Opera Laguna Presents The Student Prince

For Immediate Release
Contact: Leah Rankin | Morahan Arts & Media
leah@morahanartsandmedia.com | 863.660.2214

Opera Laguna Presents The Student Prince for One-Night-Only
on July 3 at Laguna Playhouse  

Experience “A Day at the Beach, A Night at the Opera” 
With a Timeless Story About the Choice Between Love and Duty, 
Starring Tenor Arnold Livingston Geis and Directed by Josh Shaw

https://www.operalaguna.org/studentprince 

June 8, 2026 (Laguna Beach, CA) — Opera Laguna presents a one-night-only, semi-staged concert of The Student Prince on Friday, July 3, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. at Laguna Playhouse. Directed by Josh Shaw and starring tenor Arnold Livingston Geis as Prince Karl Franz, the operetta tells the story of a prince who must ultimately choose between his devotion to Kathie, a commoner, and the royal duties that require him to become king and marry Princess Margaret.

“We feel a very special connection to this show, and the stage where it will be performed,” said co-founder of Opera Laguna, Oriana Geis Falla, who recently won Artist of the Year at the 2026 Laguna Beach Arts Alliance Art Star Awards together with co-founder Arnold Livingston Geis. “Not only did Arnold’s birth father sing it at Heidelberg Castle where the story takes place, but the Laguna Playhouse opened its first permanent theater the same year that The Student Prince opened on Broadway. We’re excited to have the rare opportunity to showcase opera in Laguna Beach and to embark on what we know will be a beautiful partnership with Opera Laguna and the Laguna Playhouse and we look forward to continuing to provide our audiences an experience to have ‘a day at the beach, a night at the opera!’”

Debuting on Broadway in 1924, The Student Prince was the most-performed and longest-running Broadway show of the 1920s. Based on the German play Old Heidelberg by Wilhelm Meyer-Förster with music by Sigmund Romberg and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly, the show was a Prohibition-era smash hit that toured for nearly two decades and was adapted into a silent film in 1927. 

Sent incognito to the University of Heidelberg to experience life beyond the palace, Prince Karl Franz of Karlsberg discovers friendship, freedom, and first love in the warm-hearted Kathie, niece of the owner of the Inn of the Three Gold Apples. As their romance blossoms, Karl Franz is called home by duty when his grandfather, the King, falls gravely ill, forcing him to honor a long-arranged engagement to Princess Margaret. Though he promises to return, the demands of the crown—and his eventual ascension to the throne—keep him away for years. When he finally returns to Heidelberg, he hopes to reunite with Kathie, only to learn that she has seemingly moved on. Accepting that personal happiness must yield to responsibility, Karl Franz embraces his role as king, while Kathie remains the great love of his life and Heidelberg endures as a cherished symbol of youth, friendship, and lost possibility.

The cast of The Student Prince includes: tenor Arnold Livingston Geis as Prince Karl Franz; baritone Kevin Blickfeldt as Dr. Engel; soprano Oriana Geis-Falla as Kathie; soprano Lily Prado as Princess Margaret; tenor Alex McKissick as Count Hugo Detlef; tenor Ricardo Garcia as Von Asterberg; baritone Sergio Manzo as Lucas; baritone Roberto Gomez as Ruder; soprano Alexys Tiscareno as Gretchen; mezzo-soprano Allegra DeVita as Kathie’s Friend; and tenor Felipe Prado as Captain Tarnitz. Brian Holman conducts this production directed by Josh Shaw and choreographed by Tanya Durbin.

Performance Information
The Student Prince
Opera Laguna 
Friday, July 3, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Moulton Theatre, Laguna Playhouse | 606 Laguna Canyon Rd | Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Tickets: $35-$250
Link: https://www.operalaguna.org/studentprince 

Cast:
Prince Karl Franz: Arnold Livingston Geis
Kathie: Oriana Geis-Falla
Dr. Engel: Kevin Blickfeldt
Count Hugo Detlef: Alex McKissick
Von Asterberg: Ricardo Garcia
Lucas: Sergio Manzo, baritone
Princess Margaret: Lily Prado
Captain Tarnitz: Felipe Prado, tenor
Lutz: William Grundler
Ruder: Roberto Gomez, baritone
Gretchen: Alexys Tiscareno, soprano
Kathie’s Friend: Allegra DeVita

Production:
Brian Holman, conductor
Josh Shaw, director
Tanya Durbin, choreographer
Jeremy Plant, lighting designer

About Opera Laguna
Opera Laguna is dedicated to reawakening Laguna Beach’s passion for opera by fostering local partnerships, championing artist centered initiatives, and staging transformative performances that celebrate the power of the human voice. Opera Laguna carries forward a legacy that began with the Festival of Opera for Orange County in 1961. After decades without a resident opera company, Opera Laguna was founded by Arnold Geis, Oriana Geis Falla, and Christopher Reed in 2023 to restore opera to Laguna’s cultural landscape. Through education, collaboration, and innovative programming, Opera Laguna provides unforgettable experiences for audiences of all ages.

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