Theatre--Review (UL Opera Theater and The Compound)

I attended the opening night of the very fine new musical entitled Grand Pre’, by Cody Daigle and Roy Bertucci. The theme is the times leading up to the deportation of the Acadians. This writing is at the request for a musician’s take on the show. I can not, however, proceed without recognizing the other aspects of the show. I will preface by stating the fact that “less is more” pervaded this production. Shawn Roy’s direction was impeccable: the staging, blocking, lighting, props, everything manifested the epitome of professionalism, as is his hallmark. Musically, the melodies and harmonies of the songs of Daigle and Bertucci beautifully reflected the primary emotions and themes of the show, including pastoral bliss, love, family disagreements, fear, loyalty, and such. Shawn Roy’s props and sets were minimal, but ample for the purposes. The costumes were period appropriate and aptly down-played, except for the British soldiers’ and officers’  uniforms, which were correctly extravagant. The singer/actors were spot on professional in their musical delivery and spoken emotional projection. Never was there an ego which called attention away from the task at hand. Music director and orchestrator, David Boudreaux, “brought the music to life,” as stated by both Daigle and Bertucci. With only one violin, cello, bass, flute, clarinet, guitar, piano, and percussionist, his arrangements sparkled and stirred with flurries of motifs and appropriate support for, and echoing of the songs’ melodies. I was intrigued at how such a small ensemble seemed to project the aural image of a much larger group. Especially notable is the fact that, as well-crafted as the orchestration was, it never overstepped the bounds of its function. In summary, I recommend attending the show as a delight for the eyes, ears and mind. And don’t forget the Kleenex.
---Kurt David Boudreaux


(Editor's note:  Kurt is a very well known and well respected musician in Lafayette, with a Master of Music degree from UL.  He is also the father of David Boudreaux, the music director and orchestrator for Grand Pre.)

Theatre--Review (UL-Opera Theater and The Compound)

One of the greatest privileges of my life has been to witness multiple productions of a show and to marvel—or regret—at the changes made from one venue to another. In 2006 I soaked in the treasures of the British version of Mary Poppins with its quirky song “Temper, Temper,” where all of Jane and Michael’s toys come to life, put the kids on trial, and then threaten them with execution. When I succumbed to the 2010 American version in New York City, the song was replaced with the tepid “Playing the Game,” and I felt the production suffered considerably. I was shocked to find a touring production of Cabaret in Lafayette, Louisiana, far out-shone an off-kilter, disjointed West End production in London! The changes made in Sunset Boulevard as it traveled from the UK to the US made a lackluster play crackle with life. And now, I can add Grand Pré to the list of productions I’ve re-visited; it was akin to rejoining an old friend reflecting on the good old days, and while my memory isn’t what it used to be, the affinity was there. It was a lovely evening of beautiful music highlighting one of the most significant Diasporas of the eighteenth century.

Grand Pré marked its debut in 2005 as part of the 250th anniversary of the Acadians’ deportation from Nova Scotia to all parts of the globe, including my hometown of St. Martinville, made famous by Longfellow’s poem Evangeline. Cody Daigle and Roy Bertucci created the score, which in 2005 was taped, but has been lovingly expanded for an eight-member orchestra. I wish I could remember the original production more clearly, but part of me is grateful for I feel I can judge this production on its own without too many comparisons to the original. People wishing to catch this poignant production can see the show beginning Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, March 8th, 9th, and 10th at 7:30 pm and Sunday, March 11th at 3:00 pm in Angelle Hall at UL.

The music forms the heart of this play, as it does in most musicals, and the opening act sets the tone. The opening song Grand Pré judiciously paints the portrait of a village on the eve of destruction, where British demands for loyalty will result in deportation for the citizens. Two families, the LeBlancs (pure-blooded Acadians), and the Johnsons (Thom, a Brit, married Alice, a sister to the LeBlanc family), exist side-by-side on the stage, but their children Cecile and Allain have fallen in love in a most Romeo-and-Juliet fashion. Their playful courtship and their interactions with nine-year old Isabelle LeBlanc, provide a welcome respite from the overwhelming sadness of the entire play. No sooner have bridal topics arisen then British Major Charles Lawrence has ordered the deportation of the Acadians who chose neutrality in the latest war between the British and the French. The entire second act bears out the fruits of that fateful decision, which would have such a tremendous impact on the Acadiana area here in southern Louisiana.

