OCU OPERAtions presents Recollections, a short performance of three one-act operas, this weekend.
OPERAtions will present two new chamber operas, Angry Birdsong and Benedicta, both by Milton Granger, and a better-known opera, The Face on the Barroom Floor, by Henry Mollicone.
Angry Birdsong is a chamber opera on public speaking, and Benedicta is based on a story by Sarah Braunstein. Mollicone’s opera, The Face on the Barroom Floor, tells two different stories that are separate in time but parallel in characters.
Chamber operas and one-act operas are good for student organizations because they lend themselves to smaller spaces, smaller orchestra, and smaller amounts of props. The OPERAtions production will have minimal costuming, few props and only a piano for accompaniment.
“The whole thing is meant to showcase the performer,” said Cody Bradley, vocal coaching graduate student.
Sunny Gay, musical theater freshman, is cast in Angry Birdsong as “Dulcine,” a shy but reasonable woman who wants to be coached on public speaking. Gay said she enjoys working on the production.
“The cool thing about OCU is that we focus on art songs and musical theater songs, so you get both types of training,” Gay said.
OPERAtions is a student-run organization, and each piece has a student director and music director.
Lucas Tarrant, vocal performance/education senior, directs, and Alfred Meneses, vocal coaching graduate student, music directs both Angry Birdsong and Benedicta. Erick Rivera, vocal performance senior, directs, and Cody Bradley, vocal coaching graduate student, music directs The Face on the Barroom Floor.
Cody Bradley is also the overall producer for the organization and is in charge of choosing the performances.
He said that the combination of a few shorter operas is something OPERAtions has done in the past, but he is looking into other options for future performances.
“I am considering a full one-act opera for next semester,” Bradley said.
Recollections begins at 7 p.m. November 1 and Nov. 3 in the Medium Rehearsal Hall located on the first floor in Wanda L. Bass School of Music. Admission is free.
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