Susannah Tickets

Susannah Tickets

If you're looking for Susannah tickets, you're planning to experience one of the most important American operas of the 20th century. Carlisle Floyd's two-act opera is a staple of the American operatic repertoire, known for its folk- and hymn-inflected score, its Appalachian sound world, and its searing portrait of hypocrisy, injustice, and social condemnation.

This page covers everything you need — from what Susannah is and what to expect, to finding the right seats and buying with complete confidence.

Show Information

Susannah premiered on February 24, 1955, at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, where Carlisle Floyd was a faculty member. Floyd wrote both the music and the libretto, loosely basing the opera on the apocryphal Old Testament story of Susanna and the Elders and transplanting it to a rural mountain community in the American South.

The opera is performed in two acts and runs approximately 2 hours, typically with one intermission. Today, Susannah is performed by opera companies worldwide and remains a cornerstone of the American operatic repertoire, appearing in regional, university, and major opera house seasons.

Its professional New York premiere took place at New York City Opera on September 27, 1956, a production that helped establish Floyd as a leading figure in American opera. Susannah won the New York Music Critics' Circle Award for best new opera for that 1956 production and was chosen to represent American music at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. It has also been staged by major companies internationally, including the Metropolitan Opera, which presented a notable 1999 production starring Renée Fleming as Susannah and Samuel Ramey as Reverend Olin Blitch.

If you're searching for Susannah tickets or want to check the current Susannah show schedule, Box Office Ticket Sales carries inventory across touring and available productions.

Story Summary

Susannah is set in New Hope Valley, a rural mountain community in Tennessee in the mid-20th century. The opera centers on Susannah Polk, a young woman whose life is upended after the church elders see her bathing in a creek and brand her a sinner. As suspicion spreads through the valley, Susannah becomes the target of a community determined to punish what it claims is moral wrongdoing.

The story also follows Sam Polk, Susannah's brother; Reverend Olin Blitch, an itinerant preacher; Little Bat McLean; and the elders and their wives. As Blitch's revivalist influence intensifies, the community's religious fervor turns into cruelty, exposing the gap between public righteousness and true virtue. Floyd's drama moves through themes of religious hypocrisy, mob mentality, persecution of the innocent, loss of innocence, and the devastating cost of moral judgment.

No prior familiarity with the Biblical source or with opera is needed. Susannah is self-contained, emotionally direct, and accessible, with themes that land clearly for older teens and adults.

Story Highlights

These signature moments help define Susannah as a powerful work of American lyric theater:

• "Ain't it a pretty night" — Susannah's radiant first-act aria is one of the opera's most memorable soprano showpieces. As she gazes at the stars, the music opens a window into her longing for a wider world beyond New Hope Valley.
• "The trees on the mountains" — This haunting folk-hymn aria is among the most beloved pieces in American opera. Its simplicity and beauty carry Susannah's sorrow, isolation, and emotional resilience.
• "Hear me, O Lord" (Blitch's prayer) — Reverend Olin Blitch's anguished plea for forgiveness is a dramatic highlight for the bass-baritone role. The moment reveals the preacher's remorse and gives the character a painful human dimension.
• The Revival Meeting scene — This gripping choral and dramatic sequence blends fervent hymn-singing with rising tension. As Blitch calls the community to repentance, the scene captures both the force of collective belief and the danger of moral certainty.
• The Final Confrontation — Susannah's defiant stand against the community delivers the opera's devastating emotional climax. It brings the work's central conflicts into sharp focus, with Susannah facing the people who condemned her.

Other Theater Shows You Might Like

If Susannah is your kind of show, the following productions tend to appeal to the same audience — emotionally powerful opera, American theatrical storytelling, and works shaped by moral conflict and vivid character drama.

• Of Mice and Men (Carlisle Floyd) Tickets
• Cold Sassy Tree (Carlisle Floyd) Tickets
• The Crucible (Robert Ward) Tickets
• Porgy and Bess Tickets
• Street Scene (Kurt Weill) Tickets
• Vanessa (Samuel Barber) Tickets
• The Tender Land (Aaron Copland) Tickets
• Carmen Tickets
• Dead Man Walking (Jake Heggie) Tickets
• The Ballad of Baby Doe (Douglas Moore) Tickets

How Much Do Tickets to Susannah Cost?

Susannah ticket prices vary by seat location, performance date, opera company, venue size, and how a specific production fits within the presenting company's season.

Susannah ticket prices vary based on venue, city, seat location, date, and performance time. Premium orchestra and front sections are in high demand, while rear and upper-level sections offer excellent value.

