The Wanda L. Bass School of Music opened the first opera of the semester.
“The Consul,” by Gian Carlo Menotti, performed 8 p.m. March 8-9. The show is about a woman attempting to emigrate out of an unknown country controlled by a totalitarian government.
Karen Miller, assistant director of opera and musical theater, is the director of the production. She said the show is a testament to those who lost loved ones during World War II in much of Europe.
“It is inspired by the displaced peoples after World War II,” Miller said. “The score is set during the rise of the Iron Curtain which made travel extremely difficult for many.”
The Iron Curtain was the name given to the border between the former Soviet Union and Europe. Most famously, it included the Berlin Wall, which split Germany in half.
Miller said this plot is extremely timely because those seeking refuge in the U.S. are often turned away. She said the opera is nearly 70 years old and is still impactful and poignant.
She said the opera paints a vivid picture of what many go through around the world in search of a better life for themselves and their loved ones.
“We are experiencing this flood of people looking for home right now,” Miller said. “‘The Consul’ is the story of struggles so many sadly go through in the search of a safe place to call home.”
Miller said producing the opera took a lot of hard work but proved to be enjoyable. She said she feels confident in her cast and staff, having worked through scheduling difficulties and the difficult subject matter of the piece.
“I’m proud of the production and where it has come,” Miller said. “We have really risen to the challenge.”
Rafe McConnell, vocal performance sophomore, played “Nika Magadoff” in the show. McConnell said the rehearsal process was intense but enjoyable.
“We rapidly got the basics of the staging down, McConnell said. “We then fine-tuned each element, from little gestures to emotional motives of our characters.”
McConnell said Nika is an outspoken magician whose playful nature is a refreshing contrast to the gloomy plot.
“At first, it was difficult to understand the pompous and jovial character’s place in a show that is so melancholy,” McConnell said. “As artists, we try to cheer people up and make the best out of any situation, even when we may be suffering ourselves.” “The Consul” livestreamed at 8 p.m. March 8-9 from the Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center.
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