Arizona Opera Company’s hit Riders of the Purple Sage, which premiered in 2017 to sold-out houses, returns this season. With it comes a new full-length film documenting the creation and production of this instant classic. (Learn more about the film and AZ Opera’s upcoming performances.)

Kristin Atwell Ford of Quantum Leap Productions, Emery Award winning film maker, co-produced this documentary focusing on the collaborative process. The film travels from the untamed frontier that inspired Zane Grey’s iconic novel over a century ago to the intimate workings of the modern artistic process behind this new American opera. 

You can see Riders of the Purple Sage: The Making of a Western Opera on Saturday, February 22, at noon in The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress St., presented by the Arizona Opera League of Tucson. The cost is $15. Get your tickets by writing to Fran Loubet, 6153 N. Pascola Circle, Tucson, AZ 85718, enclosing a check made out to the AZ Opera League of Tucson.

And remember to attend the Opera Guild‘s free previews of the opera on February 28 in Tucson or March 2 in Oro Valley. Yes, there are two distinct organizations promoting opera in Tucson, with similar names. Both are worthy of your support.