“One Night Only,” a performance presented by the department of opera theatre, will feature a different blend of music than usual Tuesday night at the Moody Music Building.
“It’s an annual evening we do every year which has punk and jazz favorites,” said Paul Houghtaling, assistant professor of voice and director of opera theatre. “It’s a cabaret environment with tables and wine glasses filled with grape juice and all that.”
This year will mark the performance’s sixth year in production. This event allows opera students to break from the traditional classical music and move their repertoire into more modern times.
“It’s a lot of songs from standard American song books to jazz to a little bit of Adele, as well as Carrie Underwood,” Houghtaling said.
The Adele and Carrie Underwood songs will be performed in the mash-up sung by Jessie Echeverria, a sophomore majoring in vocal performance, and Preston Thompson, a sophomore majoring in music administration.
While Thompson is not an opera student, he said that’s what makes this event different.
“I’m allowed to do it,” Thompson said. “I’m not technically in the opera program, but Dr. Houghtaling allows his opera students to bring [in] duet partners if they want.”
Echeverria said this duet is a combination of the two songs “Blown Away” by Carrie Underwood and “Skyfall” by Adele.
“The atmosphere for this event is different from our other events because we’re not singing classical music,” Echeverria said. “It’s much more intimate.”
This is Echeverria’s first time being featured in “One Night Only,” but for some it’s becoming a tradition. For Heather Jaques, a second year graduate student studying vocal performance, this is her second time performing at the event.
“I will be performing ‘Spark of Creation’ from Children of Eden,” Jaques said. “I’ve been preparing this since spring break.”
Among this year’s guest performers will be Tom Robinson of the School of Music who has previous experience in pop and jazz piano styles.
“This is a very imitate setting and it sells out fast,” Houghtaling said. “It’s a chance for students to show their versatility and their artistry in a repertoire that’s not opera. They’ve been working on this for a month and they choose stuff that they already know or that they’ve always wanted to sing. We have one rehearsal and then the performance.”
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