Nostalgia also played a part in my watching this production because two seasoned UL performers are preparing to graduate. I had the privilege of teaching Jenee Luquette in her senior year in high school, and I have seen her in previous UL productions. She played Cecile LeBlanc with a genuine innocence and a heartfelt pain on losing both her home and her potential beau. Though I did not teach her, Alexandra Hollerman also attended Lafayette High where I saw her in a stunning production of Guys and Dolls. With her simple cap and lack of makeup, I hardly recognized the girl who once played the glamorous Miss Adelaide. She convincingly disappeared into the forlorn mother Helene, who protects her two daughters while simultaneously disapproving of her sister Alice’s marriage to a British soldier. I will be sad to watch them leave.

The cast on the whole performed their parts with sincerity and without affectation. Both Jonah Slason as Louis LeBlanc and Garret Guidry as Thom Johnson provided the necessary empathy to make the families believable and accessible to the audience. Slason and Hollerman particularly had good chemistry in their opening scenes where they watched their children play through a window, all the while fearing that tragedy was closing in on them. Jay Broussard has an earnestness about him that made us understand why Cecile would simultaneously love him and be exasperated with him for his obliviousness to the dangers around them. His duets with Ms. Luquette were touching and nicely directed by Shawn Roy for maximum effect. Sadie Bekurs, the youngest LeBlanc child, thankfully plays the pre-teen perfectly, making no attempt to steal scenes. And Aren Chaisson as John Winslow, the only non-singing role in the play, does well with this new character that provides a better flow for the information that follows.

Oddly enough two characters always stay in my mind with this play, Marie Barillot and Charles Lawrence. Both in 2005 and now seven years later, my first impression of this deluded woman was that she did not fit well into the production. As I listened more carefully to her words this second time, I saw a parallel between the abject loneliness she feels at the loss of her husband, and the agony that will soon befall Grand Pré and its citizens. It was the perfect counterpart made even better by the sympathetic performance by Shelby Runyan, though I would have liked to see more bitterness in her when she sees the young lovers and she utters, “You think love will save you.” When she sings of “searching for something lost,” she speaks for the whole Acadian people as their lives were viciously uprooted all in the cause of loyalty. Charles Lawrence, the Lieutenant Governor who approved the deportation orders, is a tricky character, both pompous and yet not unfeeling. Holden Greene has a gorgeous tenor voice that probably needs no microphone, but he needs to develop his acting skills more sufficiently. When Lawrence laments briefly whether people will revile his name centuries hence, Greene had a moment to remind us of the character’s humanity, and he did not fully grasp it. At times, it was also difficult to understand some of the characters, who need to enunciate more clearly for the audience to better appreciate Cody Daigle’s thoughtful book.

The scene that still reverberates for me and for all my friends who sat near me was in the second act. Garrett Guidry, as a British soldier, has been able to arrange for an escape for his wife Alice and his son Allain, but only if they leave immediately. Until then, both Guidry and Tessa Espinosa as Alice had been playing serviceable if not particularly memorable characters, but that all changed with the song “Stay.” As they stood in their home, he begging her to leave, she begging him to stay, the gut-wrenching truth of the entire play was writ large across their faces. The tragic uprooting of an entire people was captured in that one moment, that perfect harmony of musical magic, gifted acting, and the perfect words. I heard my friend behind me say, “That was lovely.” I wholeheartedly agree.
---Vincent P. Barras


As noted, Grand Pre opens at 7:30 Thursday, March 8th at Angelle Hall and will run through March 11th.  Friday and saturday performances will be at 7:30 and the Sunday matinee will begin at 3:00.  For more information, call 482-6012.

Theatre--Performance (Musical theatre)

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

UL Opera Theatre and The Compound are pleased to announce their collaboration on an exciting spring production: a revival of GRAND PRÉ, a musical by local playwright Cody Daigle and local composer Roy Bertucci.

