NATCHITOCHES – The NSU Opera Theater Ensemble will present “A Night at the Opera” on April 4-5 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted to assist the Opera Theater Ensemble in preparing for next season.
The ensemble will perform “The Old Maid and the Thief” by Gian Carlo Menotti along with a variety of student-directed opera and musical theatre scenes by composers including Mozart, Heggie, Sondheim and Verdi. This portion of the program will feature over 20 student performers from the NSU Voice Department.
“The Old Man and the Thief” is one-act opera is jam-packed with gossipy teatime, manipulation and a series of misunderstandings. The story unfolds as a mysterious man, Bob, appears at the back door of Ms. Todd’s home interrupting her weekly teatime with her “frenemy,” Ms. Pinkerton. Laeticia, Ms. Todd’s maid, convinces her to offer the handsome, young stranger room and board for the night. Both women, obsessed with the presence of a man in their home, engage in some “precarious” behavior in hopes that he will stay a while longer, only to find out that there is an escaped convict running loose in their neighborhood. Could Bob be that criminal? If so, how will Ms. Todd and Laeticia deal with him?
Cast members include: Brooke Jones of St. Rose as Ms. Todd, Dorcia Gillam, of Marksville and Lhareen Lazo of Las Piñas City, Philippines, sharing the role of Laeticia, Tyla Stewart of Benton and Clairie Parent of Shreveport sharing the role of Ms. Pinkerton and Joshua Noyola of Irving, Texas, and Nathan Gay of Shreveport sharing the role of Bob. Dr. Robert Cardwell is the director.
Students performing the opera and musical theatre scenes are: Juan Campos, Abbygail Casnave, Gay, Gillam, Audrey Gorum, Aliya Green, Lyle Harriman, Alexander Haynes-Villarreal, Jones and Lazo, Also performing are Torin Merchant, Jeremiah McKinney, Haleigh Miller, Luke Niedens, Noyola, Parent, Gabriel Polo, Stewart, Leah Thompson, Khuyen Tran, Phillip Voorhees and Kat Wilkinson.
