Union University’s Music Department invites those from the Jackson community to enjoy an evening of comedy as they premiere “Opera Workshop: The Telephone & The Old Maid and the Thief” on Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. on the Great Lawn.
The show will consist of two different operas, one for each act. The first will be “The Telephone,” a humorous tale of a man who wants to propose to his love. However, every time he works up the courage to ask, he is interrupted by her picking up the telephone. The second piece, “The Old Maid and the Thief,” is a comedy of errors. An old spinster and her maid take in an overly attractive beggar. Come to find out, a thief has escaped from a local prison. To appease this handsome vagabond, who they think is the thief, the spinster and her maid start stealing and committing illegal deeds. But a twist in the tale might cause neither of them to end up with the charming “convict.”
Sabrina Warren, assistant director of music at Union University, is the director of the “Opera Workshop.” She handpicked the pieces used in the operas to bring an entertaining show to Union’s campus.
“This is what used to surpass entertainment, right?” said Warren. “There was a reason people loved it back then. And I don’t think it’s because they didn’t have television. I think it’s because it was really great stuff, and we’ve just lost that somewhere along the way.”
Although Warren is a veteran at planning operas for Union’s music department, this show involves a lot of firsts.
“I’m excited that it is outside of the box,” Warren said. “As far as I know, in Union’s history, there is no one that has conceptualized an outdoor stage or brought everything outside.”
With help from the theater department, the show will take place on the Great Lawn under the bell tower on a custom-built outdoor stage. Spectators are invited to bring blankets and chairs to sit on to enjoy the opera. Cast members said the audience is welcome to bring dinner or snacks as they watch the show.
“You’ll get to watch the sunset, have some good laughs and listen to some awesome music,” said Kaylen Williams, senior vocal music education major.
Warren said that the cast has been real troopers as they have made adaptations to make this show happen, even though it is outdoors.
“A lot of on campus events have been altered or canceled because of the pandemic,” said Shelby Boggs, senior vocal music education major. “But going to see something musical like an opera, we’re still making that happen.”
While students might be hesitant about coming to an opera, the cast says everyone should come to the show.
“The first thing I would tell someone who is unsure of opera is to not be afraid of opera–it’s fun!” said Boggs. “Our operas are funny and easy to understand.”
Tickets are available online for “Opera Workshop: The Telephone & The Old Maid and the Thief” for Oct. 1 and 2 at 6:30 p.m. and Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. at http://www.uu.edu/theatre/ .
