New documentary 'An OverKnight Success' tells story of Michael Spyres' opera career

More than 10 years ago, an opera singer from the Ozarks and an Italian filmmaker met while working on a film set. The two became fast friends and began discussing the possibility of working together on their own project.

Michael Spyres, the opera singer, and Edoardo Zucchetti, the filmmaker, are now looking forward to the premiere of their nearly two-hour documentary, which has been in the works for years. The film, "An OverKnight Success: The Crazy Life of an Opera Singer," follows Spyres' career, from his start in the Ozarks to becoming a world-renowned opera singer.

The documentary debuts in Springfield at the Gillioz Theatre on Sunday. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. and the screening starts at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available for $25 on the Gillioz Theatre website.

It was in 2013 when Spyres and Zucchetti met on the set of "Terry Gilliam's Benvenuto Cellini — English National Opera," a musical about Italian goldsmith and sculptor Benvenuto Cellini. The film was directed by Terry Gilliam, known for projects like "Monty Python." Spyres was cast to sing the title role and Zucchetti was an assistant on the production.

At the time, Spyres, a Mansfield native, was preparing to travel to Germany to record a solo CD. He invited Zucchetti to tag along and document the production process.

"The CD never actually got released, but we had great footage and it began our journey," Spyres told the News-Leader. "After Germany, we started speaking about how amazing it would be to document my life in the coming years because I was just starting to make it big in the opera world back then. We kept filming with the intention to one day make a feature-length film that was more about the behind the scenes of my life rather than only on stage."

"An OverKnight Success" is a culmination of that work — more than 200 hours of footage captured throughout nine countries over 11 years, Spyres added.

Documenting the highs and lows of life

Spyres is an operatic "baritenor" or tenor. He attended the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna in Austria and has had a successful career domestically and abroad, with 83 roles in 78 individual operas, according to his website. He is also the artistic director of the Ozarks Lyric Opera and father of two sons.

While the documentary's name is a tongue-and-cheek play on an "overnight success," Spyres said his career didn't take off until he was about 14 years in.

Spyres first moved to Europe in 2003 and "it took a full decade of small victories and much more rejection" in order to make a name for himself. It was at that 10-year mark when he met Zucchetti.

The "knight" portion of the documentary's name is a nod to Spyres' honorary knighthood, which he received from The Arts and Letters of the Republic of France in 2021.

For Spyres, his favorite parts of the documentary are those that showcase his family.

"One of my favorite (parts) that we managed to get on film is when I was singing a solo concert in Italy and after a full hour of signing autographs I walked with my family through town and every person in the restaurants we walked by gave me a standing ovation," Spyres said. "All of my family were walking with me and my mom and dad were so proud."

While "An OverKnight Success" follows the "highs" of Spyres' career, it also shows some of the harder times.

In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spyres was forced to return home. Back in the Ozarks, Spyres spent his days working for his friend Grant Williams, the owner of Vox Landscaping Design.

"The whole film shows the cyclical nature of my life and how much I love my family, extended family and my community," Spyres said.

But for Spyres, "An OverKnight Success" is more than just a documentary about his career — it's an opportunity for him to look back on some of the busiest years of his life.

"I work so much in other languages and countries (four languages and nine countries per year, to be exact) while also singing such varied repertoire, I tend not to remember a lot of things that others do because I am constantly focusing on the next job that I have to use my full concentration for," Spyres said. "I was so happy when I started seeing footage from our collaboration because it helped me remember my own life."

While Spyres is the subject of "An OverKnight Success," he said the documentary has "always" been a collaboration between himself and Zucchetti.

"Edo quickly became part of my family and is like my little Italian brother," Spyres said. "He has such an artistic mind and is a very successful director for film, documentary, plays and operas. Most people only choose one profession in the arts, but he is very rare. Edo is a lot like me and is a jack of all trades so we didn't really have to converse too long to find the same language and vision."

As for the documentary's funding, Spyres said he has funded it personally over the last 11 years.

What's next for "An OverKnight Success"?

Following this weekend's screening, Spyres said he and Zucchetti are going to make a few final changes before submitting it to film festivals. The two are also discussing the possibility of splitting up the film into a series that could be accessible online.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: New documentary tells story of Michael Spyres' opera career