A pair of bridal-themed one-act operas will be featured in UNLV Opera’s Nov. 12-13 performances in Dr. Arturo Rando-Grillot Recital Hall. Dr. Linda Lister, winner of the 2014 American Prize for Directing, directs the double bill.
Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury tells the story of abandoned bride Angelina (Heather Elise and Olivera Gjorgoska) who takes her groom (Gianni Becker and Alex Price) to court. The Learned Judge is played by Phillip Harris and Christopher Withrow, while Christophe Kennedy sings the Usher, Rabuel Aviles is the Counsel to the Plaintiff, and Jesse Law is the Foreman. Barry Abarquez, Daveon Bolden, and Kurt Sedlmeir serve on the jury, while Angelina’s bridesmaids are Kelly Hawes, Dawn McCollum, Crystal Miller, and Jasmine Walker. Pianist Jae Ahn-Benton and Assistant Director Bonita Bunt round out the student production staff for this Savoyard endeavor.
The Gilbert and Sullivan will be joined by Dan Shore. Based on a Danish play by Ludvig Holberg, Shore’s The Beautiful Bridegroom is a charming neo-classical pastiche piece with an amusing plot twist. Widow Terentia (Nichole Jarlson) seeks help from matchmaker Madame Kirsten (Eliysheba Anderson and Breanna Lesure), ostensibly for her daughters Laurentia (Bethany Smith) and Leonora (Lacy Burchfield). The plot thickens, thanks to the machinations of their sassy maid Pernille (Bonita Bunt) and the arrival of the beautiful bridegroom himself, Captain von Frauenliebe (Maia Thielen and Nicole Thomas). Paying delightful homage to Mozart, Schumann, Strauss and others, Shore’s music and libretto won the 2009 National Opera Association Chamber Opera Competition. Faustino Solis conducts the instrumental ensemble while Aldo Perrelli serves as Assistant Director. Composer Dan Shore will be an Artist-in-Residence at UNLV during production week, giving students the important opportunity to work with a living operatic composer.
Ticket Information
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 12 and 13. Tickets are $10; $8 for military/seniors/UNLV faculty and staff; and free with Student ID. For tickets, contact the UNLV or call 702-895-ARTS (2787).