In 1755, British military at Grand Pré, Nova Scotia, began a forced removal of all Acadian civilians, sending them on boats to other corners of the world. This removal would cast the Acadian people out of their homeland, tear apart families, and force the Acadians to resettle in ports all along the Eastern Seaboard, finally settling in Louisiana after many years of travel.

GRAND PRÉ musicalizes the beginning of the “Great Removal,” set against the story of a family already at war with itself. As the LeBlanc family struggles to accept the inclusion of a British solider to their family by marriage, forces in the outside world move to dismantle the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia for good. GRAND PRÉ is a musical about a moment of sweeping historical change, the human cost of history and the price we pay for loyalty.

Originally commissioned in 2005 by the Acadian Cultural Center and Cite des Arts, GRAND PRÉ was first produced in 2005. This version of GRAND PRÉ is a significantly revised version of the original show, containing an overhauled book, a new character and a new musical number.

GRAND PRÉ features performances by Jonah Slason (Louis), Alexandra Hollerman (Helene), Jenee Luquette (Cecile), Sadie Bekurs (Isabelle), Garrett Guidry (Thom), Tessa Espinosa (Alice), Jay Broussard (Allain), Shelby Runyan (Barillot), Aren Chaisson (John Winslow), and Holden Greene (Charles Lawrence).
Shawn Roy directs this new production with David Boudreaux supplying musical direction and new orchestrations. Duncan Thistlethwaite (scenic design) and Gina Baronne (costume design) round out the artistic team.

GRAND PRÉ marks a unique collaboration between two local producing agencies. UL Opera Theatre has supplied Acadiana with top-notch musical offerings for several years (including last year’s exciting THE MIKADO and THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD), and The Compound is one of the area’s newest companies, having scored a major success with their workshop production of the new play WILLIAM AND JUDITH.

This collaboration brings together two exciting companies in an effort to bring a new musical to life.

GRAND PRÉ will run March 8-11 at the Ducrest-Gilfrey Auditorium at Angelle Hall on the U: Campus. Curtain on Thursday, Friday and Saturday is 7:30 p.m. The Sunday matinee curtain is at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door.  There will also be a free school show on March 9th at 10 am.

For more information, call 482-6012.

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

The UL Opera Theater auditions for Grand Pre will be held tomorrow (December 8th) from 5 to 8 at the Ducrest-Gilfry Auditorium at Angelle Hall.

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

Open auditions for the UL Lafayette Opera Theater's spring production of Cody Daigle and Roy Bertucci's musical, Grand Pre will be held in the Auditorium at Angelle Hall on the UL-Lafayette campus on Thursday, December 8th from 5 pm until 8 pm. Production dates are March 8 - 11, 2012. Bring a musical theatre selection and you will cold read from the script. Rehearsals are Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays from 5:30 - 8:30PM and Fridays from 2:30 - 5:30 PM starting January 4.

Theatre--Auditions (Musical Theatre)

THE UL LAFAYETTE OPERA THEATER

Will be holding auditions

for its spring 2012 production of

GRAND PRE´

By Cody Daigle and Roy Bertucci

Auditions will be on December 8 starting at 5PM

In the Ducrest-Gilfry Auditorium

The show contains roles for 5 women and 5 men

Production dates are March 8 – 11, 2012

Please bring a musical theatre selection for the audition.

You may be also asked to read.  

Good composers to consider are:

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Flaherty

Adam Guettel Jason Robert Brown

Ricky Ian Gordon William Finn

Rehearsals will begin on January 4 and rehearsals will be Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays Evenings. 

Call Shawn Roy at 482-5939 for more information.

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

Theatre--Performance (Musical Theatre)

The UL Lafayette Opera Theater, under the direction of Shawn Roy, will present a fall production entitled Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The production will take place in Burke Theatre on the UL Lafayette campus on November 3, 4 and 5 at 7:30PM and November 6 at 3:00PM. Admission for the musical is $10 for the general public and free for UL Lafayette Students, Faculty and Staff. There is also a reduced price of $5 for other students with appropriate I.D. The show features songs by one of the greatest songwriting team of the American Musical Theatre, but placed in a contemporary setting. It gives the performers and the audience a chance to listen to these songs with a fresh ear and opens up a new world for younger audiences who may not know these treasures from the Golden Age of Broadway.

