What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1387160
www.malco.com www.malco.com www.malco.com www.malco.com www.malco.com 4 WHAT'S UP! JUNE 27-JULY 3, 2021 The effectiveness of training received at Opera in the Ozarks has been demonstrated many times over by the successes by alumni in their opera careers. Many have sung on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera company as well as opera companies in Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Houston, Switzerland and Germany. (Courtesy Photo/OiO) needed walls that went from floor to ceiling, not just part of the way. Fans with UVC lights were purchased for the dining hall and rehearsal hall to clean the air. UVC units were added to all the air conditioning systems. And portable UVC units cleanse each dorm room each week. When the students and faculty arrived for the nine-week rehearsal and performance period, they came with covid-19 tests in hand, Preis says, and quarantined for a week. At the end of the week, everyone was tested again. And those who are on campus are asked to stay on campus. "Anybody who has left campus to go to Walmart or whatever has to get tested again," Preis says. "We've asked our kids not to go into town, not to go to the coffee shop or to the bars. They can run, they can go to the lake, they can do drive-through pickups or curbside at Walmart and Target, but we're trying to keep them out of public crowds. So far, so good." The result of all this mandated caution is that a cast of 35 singers and 13 orchestra members will be able to present 19 staged and costumed live opera performances this summer in a season Opera in the Ozarks is calling "Tying the Knot." The repertoire includes Massenet's "Cendrillon," the retelling of Cinderella with what Preis calls equal parts madcap comedy and heartfelt romance; Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," the tragic tale of the bride of Lammermoor; and an abridged family version of Mozart's fantastical yarn "The Magic Flute" with an environmental twist. Opera in the Ozarks Artistic COVER STORY Opera Continued From Page 3 Director Tom Cockrell says the return to the stage will be especially enjoyable after canceling the 2020 season due to the coronavirus. "Our engagement has been extended for a year, but we are now 'Tying the Knot,' and the wait will make the musical nuptials all the sweeter," Cockrell says. "At long last, Cendrillon will get her Prince Charming, Pamina her Tamino, Papagena her Papageno and Lucia, well, Arturo — but it is complicated because she kills him on their wedding night. After all, love is at the heart of opera — even when that heart is stabbed by an unhinged soprano." The season opens July 2 with "Lucia di Lammermoor," which will continue on selected nights in repertoire with "Cendrillon." "The Magic Flute," an Opera in the Ozarks original adapted by stage director Robert Swedborg, is intended to introduce children and the young at heart to some of the best tunes from the opera, wrapped in all the colorful costumes and scenery of a full production. In addition, two special performances are planned: July 17 — Crazy Mixed Up Opera: What would happen if Lucia attended Prince Charming's ball? Could Cinderella's fairy godmother make Lucia's brother let her marry the man she loves? Crazy Mixed-Up Opera is a hilarious mash-up of the season's two mainstage operas. July 21 — Scenes: Opera & Broadway: The 2021 singing artists stretch their craft with staging and performing several short scenes from opera and Broadway. Fans of Opera in the Ozarks are also invited to an engagement party for Lucia at 2 p.m. June 27. Preis says the preview event is free. "We are so excited to be returning to the stage," Preis says. "While this season is a bit shorter than we usually do, what will be on stage is the same glorious music and dramatic entertainment we've been producing for more than 70 years." Artist Snapshots Anna Montgomery Anna Montgomery is one of two sopranos singing the role of Cinderella in Jules Massenet's "Cendrillon." From Boulder, Colo., she has a Bachelor's of Music in Vocal Performance with a German minor from the University of Houston; a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Michigan State University; and is pursuing an Artist Diploma in Vocal Performance at the University of Colorado. Montgomery says she grew up singing in church choirs, then joined the Colorado Children's Chorale. "In middle school, I had the opportunity to perform with Opera Colorado," she FAQ Opera in the Ozarks WHEN — 7:30 p.m. most days July 2-23 WHERE — Inspiration Point Fine Arts Theater, 16311 U.S. 62 West, Eureka Springs COST — $10-$30 INFO — 253-8595, opera.org COVID — Masks and social distancing are required for audience members. Montgomery See Opera Page 38