Download UNLV Opera travels to National Opera Association Convention

Volume 1, Issue 2
UNLV OPERA THEATER NEWSLETTER
Spring, 2013
Opera Rebels
University of
Nevada,
Las Vegas
Opera Theater
Director
 Dr. Linda Lister
 [email protected]
Tickets
 UNLV Box Office
 (702) 895-ARTS
Inside this issue:
UNLV Opera at NOA
1
Opera Tidbit
1
The Fairy Queen
2
UNLV Opera travels to National Opera Association Convention
On January 3, UNLV Opera
made its debut at the National
Opera Association convention in
Portland, Oregon. Senior voice
performance major Casey Gardner performed excerpts from
Mozart’s Così fan tutte. A student
of Dr. Alfonse Anderson, Casey
said of the conference, “It was a
great way to network and get
people acquainted with the fact
that UNLV has a wonderful music program with a great staff. I
loved the location and the type of
people that were present. It is
always a wonderful thing to be
surrounded by fellow musicians.
Portland was a beautiful place full
of artistic inspiration, and of
course, fabulous coffee.”
Casey’s performance received positive feedback from a number
of convention attendees, as did
UNLV Opera. NOA PresidentElect David Holley, Director of
UNCG Opera Theatre, said, “I admire UNLV Opera’s Facebook presence” and Paul Houghtaling of University of Alabama Opera
Theatre gave a thumbs-up to our
upcoming Vegas-themed Elixir
production concept.
Beverly helped the work to win
the convention’s chamber opera competition.
The conference also featured a
UNLV Opera alumna. Beverly
Taflinger (MM 2012) performed
in the premiere of a one—act
opera entitled An Embarrassing
Position. Singing with the University of Oregon Opera Ensemble,
Casey Gardner
Opera Tidbit: Opera in Pop Culture
Inyo, CA Tour
2
Diva in Training:
Lindsay Cunningham
3
Opera Quiz
I Feel Pretty
3
3
If you thought opera was only
heard in opera houses or on a
Airways ads with its jetliner floating through calm skies and fluffy
Wagner, Driving Miss Daisy—
university campus, think again.
You’ve heard it but may not have clouds? After the ads aired, every-
La Traviata by Verdi, James Bond:
one started humming it. You may
Quantum of Solace—Tosca by
realized it was opera. Tunes from
the opera house often turn up in
remember it more from the
Puccini, Match Point—L’elisir Ghirardelli chocolate ads (my
favorite). But of course, you have
d’amore by Donizetti, Titanic, Les
that turns up in more places than
heard opera in countless movies
across all genres. See if you can
and Thaϊs by Massenet. For 400
years, opera has remained strong
the Flower Duet from Lakmé by
recognize some of these examples:
Delibes. Remember the British
Apocalypse Now—Die Walküre by
in pop culture and it doesn’t show signs of stopping. -SS
places you never expected. There
may be no other classical tune
Rusalka by Dvořák, Godfather I—
contes d’Hoffmann by Offenbach
Opera Rebels
Page 2
“A very visual approach to Purcell’s brilliant com-­
position, the production flowed eloquently with full
cooperation of the
students in the arts
The Fairy Queen opens UNLV Opera Theater 2012-13 Season
at UNLV and highlighted many individual talents from
the designers, director, and cast.”
-David Casey,
Nick Bottom in
The Fairy Queen
Pei-ning Ku as Autumn
In November, UNLV Opera Theater presented a new adaptation of Henry Purcell’s semi-opera The Fairy
Queen. Staged in the intimate ninety--seat Paul Harris Theatre, the production featured the work of talented
student designers/sopranos Isabella Ivy and Daniella Toscano. They oversaw the costumes and slide projections in addition to playing the roles of Titania and Puck respectively. As a semi-opera, it also featured excerpts of Shakespearean dialogue from the opera’s inspiration, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In an interview on
KNPR’s State of Nevada, Daniella told host Luis Hernandez, “As an opera singer, you’re not used to speak-­
ing. That’s the challenge.” (Experience with spoken dialogue will surely come in handy when UNLV Opera singers find themselves auditioning for operetta and/or musical theatre.) Besides reciting Shakespearean text
and performing Purcellian coloratura, the singers were also called upon to do some Baroque dance befitting
an eighteenth-century masque. In particular, Alfredo Martirena opened Act II with a ballet solo, demonstrating that opera is a true amalgam of the arts incorporating music, theatre, design, fashion, and dance.
