Opera. What comes to mind? Women in horned hats and metal chest pieces? An aloof phantom that kidnaps you and tries to make you fall in love with him by showing you a reflection of yourself in a wedding dress?
I know, romantic right?
Opera can seem foreign, outdated, and even downright boring to most of the general population. It is a genre of music you either love or hate. However, Union University’s music department is looking to change that perception.
“I want people to be able to relate to opera,” said Sabrina Warren, assistant professor of music and head of the opera workshop here on campus. Last week, the music department presented “Gallantry”, an opera by Douglas Moore, in hopes of accomplishing Warren’s goal of changing the negative stigma that surrounds the musical genre.
The show, which was performed in Hartley Recital Hall in Jennings on April 12 and 13 with two separate casts, was a comedy about the partnership of Dr. Gregg (Michael Penny and Richard Kidd), a surgeon, and Lola Markham (Shelby Morris and Kaylen Williams), a nurse. Dr. Gregg is “smitten” with Lola, who is engaged to be married and uninterested in Gregg. However, tensions rise when a small altercation takes place between the two when Gregg tries to kiss Lola against her will. Soon after, Lola’s fiancé, Donald Hopewell (Cameron Smith), is admitted into the hospital to get his ruptured appendix removed, and Gregg, being his surgeon, attempts to murder Donald while he is under anesthesia. Luckily, Lola stops Gregg, and chases him out of the room, rescuing her soon-to-be husband.
Overall, the piece was very impressive. At any given moment during the Thursday night performance, you could have caught me with my jaw to the floor from the stunning vocals of Morris and Smith. I was very impressed with the talent that was displayed vocally from the cast of this show, easily forgetting that I was in Jennings Hall and not at the Nashville Opera. Also, my preconceived notions that the act was going to be boring and uninteresting quickly faded as I realized the show would consist of hilarious, satirical situations. Lastly, the spectacle only ran for about 45 minutes, allowing the novice operatic to get just enough of a taste of the genre without overdoing it. It was a very enjoyable experience.
“I hope the audience had a good time, and took away an appreciation for opera,” explained Shelby Morris, freshman music education major. “Not everyone likes opera, so hopefully this show brought some people into it.”
Indeed, it has. I will be sure to try and catch the next performance the Union University music department.
