Unmissable: Top 10 arts plays, concerts and exhibits for 2016-17 arts season in Phoenix

Arizona Opera's Riders of the Purple Sage will be the first world premiere in Arizona Opera’s 45-year history. And that is a very big deal, signaling that the Phoenix-and-Tucson company has ambitions to become a leader in its field. Based on the classic Western novel by Zane Grey, “Riders” features music by Valley composer Craig Bohmler, who’s best known for the musicals “Gunmetal Blues” and “Enter the Guardsman.” The scenic design is by Arizona painter Ed Mell, famed for his luminous Southwestern landscapes.