UNLV Opera tours to Inyo County, California
Nathan Van Arsdale
as Oberon
in UNLV Opera Theater’s
The Fairy Queen (2012)
On December 6-7, nine singers from UNLV Opera traveled to California to perform for students in Inyo
County. Sponsored by the Inyo County Council for the Arts, the trip included four performances at Death
Valley Academy and Bishop High School. In addition to singing excerpts from The Old Maid and the Thief, La
clemenza di Tito, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Don Pasquale and Don Giovanni, the UNLV Opera performers improvised
scenes on the spot with input from the student audiences. The improvisations featured a variety of characters
from an Native American chief to pop star Nicki Minaj. The singers performed primarily for young people
who have never seen opera before, and for some who don’t have access to music classes at their schools due to budget cuts. Richelle Janushan said the trip was a chance “to change the lives of those who don't have the opportunity to see a live opera performance. It was definitely an experience that impacted my own life.” Xa-­
vier Brown also shared his thoughts on the young audience: “Watching the excitement and appreciation on their faces really assured me that I am in the right profession. I feel honored and privileged that my fellow
colleagues and I were able to share such beauty and a part of ourselves with such willing people.”
Volume 1, Issue 2
Page 3
Diva in Training: Lindsay Cunningham
OTHER UNLV DIVAS:
Master of Music candidate
Lindsay Cunningham will make
Lindsay already has some interesting insights into her character:
Sheronda McKee won the
Audience Choice Award
her UNLV Opera debut this
“I love that Adina is the smartest girl in town, knows how to be in
spring as Adina in L’elisir d’amore. A student of Dr. Michelle Latour,
Lindsay is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and she has also
studied in both Salzburg and Vienna, Austria. Her previous oper-
at the 2013 Metropolitan
Opera National Council
Utah District Auditions. A
DMA candidate at UNLV,
charge, but is still adored by
everyone. Despite her endless
Sheronda is a student of
Dr. Alfonse Anderson.
teasing and flirtation, she’s really not as capricious as she claims to
atic roles include Cherubino in Le
be.” We look forward to seeing how Lindsay brings this lyric
__________________
nozze di Figaro and Gianetta, the
coloratura role to life in March
Carrie Wachsberger and
other female role in L’elisir when UNLV Opera’s L’elisir d’amore.
d’amore opens on the Ham Hall
Isabella Ivy (students of Dr.
Latour and Dr. Anderson)
sang at the Nevada Opera
Theatre Guild holiday
stage.
luncheon.
Opera Quiz
I. Which Donizetti opera features
the famous tenor aria “Ah! mes __________________
II. Which of the following operas
was not written by Henry Purcell?
amis” with its nine high Cs?
________________
a.
L’elisir d’amore
a.
Dido and Aeneas
b.
Guillaume Tell
b.
Acis and Galatea
c.
Linda di Chamounix
c.
The Fairy Queen
d.
La fille du régiment
d.
King Arthur
Answers:
“Trust us. See “(S)He Wears q ˙ıı
p ˙ı
the Pants.” UNLV Opera presents
scenes from
The Marriage of Figaro,
I Feel Pretty: Featuring a Number of Firsts
Hansel and Gretel
and more.
The 2012-13 UNLV Opera season Venus and Adonis, Offenbach’s La
Belle Hélène and Massenet’s Thaïs
closes with a scenes program
Another first will be the world
premiere of a scene adapted by
Plus, lots of pants.
showcasing excerpts from opera
and musical theatre about beauty
Linda Lister from Robert Har-
Yes, pants.”
and vanity. Familiar selections
from Faust, La bohème, West Side
Story, HMS Pinafore and Sweeney
Todd will be presented, as well as
some lesser known pieces from
Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire,
Herbert’s Sweethearts, John Blow’s and Cendrillon.
ling’s play and film, Steel MagnoThe scenes program also provides
the opportunity for student directors to experiment with their craft.
Master of Music student Nathan
Van Arsdale and senior Daniella
Toscano will go from singing in
lias. It features Southern beautician Truvy, played by Dolly Parton
in the movie, explaining why
“There is No Such Thing as a Natural Beauty.” It’s a perfect L’elisir d’amore to directing their
thematic tie-in to the program,
which is certain to include some
first scenes for UNLV Opera.
beautiful singing.
-Las Vegas Weekly,
11/29/12
__________________
Save the dates!
Spring 2013 Performances
March 15-17 UNLV Opera Theater:
L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love) Ham Hall
UNLV OPERA THEATER
April 26
Opera Rebels
UNLV Opera Workshop:
I Feel Pretty Rando Recital Hall
UNLV Opera singers after three assemblies at Bishop High School
From left to right:
Editor: Linda Lister
Carolina Gamazo, Eliysheba Anderson, Casey Gardner,
Assistant Editors:
Nathan Van Arsdale, Xavier Brown, David Casey,
Suzanne Stone, Stephanie Weiss
Daniella Toscano, Richelle Janushan, Hye Youn Joo Sin