The show boasts a small cast of seven young talented UL Lafayette voice students and the musical director for the show is David Boudreaux, an alumnus of the School of Music who recently received his Masters Degree from New York University. Set design is by Duncan Thislethwaite and Lighting Design is by
Ken Harrelson.

Tickets are available at the door only and for more information about the show, please call the School of Music and Performing Arts at 337-482-6012.

Theatre--Review (UL-Lafayette Opera Theater)

Ray Blum reviewed the UL-Lafayette Opera Theater's production of The Mikado in the Friday, April 29th edition of the Daily Advertiser.

Opera--Review

Why beat around the bush? This Mikado was a unadulterated delight.  The UL Opera Theater's production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado ended an all-too-short weekend run last Saturday, and for those who missed the show, here's an admonition: you missed one of the best shows Acadiana has seen in a long while.


This classically goofy operetta from the G&S canon is chock full of gooey romantic ballads, silly plot tangles, some broad characterizations, and a topsy-turvy plot that takes almost two and a half hours to finally unwind itself. The show requires some great singing, of course -- it's operetta -- but it also requires some deft comic acting as well. It's a challenging piece to sell to a modern audience weaned on romantic comedy a la the antics on "Jersey Shore." 


But what a joy this Mikado was.

Under the direction of Shawn Roy -- and aided in big ways by Kenneth Jenkins' choreography and Duncan Thistlethwaite's set -- this "Mikado" was a spirited and often laugh-out-loud funny rendering of the 19th century piece. The show never pandered as it reached for the laugh (well almost never pandered -- a second act lyric change that riffed on UL professors seemed a little heavy-handed), but song after song the production scored some terrific comic moments and even a few touching ones.

The show's beating heart was the pair of lovers, Nanki Poo and Yum Yum. As Nanki Poo, Holden Greene was a big-voiced romantic lead and acquitted himself well. (I look forward to seeing Greene develop a bit more confidence as an actor; the book scenes seemed to chip his confidence away a little.) And as Yum Yum, Jenee Luquette (the Yum Yum at the performance I saw) was sweet-voiced and lovely. The two made much with their straightforward romantic material, and gave the show a sturdy foundation.

The bigger impressions performance-wise were made by a trio around the lovers. As Pooh Bah, Miguel Ochoa was a slinking, slithering delight. As Pitti Sing, Alex Hollerman displayed the same comic chops that made
her so memorable in Too Many Sopranos and I was impressed with what a big impression she made in a smaller role. And Lindsay Leblanc as Katisha was a whole lot of brassy-voiced fun.

But I went away singing the praises of Jonah Slason, who essayed the role of Ko Ko, the reluctant executioner. Slason's performance was a blazing comic delight -- physically committed, beautifully-timed and simply funny. This kid's got that ineffable "it," and I cannot wait to see him in something new.

When a show works this well, it's easy to credit the performers with carrying the weight of that success. But I have to give the biggest kudos to the show's production team. Roy proves again and again that he's the area's best director for the stage: his shows are smart, kinetic, fun and impeccably staged. Kenneth Jenkins reminded me just how clever and funny movement can be when done with an expert hand. And the pared-down elegance of Duncan Thistlethwaite's set was a perfect complement for the pageantry of the show. And the Mikado's entrance was a clever piece of staging that showed off all three men's skill and flair for the theatrical.

How good was this show? I'm still thinking about it -- the moments I loved, the little bits of staging that made me smile, the subtle scenic changes that made huge impacts, the songs, the jokes, the energy coming off the stage.

That doesn't happen very often. This show was a delight. And next time UL Lafayette Opera Theater mounts a show, make sure you do whatever you can to see it.
--- CODY DAIGLE


Website: www.codydaiglewrites.com
Facebook: Cody Daigle Writes Stuff
Twitter: @CodyDaigle

Opera--Article

An article by Cody Daigle about the UL-Lafayette Opera Theater production of The Mikado appears in the Daily Advertiser.

