During an interview with Boise Weekly, Gulley was quick to call Lopez a "hometown hero." Lopez was born and raised in Idaho. Her family still lives in Rupert, her brother lives in Boise. Lopez was first hired by Opera Idaho in 2014 and now, aside from playing Juliette, works as an artistic advisor for the organization. She currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

The show, while a modern day retelling of the classic romantic tragedy, is all in French. The show will have "supertitles," translated or transcribed lyrics projected above the stage or displayed on a screen, for the audience.

For Lopez and Gulley, debuting these roles has been all about breaking down stereotypes. 

"I grew up working in the field, hoeing sugar beets with my mom in Rupert, Idaho and I was never exposed to opera as a kid," Lopez said. "And now, being a professional opera singer and being exposed to all this repertoire, this music, the stories … for me, it's just a mind-blowing experience.

"I tell people 'look, it's a little Mexican American girl from Rupert Idaho, daughter of immigrants,'" Lopez said. "She (Juliette) can be, look like me."

Opera, she says, is an art form for everybody, no matter what they look like or where they come from.

Gulley, who calls himself a Midwestern boy, says that art is meant to be a mirror for any community, including Boise. 

"I'm a pretty hardy feller. I'm not your conventional Romeo," said Gulley. "I always made the joke that I would never get to play Romeo as a big guy … . But I can't make that joke now. It means a lot to get to be this character and prove the real philosophy of this opera: love is for all and love defies all description or predestination. We are all able to be Romeo and Juliet and hopefully not die in the end of our stories. 

"It just means a lot to get to prove to myself, to the audience and to our current society that there is no defining factor of what makes a Romeo or what makes a Juliet," Gulley continued. 

And so a story about a historic rivalry between two families has turned into an opera with one powerful message: "some things do transcend faction or last name, or where you're from or how you vote," Gulley said. 

Opera Idaho's telling of Shakespeare's classic tragedy is completely new and singular, Gulley said. The hope, echoed by both Gulley and Lopez, is that the message of inclusivity shines through their music.

"At the end of the day, love wins," Lopez said. "My goal is to break down that stigma of opera being only for the elites. And I think something like Romeo and Juliet, a story that is universal, that people are familiar with, helps in that continuation of educating the community and letting people know that this art form is inclusive."

Performances at the Morrison Center are 7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 23 and 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 25. Tickets range from $34.75 to $95.25 plus fees and can be purchased on the website: operaidaho.org.