7:30PM, Nov. 10-12, 2022
UCO Jazz Lab

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THE DANGERS OF SINGING
Tragic Tales of Vocal Pedagogical Woe

Presented by UCO Opera and the UCO School of Music
Stage Directors: Rob Glaubitz and Molly Johnson
Music Director: Megan Clewell

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PROGRAM

The Voice Lesson (from Il Barbiere di Siviglia)
Gioachino Rossini

Rosina                          Mackenzie Cook
Bartolo                          Joshua Buchanan
Count Almaviva            Khalil Cabrera-Tosado (Nov 10 & 12), Luis Vasquez (Nov 11)

Synopsis: Count Almaviva has fallen in love with Rosina, the ward of Dr.Bartolo, and Rosina returns his affection.  However, Bartolo wants to marry Rosina himself.  Count Almaviva enters Bartolo’s house disguised as Don Alonso, a music teacher.  He says that Basilio, her regular instructor, is ill and has sent him to give Rosina’s music lesson in his place.  He gains Bartolo’s trust by producing Rosina’s letter to himself, and offering to persuade Rosina that the letter has been given to him by a mistress of the Count.  Bartolo dozes off during the lesson and the Count and Rosina are able to share their mutual affection.

 

Sull’aria (from Le Nozze di Figaro)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Countess Almaviva        Tae Bradshaw
Susanna                         Cheyenne Holland

Synopsis: Count Almaviva is very interested in Susanna, despite being married to Countess Almaviva.  Susanna and the Countess make a plan to catch him in the act of betraying his marriage by writing him a letter to lure him to the garden.

 

Tenor and Baritone
H. Lane Wilson

Tenor                           Davison Nguyen
Baritone                       Joshua Buchanan

Synopsis: It’s good to be either a tenor or a baritone, as we discover in this delightful duet!

 

Duet for Marcellina an Susanna (from Le Nozze di Figaro)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Marcellina                    Mackenzie Cook
Susanna                      Hailey Hatfield (Nov 10 & 12), Corbyn Nauman (Nov 11)

Synopsis:  Marcellina is angry at Susanna for “stealing” Figaro away from her, although it’s clear she never had a shot at him in the first place.  She decides to insult Susanna but gets a bit more than she bargained for.

 

Duet for Olimpia and Fiammetta (from Prima Donna)
Arthur Benjamin

Olimpia                        Lindy Wilson
Fiammetta                   Xinyu Pan
The Count                   Davison Nguyen
Florindo                       Jarrett Cox

Synopsis: The rich and elderly Count has demanded that Florindo arrange a performance for him from celebrated prima donna La Filomela.  Unable to procure the diva’s services, he instead accidentally invites two different sopranos from the opera chorus – Olimpia and Fiammetta.  When it is time for the performance, the two sopranos both pretend to be La Filomela and sing the requested tune together, making the Count think that he is seeing double.

 

Opening Duet (from Hansel and Gretel)
Engelbert Humperdinck

Gretel                           Sarah Hunsucker
Hansel                          Katayla Mongold (Nov 10 & 12), Bailey Poslick (Nov 11)

Synopsis: Hansel and Gretel find ways to procrastinate from their chores and ignore their hungry stomachs.

 

Dressing Scene (from Le Nozze di Figaro)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Countess Almaviva        Tae Bradshaw
Susanna                        Cheyenne Holland
Cherubino                    Jarrett Cox

Synopsis: Cherubino arrives at the Countess’s chambers with a song of love for the Countess and a commission from the Count to report to the army.  The Countess and Susanna convince him to perform his love song and then come up with a unique way to help him avoid his army duties.

 

INTERMISSION

 

La Canterina
Joseph Haydn

Apollonia                      Corbyn Nauman
Gasparina                     Calliope Staudt
Don Ettore                    Bailey Poslick (Nov 10 & 12), Katayla Mongold (Nov 11)
Don Pelagio                  Khalil Cabrera-Tosado (Nov 10 & 12), Luis Vasquez (Nov 11)
Apollonia cover             Hailey Hatfield

Synopsis: Gasparina and her “mother” Apollonia have made a good life for themselves.  Gasparina has built a performing career as a singer and Apollonia helps manage her career.  However, their real business is supporting themselves by convincing Gasparina’s admirers to give them money and gifts.  At the moment, their main targets are Don Ettore, a teenaged boy who has rich parents and a crush on Gasparina, and Don Pelagio, Gasparina’s voice instructor.  However, each admirer doesn’t know that the other one exists.

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SPECIAL THANKS

The UCO Vocal Faculty
Clint Rohr and the Jazz Lab staff
Brian Butler and University Productions staff

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Don’t miss UCO Opera’s Spring 2023 production of DIE FLIEDERMAUS!

March 3-5 at Mitchell Hall Theatre

Dance in your seat to this well-known operetta by Johann Strauss, the 19th century Waltz King from Vienna. UCO Opera’s production reimagines this hilarious tale of love and mistaken identity in 1970s disco-era New York City. Performed in English with live orchestra.