild life of the frat milieu.” – The Dallas Morning News