BGSU opera students perform Mozart, Handel

BOWLING GREEN, O.—From stage lights to sunlight, audiences at Bowling Green State University’s next Opera Theater production will see a double bill of Mozart and Handel. Mozart’s “The Impresario” and Handel’s “Acis and Galatea” will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, in Kobacker Hall of the Moore Musical Arts Center.

“The Impresario,” one of Mozart’s early works, is a delightful glimpse into the backstage world of opera, complete with rich bankers, poor impresarios and dueling divas. In the comic opera with spoken dialogue, Gottlieb Stephanie’s libretto is combined with Mozart’s score, which he created as an entry for a musical competition.

Originally written in Italian, “Acis and Galatea” is a pastoral tale of love between a demigoddess and a simple shepherd who is threatened by a crude cyclops. The secondary characters provide humor without diminishing the audience’s capacity to sympathize with the main characters.

The production’s co-directors are Darin Kerr, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Theater and Film, and Dr. Ronald Shields, department chair. Dr. Emily Freeman Brown, director of BGSU orchestral activities, is the musical director. The performance will be sung in English with English supertitles.

The cast of “The Impresario” includes sopranos Rachel Snitzer, a vocal performance major from Forest City, Iowa, in the role of Miss Silverpeal, and Rebecca Eaddy, a graduate student in vocal performance from Milan, Mich., as Madame Goldentrill. In addition to co-directing, Kerr will play the speaking role of Mr. Scruples. Performing the role of Mr. Bluff is baritone Ryan Jones from Columbus, a senior majoring in vocal performance. Tenor John Carmack, a graduate student in vocal performance from Willoughby, will appear as Mr. Angel.

The cast of “Acis and Galatea” will include tenor Greg Ashe from Huber Heights in the tile role of Acis. Galatea will be played by soprano Jing Lin, a graduate student in vocal performance from Putian, China. Also in the cast are Jake Wilder from Van Wert, a senior in vocal performance, as Damond; soprano Amanda Deboer, a doctoral candidate in contemporary studies in vocal performance from Bellevue, Neb., as Demetrius, and mezzo-soprano Kaleigh Butcher, a graduate student from St. Louis, Mo., studying vocal performance, as Octavia. Baritone Stephen Maus, from El Paso, Texas, will perform the role of Polypheme.

Advance tickets are $12 for adults and $9 for senior citizens. On the day of the performance, tickets will be $15 for adults and $12 for students and senior citizens. Tickets can be purchased at the Moore Musical Arts Center box office weekdays from noon to 6 p.m. or by calling 419-372-8171 or toll-free 1-800-589-2224.

You can learn more about the opera and hear from the performers and faculty by clicking here.

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(Posted September 17, 2010 )