This month, audiences can stream Mrs. President (performed by the Anchorage Opera) on Planet Classroom’s YouTube Channel.
In Mrs. President, composer and conductor Victoria Bond brings the story of Victoria Woodhull—the first woman to run for U.S. President in 1872—to the operatic stage. Featuring a libretto by Hilary Bell, this gripping scene from Act I captures Woodhull’s defiance of 19th-century norms. The opera explores power, ambition, and the high cost of making history. Bond’s music pulses with passion and lyricism, amplifying a legacy too often erased. A landmark in contemporary American opera, Mrs. President celebrates a pioneering feminist who reshaped politics, media, and the financial world long before her time.
The Global Search for Education is pleased to welcome Victoria Bond.
Victoria, Mrs. President premiered in 2012. How has the opera’s message evolved or resonated differently with audiences in today’s social and political climate?
I think the message of Mrs. President is just as relevant today—perhaps even more so—than it was in 2012. Victoria Woodhull was bold, courageous, and unapologetically daring. She challenged the male establishment and the religious right, who tried to silence her and paint her as a danger to polite society. In today’s increasingly polarized and contentious political climate, her story as a fearless woman who refused to be defined by societal expectations feels especially urgent and powerful.
Since the Anchorage Opera premiere, have there been additional performances or adaptations of the work? What have you learned from those stagings?
There have been several performances of scenes from the opera with piano accompaniment, but no full productions yet. In fact, the Anchorage Opera’s version was only semi-staged. Mrs. President still hasn’t had a fully staged premiere—and I believe the time is right. I hope a forward-thinking opera company will take up the challenge and give this work the full production it deserves.
If you were premiering Mrs. President today, is there anything you would approach differently—musically, narratively, or thematically?
Honestly, no. I wouldn’t change the music or the libretto—I feel both are strong and hold up well. What I would love, though, is to be involved in a fully staged production. That’s something I’ve long hoped for. A concert version can’t fully capture the dramatic and visual power of the story.
What advice would you give to young composers or librettists today who are telling stories of powerful women from history?
These stories need to be told. I urge young composers and librettists to explore history and discover the remarkable women whose voices have been overlooked. We need more operas that show women as leaders, visionaries, and revolutionaries—not just as victims, temptresses, or villains. It’s time for opera to reflect a broader and more truthful range of female experience.
C. M. Rubin and Victoria Bond
🎵 Mrs. President – Victoria Bond’s powerful tribute to America’s first female presidential candidate – is now streaming on Planet Classroom’s YouTube channel.
Experience a forgotten chapter of history brought vividly to life through contemporary opera. This film is curated by Planet Classroom.
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