Pricing can shift based on the strength of the local opera market, the production's cast, and the number of available performances. Buying earlier usually gives you a better selection of orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony seats before the most desirable locations are taken.

No hidden fees. At Box Office Ticket Sales, the price you see is the price you pay. All fees are shown before checkout — no surprise charges when you reach the final step.

How to Buy Susannah Tickets

Getting your Susannah tickets through BoxOfficeTicketSales.com is fast and straightforward. Here's how the process works:

• Browse Susannah productions — Search for Susannah tickets and select the production, city, and date that work for your schedule
• Pick your seats — Use the interactive seating map to compare sections, rows, views, and real-time pricing side by side
• Secure checkout — Pay with a credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Affirm for flexible payment options
• Receive your tickets — Digital tickets are delivered to your email or mobile wallet before the show, ready to scan at the theater entrance

Every order is backed by our 100% verified ticket guarantee and on-time delivery promise. Once your order is confirmed, you'll receive an email with your invoice and everything you need before curtain time.

Susannah Seating Guide

Susannah is staged by opera companies in traditional theater and opera house venues of varying sizes. Where you sit shapes how you experience the singers, orchestra, staging, and dramatic intimacy of Floyd's score.

Best Seats for Susannah

The best seats for Susannah balance vocal clarity, stage visibility, and overall comfort:

• Best value: Upper mezzanine or rear orchestra sections — these areas can offer strong sightlines and a full view of the staging while keeping you within a practical price range.
• Closest to the stage: Front orchestra sections — these seats bring you closest to the performers, making the opera's emotional confrontations feel immediate and immersive.
• Best overall experience: Mid-orchestra or front mezzanine sections — many opera fans favor these locations for their balance of sound, proximity, and full-stage perspective.
• For groups: Coordinate contiguous seats early, since blocks in popular orchestra and mezzanine sections can sell through quickly.

Susannah Seating Chart

You can view an interactive seating map for Susannah productions directly on BoxOfficeTicketSales.com while browsing available listings. The map lets you compare sections, check row depth and distance from the stage, and see real-time pricing for what's currently available — all before committing to a purchase.

Can I See Where My Seats Are?

Yes. The interactive seat map on BoxOfficeTicketSales.com shows your exact section and row placement before you buy. Use it to understand your angle to the stage, your distance from the front, and whether you're in the orchestra, mezzanine, or balcony — so the seats you choose match exactly what you're looking for before the curtain rises.

Getting Ready for Show Night

Once your tickets are confirmed, a little preparation makes the full experience run smoothly from arrival through the final bow.

• Download your tickets before you leave. Cell service around the venue can be congested on busy performance nights. Save your tickets to your phone's wallet or screenshot them before heading out so you're ready at the door without needing a signal.
• Charge your phone fully. Digital ticketing is standard at most theaters. A portable battery pack is worth having, especially if you're combining the show with dinner or other activities.
• Arrive at least 30 minutes before curtain. Venue doors open well before the show begins; arriving early gives you time to find your seats and settle in before the house lights go down — and avoids the disruption of late seating, which many theaters restrict.
• Plan for the intermission. Susannah is typically performed in two acts with one intermission, so use the act break for restrooms or concessions before lines build.
• Know the venue's phone and photography policy. Professional opera productions ask audiences to silence phones and refrain from photographing or recording during the performance.
• For older teens and adults. Susannah includes mature themes, including sexual assault, religious hypocrisy, social ostracism, and suicide, so plan accordingly when choosing who will attend.

Is Box Office Ticket Sales Legit?

Yes — Box Office Ticket Sales is a fully verified, secure ticketing platform that has served over 1 million customers since 2012. When you buy Susannah tickets through BoxOfficeTicketSales.com, here's what backs every purchase:

• 100% verified ticket listings — every listing is authenticated before it reaches you
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Susannah is one of the most consistently in-demand American opera productions in live theater, and performances by major, regional, and university opera companies can sell through fast. The best-value listings disappear first. If you have a specific date or city in mind, acting sooner gets you better seats at better prices. Browse Susannah tickets now and lock in your seats before inventory tightens.

Need Help With Your Susannah Tickets?

Our support team is available before, during, and after your purchase. Reach us through any of these channels:

• Live chat: Log in to your account at BoxOfficeTicketSales.com to chat with an agent
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• Phone: Call the number on your order confirmation invoice
• Buy by phone: Call 1-800-515-2171 to purchase tickets directly with a representative