Members of the Flora L. Thornton Opera Program will perform a double bill of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi at Pepperdine University’s Smothers Theatre on Thursday, February 27 and Saturday, February 29, at 7:30 p.m. at the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts.
Tickets, starting at $20 for adults, $16 for Pepperdine faculty and staff, and $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522 or visiting arts.pepperdine.edu.
The Flora Thorton Opera Program showcases its depth and versatility in this double bill. Both operas feature memorable arias such as “When I am laid in earth” and the iconic “O mio babbino caro.” While the styles of these two works are starkly different, both deal with themes of love, death, and personal agency.
Pepperdine’s production of Dido and Aeneas and Gianni Scicchi is directed by Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Opera Keith Colclough.
Colclough directs the all-student cast, which features Bethany Adamski, Noah Archibald, Anahi Casas Perez, Malone Blaich, Anika DeLong, Jack Gerding, Abigail Gast, Brandon Gille, Joe Hebel, Andrea Hupman, Hannah Miller, Luke Oldroyd, Angelo Silva, Nathan Thompson, Emma Ujifusa, Haily Watson, and Kaytlin Withers.
“These works were selected to highlight our wealth of talented students and to celebrate the evolution and variety of style in opera. While both are standard operatic repertoire, they vary drastically in vocal style, orchestration, dramatic pacing, and in the function of the ensemble. This provides a fun challenge for our students and design team. I think they will really shine in these productions.” said Colclough.
Each opera will be sung in their original languages (English for Dido and Aeneas and Italian for Gianni Schicchi).
Dido and Aeneas and Gianni Schicchi, Thursday, February 27, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, February 29, at 7:30 p.m. Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. Tickets available at (310) 506-4522 or arts.pepperdine.edu. $20 for adults, $16 for Pepperdine faculty and staff, $10 for Pepperdine students
Submitted by Tyler Flynn, Marketing and Publicity Manager