 The Cincinnati performances coincided with the opening of Cincinnati's National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and starred Denyce Graves in the title role.In 2006, Evans Mirageas, an influential casting director and former head of Decca's Artists & Repertoire division, became Cincinnati Opera's new Artistic Director.Following his first season with the company, "Opera News" magazine listed him as one of the "25 Most Powerful Names in U.S. Opera".