The UA Opera Theatre will perform “One Night Only: An Annual Evening of Broadway, Pop and Jazz Favorites” on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Paul Houghtaling, director of Opera Theatre and associate professor of voice, first introduced “One Night Only” in April of 2008 as an additional performance opportunity for students. He said this show gives students the chance to use their training in other areas outside of opera and classical music.
“The young artists in the opera program get to show their versatility in music outside of opera,” Houghtaling said. “They get to spread their wings and sing pop and jazz and musical theater, letting their classical training serve a lot of styles.”
One such student is Ibukun Babalola, a junior majoring in vocal performance. This is Babalola’s third year performing in the show, and she said she is looking forward to the experience again this year.
“My favorite part of this performance is sitting on stage with all my colleagues and watching each other perform,” she said. “It’s so intimate. It feels as if we’re just hanging out, sitting around a parlor, singing for and with each other.”
Babalola said she is especially excited for audience members to hear the pop selections in this year’s performance.
“Our audience is used to seeing a lot of musical theatre and a bit of jazz in this show, but I think there will be quite a bit more pop this year than there has been before, and I think the audience will love that,” she said.
While the performance provides opportunity for students, it also provides entertainment for audience members and a gateway into appreciating the world of opera.
“I think this show introduces opera to a lot of our audience who might not be too familiar with it,” Babalola said. “It shows how versatile and accessible opera can be. A lot of my friends who now love opera started coming to opera performances after first coming to a ‘One Night Only.’“
The show isn’t scripted, but simply will feature 25 songs performed back-to-back. The diverse set of music will include songs by big names such as Elton John and John Legend, along with traditional musical theatre pieces by Leonard Bernstein, Lerner and Loewe and new cabaret selections.
“It’s just an endless flow of beautiful sounds and great songs, from the funny to the poignant, from the sublime to the ridiculous,” Houghtaling said. “It’s fun and personal and full of joy, and it’s how we end our season every year.”
The performance will take place in Bryant-Jordan Hall on the Bryce Campus, Tuesday at 7:30p.m. While admission is free, seating is limited, so an early arrival is suggested.
