Elizabeth Aversa, professor emerita, is an opera theater volunteer and a founding member of the Opera Guild, a group whose purpose is to support and raise awareness for opera and the opera theater program. She said the University’s opera program is open to students of all majors.
“I know that there have been singers who majored in other fields such as communications and marketing, to name just a few,” Aversa said. “And of course we welcome volunteers from all disciplines.”
The opera program’s most recent production was W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan’s 1881 operetta, “Patience.” Nicholas Szoeke, a first-year masters student studying vocal performance, played the lead role, Reginald Bunthorne. Szoeke is a member of the UA opera program. He said he learned about the program when he met Paul Houghtaling, associate professor of voice and and director of opera theatre at the University at a National Opera Association convention.
“I decided to attend the Druid City Opera Workshop held at the University in spring 2013,” he said. “I really enjoyed the program and loved working with Dr. Houghtaling, so I decided to audition for graduate school here, and then ultimately decided to make the UA Opera Theatre my home. Being in the opera program is a truly rewarding experience. Every day I am surrounded by talented, passionate and hardworking musicians.”
Szoeke said the rehearsal process behind “Patience” was exhaustive but rewarding. The semester began with a read through of the full score, and the next three weeks followed with musical rehearsals and coaching and the group being split into two separate casts. Each consecutive week followed the learning of each new act in the piece.
Though opera is seen to be an antiquated art form, both Szoeke and Aversa said it’s as timely as any other medium.
“Opera tells a story in ways that most other art forms can’t,” Szoeke said. “Opera can be such a dramatic and intense experience but yet so relatable to everyday life.”
The next UA Opera performance will be Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Performances will be March 6 and 8 in spring 2015. To join the Opera Guild, contact Aversa for an application, or see the group’s website at uaoperaguild.org.
