SEATTLE OPERA "Fellow Travelers" Feburary 21 through March 1, 2026 Opening Night Review!

FELLOW TRAVELERS

Seattle Opera
Music by Gregory Spears
Libretto by Greg Pierce
Directed by Kevin Newbury
Based on the book by Thomas Mallon
Produced by Up Until New Collective

McCaw Hall
Seattle, WA

February 21, 2026 7:30pm

(Jarrett Ott (Hawkins Fuller) and Colin Aikins (Timothy Laughlin) in "Fellow Travelers" at Seattle Opera. Photo: David Jaewon Oh)

While it has been more than a minute since I’ve reviewed a performance at the Seattle Opera, I was very happy to make my return for the contemporary opera Fellow Travelers. The first opera staged by the company with an openly gay storyline, it felt good to be back as I walked through the lobby of McCaw Hall on Saturday evening.


The Seattle Opera leaned into the themes of the night by having basically their own Pride Night before the performance began. The patrons reflected this diversity which was great to see.


As important as the various contemporary operas have been with their respective subject matters, I’ve found them to be very hit and miss for my own taste. I definitely lean toward the classic operas versus the modern. But, I always go into a performance with an open mind as the production deserves and demands that mindset.


I’m happy to report that Fellow Travelers was a delightful production!


What really worked for me was the ongoing struggle of the two main characters played by Colin Aikins (as Timothy Laughlin) and Jarrett Ott (as Hawkins Fuller). Their budding romance, the pressures of the McCarthy era witch hunt to hide said romance, and the subsequent break up of the relationship was relatable on many levels.


It was not lost on anyone in the audience just how absurd and truly awful it was for so many people back in the 1950’s that suffered during the Lavender Scare period of time. It was also an ugly reminder of where we are right now in 2026 and the current regime, their tactics, and their absolute unlawfulness.


But, above everything in the story, the performances and the music rose above those odds of the time period. Colin Atkins and Jarrett Ott, both making their Seattle Opera debuts, portrayed their characters and their dynamic perfectly. All the while the music was equally powerful when it needed to be and subdued when it was called for. This mixture was potent in the best of ways.


The supporting cast kept the production flowing nicely which allowed the two main characters to really dig in and find the humanity in their performances.


The staging walked the right line of creating the world for the characters to exist in but also didn’t overwhelm the story.


At times I’m one of those patrons that wants to see some level of tragedy in any opera that I attend. This production had the underlying tone that was tragic yet hopeful which may seem hard to understand but it absolutely worked for this show.


Fellow Travelers was a production that really displayed the injustice (understatement) of the time period while still showing how love can conquer all when given the chance.


Recommended!


“Fellow Travelers” runs through March 1st. Tickets are available:  HERE! (opens in a new window)


Best,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media

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(Jarrett Ott (Hawkins Fuller), Colin Aikins (Timothy Laughlin), Amber R. Monroe (Mary Johnson), Marcus DeLoach (Estonian Frank), Jeremy Weiss (Party Guest), Randell McGee (Tommy McIntyre), Vanessa Becerra (Miss Lightfoot), and Elisa Sunshine (Lucy) in "Fellow Travelers" at Seattle Opera. Photo: Sunny Martini.)

(Photos of LGBTQ+ employees and service members who lost their jobs for being gay, collected as part of the Lavender Names Project in partnership with the American LGBTQ+ Museum and displayed at the end of "Fellow Travelers" at Seattle Opera. Photo: David Jaewon Oh.)