top of page
Dylan F. Thomas

Set Designer / Builder

Metropolitan Opera soprano Ana Maria Martinez described Dylan F. Thomas as “thinking out of the box in an intriguing and captivating way… an inspiring director and mentor, particularly for young artists.” Superstar baritone Quinn Kelsey, a favorite at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Metropolitan Opera, says that Thomas, “utilized his own intuitive twists on the storyline of certain pieces to give me as a singer a different perspective of my interpretation.” Kelsey says that Thomas' unique new production and staging concepts “… could prove quite useful in bringing more and more audiences back to the opera. Mr. Thomas’ insight just seems to me to be a very healthy way to reenergize opera productions.”


In June 2018, Mr. Thomas directed Pagliacci for Opera Fairbanks in Alaska, with Metropolitan Opera conductor Gregory Buchalter in the pit. Mr. Thomas is the Co-Founder of Valley Opera & Performing Arts in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, currently in its 17th season, where he has directed full productions of countless operas, musicals, and concerts, featuring such renowned artists as baritone Rod Gilfry, tenor Rodell Rosel, and mezzo soprano Milena Kitic. He has also directed for Santa Monica College, as well as California State University, Los Angeles, where he directed productions of Die Fledermaus (with original dialogue written by him), Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, and Glass’ highly challenging work, Hydrogen Jukebox.


For the Pacific Symphony in Costa Mesa, CA, Thomas has written and directed numerous shows for the Family Musical Mornings series, including A Halloween Spooktacular, Superheroes!, and scripted introductions to Hansel and Gretel and Mozart's The Magic Flute. He also wrote and directed a Casablanca-themed show for the Pacific Symphony’s prestigious annual Gala.


Mr. Thomas directed the semi-staged concert Opera Under the Stars at Orange County's Opera Pacific, which featured super-stars Ana Maria Martinez and Quinn Kelsey performing operatic favorites with the Opera Pacific Orchestra under the baton of Maestro John DeMain. Thomas worked as the outreach stage director at Opera Pacific, where he staged the educational outreach show entitled Fun With Opera. He wrote and directed Opera Soup for Opera Pacific's Opera in the Park presentation, and directed The Tinker of Tivoli for their Opera Camp program, for which he also acted as Program Director.


Mr. Thomas was recently named Opera Program Coordinator for the prestigious National Children’s Chorus’ new youth opera program. In August 2022, he coordinated the organization’s first Opera Camp program in Vail, Colorado, and looks forward to returning in summer 2023.


Mr. Thomas is one of the creators of a new American Opera entitled Marie's Orchard, for which he conceptualized the story, inspired by Willa Cather's novel O Pioneers!, and penned the libretto. He worked closely with composer Philip Westin on the creation of this extraordinary new work, and he directed the world premiere of the opera with Center Stage Opera (CA) in 2011.


As a singer and actor, Thomas has performed extensively in the operatic, musical theater, jazz, and theater genres. A regular performer with Opera San Luis Obispo, Thomas has performed the roles of Ali Hakim in Oklahoma!, and Monostatosin The Magic Flute, and has headlined numerous concerts for the company. Notable opera roles include Cavaradossi (Tosca), Alfred (Die Fledermaus), Alfredo (La traviata), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), and Don Jose (Carmen). At Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater, Thomas covered the role of Otello in Verdi’s dramatic opera, and performed the musical theater roles of King Francis in Rex by Rodgers and Harnick, and Constable in Fiddler on the Roof. For ten months during 2006, Thomas was engaged as a performer in three different variety shows at Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan. There he performed not only opera repertoire, but musical theater and jazz as well. He was the tenor soloist in the holiday spectacular, A White Christmas Carol, seen by upwards of 40,000 people each performance, in addition to an operatic street theater show and various holiday jazz shows.

Dylan F. Thomas

PRODUCTION TEAM

click image to go back

bottom of page