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What’s better than one dazzling production of an opera favorite? The answer is TWO classic operas courtesy of the University of Houston’s Edythe Bates Old Moores Opera Center. The center kicks off 2005 with George Frideric Handel’s spectacle “Rinaldo,” which runs Jan. 27 – 30 and then presents Johann Strauss’ timeless comedy “Die Fledermaus” Jan. 28 – 31. Both operas will be produced by the center’s director, Buck Ross, and performed in UH’s Moores Opera House. Set during the Christian Crusades, “Rinaldo” tells the story of a young knight separated from his lover by a wicked sorceress. “It’s very fast-paced with constant scenery changes,” Ross said. “We’ve removed some of the repetitive scenes and cut it down from its usual three and a half hours to a more manageable length of two hours, which many audiences will find appealing.” “Die Fledermaus” will alter the mood from romantic fantasy to bubbly comedy with a tale of mistaken identities, extra-martial affairs and a champagne-filled ball. Ross said that it’s been 10 years since the Moores Opera Center has performed the Strauss classic, but time hasn’t slowed down its quick wit. “Rinaldo” will be performed in Italian and “Die Fledermaus” will be performed in English. Both operas will have English surtitles. The casts of “Rinaldo” and “Die Fledermaus” consist of University of Houston students. Ross will direct “Rinaldo” and Jenni Rebecca Stephenson, a graduate student in UH’s School of Theatre, will direct “Die Fledermaus.” Peter Jacoby, the Moores Opera Center’s music director, will conduct “Rinaldo.” Philip Moody and Keith Chambers, graduate students in the Moores School of Music, will conduct “Die Fledermaus.”
For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom. |
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