East Central University’s Opera Workshop will present “An Evening of Operas by Seymour Barab,” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11-12 in the Faust Hall Auditorium.
The performance will include scenes from Little Red Hood, A Game of Chance and La Pizza con Funghi.
The performances are free and open to the public.
“The ECU Opera Workshop is fundraising for a performance trip to Italy in May, so donations to help defray the costs will be appreciated,” said Melody Baggech, assistant professor of music.
The opening scene, from Little Red Riding Hood, comes from the familiar fairy tale and features ECU junior education major Emelia Robinson, of Stroud.
Following this scene is a short one-act opera, A Game of Chance, which tells the story of three women in a knitting circle discussing their dreams for a better life. After being confronted by the Representative, an eternal messenger of fate, who grants each woman her wish, they discover that they are still not satisfied. Even the Representative joins in complaining that he “never improves man’s estate.” The opera ends in chaos as everyone fights to get what the others have. This opera features Ada High School senior, Teresa White, along with ECU students Malik Sharp and Nikki Jackson, both of Ada.
The final opera, La Pizza con Funghi (Pizza with Mushrooms) is a spoof on traditional operas. Voluptua, the new wife of the exuberant, but somewhat clueless Count Formaggio, is attempting to have an affair with the debonair tenor, Scorpio. She has decided to kill the count by feeding him a pizza topped with poisonous mushrooms. Voluptua’s maid, Phobia, thwarts the poisoning attempt as the whole plot turns hilariously awry. The cast includes ECU graduate, Tim Long, along with Baggech, and current students - Courtney Phillips, of Tishomingo, and Philip Newcomer, of Ada.
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