Washington hosts first-ever staging of Cossack Beyond the Danube

United Help Ukraine, in partnership with Loudoun Lyric Opera, presented the first full-scale production of the legendary Ukrainian comic opera Cossack Beyond the Danube in the U.S. capital region. The premiere gathered a full house of viewers eager to experience Ukrainian culture through music, humor, and living history. An American cast took on the interpretation of this piece for the first time, and the opera was performed in two languages: Ukrainian and English.

This was reported by Novyny.LIVE correspondent in Washington, Ulyana Boichuk.

The Ukrainian opera Cossack Beyond the Danube was staged in Washington

Opening the evening, United Help Ukraine President Maryna Baydyuk emphasized that the event carries special symbolism — not only artistic but also historical.

"This is the first full production of a Ukrainian opera in the District of Columbia. Together with Loudoun Lyric Opera, we present Cossack Beyond the Danube — a work that is a cornerstone of Ukrainian culture. It is a story about love, hope, and the pursuit of freedom. It was written in the 19th century, but its spirit resonates just as strongly today, as Ukrainians continue to fight for these very ideals," she said from the stage.

American attendee Pat Mahovsky came to support her daughter, who took part in the production.

"I loved it. The music is incredible. And the fact that my daughter worked with the team makes it even warmer for the heart. It helps us understand what other countries and other people are going through," she said.

The Freeland family attended almost in full.

"It was wonderful. The music is beautiful. And it is about Ukraine — that matters," said viewer John Freeland.

His children also shared their impressions: "My mom played one of the main roles — Odarka. She is amazing. And the orchestra — just incredible!"

Sally Freeland, who played Odarka, had to master some new skills and says her character is temperamental, emotional, and explosive, admitting the role was an exciting challenge.

"She is much sharper than I am in real life. It was incredibly fun to play her explosiveness and love at the same time. The hardest part was learning Ukrainian — I don’t know the language, and for the first weeks I was simply memorizing the sound of the words. But my scene partner was wonderful — we experimented a lot, and he patiently allowed me to ‘hit’ him according to the script. I deeply sympathize with Ukraine and see participating in this production as a way to support the Ukrainian community through art. I hope they felt a piece of home," Sally shared.

The opera was bilingual: the actors sang in Ukrainian, while the dialogues were performed in English. The role of gentle and romantic Oksana was played by Samantha Sosa.

"It was an absolute pleasure to work with this team — the singers, the orchestra, the producers. Everyone is so sincere and dedicated. It was a true joy to collaborate with them," Samantha said, admitting that she sang in Ukrainian for the first time and prepared for it carefully with her colleagues.

She explained that Ukrainian was completely new to her, and it was difficult. She admitted that the words sounded like a set of unfamiliar sounds — unlike Italian or German, where much is already familiar.

After working on the production and the performance itself, Samantha was also deeply impressed by the story of Cossack Beyond the Danube.

"It is about joy, about love for one’s homeland. And that is the message I really wanted to convey from the stage," she added.

At the same time, Maryna Baydyuk emphasized that the presence of people at the opera is more than just love for art. She believes it is a gesture of solidarity and proof that Ukrainian voices and Ukrainian stories matter.

All proceeds are directed to the Smuha Family Resilience Project — a United Help Ukraine program that provides psychological assistance, art therapy, and group sessions for children and families in Ukraine who have experienced war trauma.

Read more:

Angelina Jolie visits children's hospital in Kherson, Ukraine

Swift brings The Life of a Showgirl Release Party to theaters

Taylor Swift tops Madonna as best-selling female artist