Prima Donna Culture and the Tulsa Opera, 1954--1968

Abstract

This thesis explores the role of prima donnas in the Tulsa Opera in the mid-20th century and how women both onstage and offstage were essential to the development of the Tulsa Opera Company and American opera at large. I rely on the framework of Lawrence W. Levine to examine the development of cultural hierarchies in America in conjunction with the establishment of opera in America. An examination into the origins of opera in Tulsa demonstrates how important that elite women and women in managerial roles were to the creation and evolution of the organization. They were key to securing funds and establishing a business model which allowed them to import outside talent, specifically prima donnas from the Metropolitan Opera. The prima donnas were key to elevating the performance quality of the Tulsa Opera, demonstrating the integral role of women in early American opera. This is especially notable when reflecting on 19th-century stigmatization of prima donnas resulting in sexualization and lack of respect for the profession as it diverted from the feminine ideal of remaining in the domestic sphere. An examination of the representation of Tulsa’s visiting prima donnas in the 20th-century popular press shows how this earlier stigma has been transformed in many respects, ultimately leading to prima donnas being highly respected for their craft both in Tulsa and throughout the country.