By Rylie Parkins/ne news editor
Death, adultery, kidnapping and banishment highlight the upcoming opera workshop, King Arthur.
Directed by Colleen Mallette, NE Campus music director, and written by Edwardo Perez, NE Campus music professor, the opera will be performed on three different nights—April 15, 17 and 19, 8-9 p.m. in the NSTU Center Corner on NE Campus.
The opera, based on Tennyson’s “Idylls of the King,” will be sung in both old and modern English.
Perez chose to begin the opera’s story where it would typically end: with King Arthur’s death.
“I think it works well to have Arthur, our hero, die in the first act so that we can bring him back in the second act, which is a nod to Arthurian mythology which suggests that Arthur will return someday,” he said.
“I think the way the final act ends is very dramatic. I don’t want to give it away, but, in terms of the ‘love triangle,’ someone else dies.”
Mallette is excited about the opera’s debut.
“We are having a good time and expect a great crowd,” she said. “This opera has a little bit of everything, and we have some very unique and talented students.”
Perez has similar feelings.
“I’m hoping for a full house every night,” he said. “The students have really worked hard on this opera, and they deserve a big audience. Plus, a large crowd really brings a lot of in-the-moment energy to a performance.”
Perez is also proud of the cast chosen to perform the opera.
“I think our performers have really come together as a cast. Learning a brand new opera isn’t easy, and learning a new one with people you don’t know makes it harder because you don’t have the comfort and trust that comes with familiarity,” he said. “But these kids have really bonded and become a team.”
Admission for the opera is free, and no reservations are required. Children are welcome to attend the event, but parents should be warned of two battle scenes. For more information, call 817-515-6218.
