By Rachel Morse, Staff Writer
One professor said he’s directing an opera which people will never tire of.
Students will perform in Tales of Hoffman, the university’s mainstage opera for Spring 2012, said Dr. David Herendeen, director of opera and music theater.
The show will be at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center. Student tickets are half price.
“This is sort of a mind-bending story of an artist, sort of an un-Valentine’s day opera,” he said.
The story follows Hoffman—an acclaimed artist, who is pursued by the Devil—and the three loves of his life, Herendeen said.
Hoffman is unable to defend himself against the Devil.
“Have you ever had a devil of a day?” he said. “Well, not as bad as Hoffman.”
The story develops similarly to the Harry Potter “Pensive,” with Hoffman watching his past while it unfolds before him, Herendeen said.
“I’m positive my audience my audience will understand that,” he said.
The story begins with Hoffman’s first love, Olympia, who resembles the 1959 Barbie, Herendeen said. Hoffman admires her from afar, but doesn’t see who she really is.
His next love, Antonia, is the fragile daughter of a 1989 rock singer. It’s “totally sick” how the Devil interferes with this love, he said.
Hoffman’s third love, Giulietta, is a 1969-based courtesan, who works with the Devil to turn Hoffman into a fool.
The protagonist eventually collapses on the floor, Herendeen said. Hoffman is so enthralled with his art that he doesn’t realize his next love is standing behind him.
The show is double-cast, with a former and present-day Hoffman. Daniel Price, vocal performance junior, Colin Anderson, music theater senior, Gage Hermann, vocal performance senior, and John Richie, vocal performance senior, will perform the four “Hoffmans.”
Mary Beth Nelson, vocal performance sophomore, said the originality of the piece is what draws her to the show.
“It’s super exciting and such an honor to be in a production that has never been done before and has such an incredible cast,” she said.
The tragedy was cut down to two hours, and is one of the more accessible French operas, Herendeen said. It also will be entered into the National Opera Association Competition, which the university won last year in their division.
“It’s really ridiculous the talent that we have at this school,” he said. “The students are just amazing.”
For more information, contact the box office at (405) 208-5227.