Opera--Performance

The UL Lafayette Opera Theater in collaboration with the UL Lafayette Wind Ensemble will present the operetta,  The Mikado, by Gilbert and Sullivan.

The performances will take place on Thursday, April 14 at 7:30PM, Friday, April 15 at 7:30PM and Saturday, April 16 at 2:00PM.  There will also be an educational performance on Friday morning, April 15 for school children.  The performances will take place in Ducrest-Gilfry Auditorium in Angelle Hall on the UL Lafayette campus.

Tickets are available at the door only and are $10 for the general public and free for UL Lafayette students, faculty, staff and members of the UL Lafayette Opera Guild.  For more information about the performances, call the School of Music and Performing Arts at 337-482-6012.
 
The operetta is considered to be Gilbert and Sullivan’s finest work and revolves around a small town in Japan called Titipu.  As is all of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas, the situation is comic and many plot twists and turns occur during the evening.  The show is suitable for all ages.  The show is being directed by Shawn Roy and conducted by Dr. William Hochkeppel with 24 members of the Wind Ensemble.  Sets are by Duncan Thistlethwaite, Lighting Design by Ken Harrelson, Choregraphy is by Kenneth Jenkins and Costumes are being provided by Malabar Costume Rental in Canada.  

Opera--Performance

The UL Lafayette Opera Theater in collaboration with the UL Lafayette Wind Ensemble will present the operetta,  The Mikado, by Gilbert and Sullivan.

The performances will take place on Thursday, April 14 at 7:30PM, Friday, April 15 at 7:30PM and Saturday, April 16 at 2:00PM.  There will also be an educational performance on Friday morning, April 15 for school children.  The performances will take place in Ducrest-Gilfry Auditorium in Angelle Hall on the UL Lafayette campus.

Tickets are available at the door only and are $10 for the general public and free for UL Lafayette students, faculty, staff and members of the UL Lafayette Opera Guild.  For more information about the performances, call the School of Music and Performing Arts at 337-482-6012.

The operetta is considered to be Gilbert and Sullivan’s finest work and revolves around a small town in Japan called Titipu.  As is all of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas, the situation is comic and many plot twists and turns occur during the evening.  The show is suitable for all ages.  The show is being directed by Shawn Roy and conducted by Dr. William Hochkeppel with 24 members of the Wind Ensemble.  Sets are by Duncan Thistlethwaite, Lighting Design by Ken Harrelson, Choregraphy is by Kenneth Jenkins and Costumes are being provided by Malabar Costume Rental in Canada.  

Jennifer Andrews, Meghin Taylor and Alex Hollerman 

(Photo by Josh Coen)

Jennifer Andrews, Meghin Taylor and Alex Hollerman

(Photo by Josh Coen)

Opera--Performance

The UL-Lafayette Opera Theater is in rehearsal for its next production, Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado.  Director Shawn Roy has released the cast list:

The Mikado of Japan       Brian Taylor (Director of Marching 
                                                 Bands at UL Lafayette)

Nanki Poo                           Holden Greene

Yum Yum                           Jenee Luquette and Meghin Taylor

Ko Ko                                   Jonah Slason

Katisha                                Lindsay LeBlanc

Poo Bah                               Miguel Ochoa

Pitti Sing                             Alex Hollerman

Peep Bo                              Jennifer Andrews and Tessa Espinosa

Pish Tush                           Jared Price and Cordario Webb

The Mikado will run April 14th through the 16th.  There will be a free morning show for students on Friday, April 15th.  For more information, contact Shawn Roy at shawnroy@hotmail.com.

Opera--Auditions

The UL Lafayette Opera Theater will hold auditions for its spring production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta, The Mikado.  The auditions will take place in Angelle Hall (room TBA) on January 14th beginning at 3 pm.    Appropriate audition material would be any song by Gilbert and Sullivan, a light operatic aria, or a classic, lyric musical theatre piece.  Try to keep it comic if possible. 

Auditioners may also be asked to do a cold reading.

 

Rehearsals will be Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 – 8 pm with 4 performances from April 14th through the 16th in Ducrest-Gilfry Auditorium in Angelle Hall on the UL Lafayette campus. 

 

The cast have 5 females and 5 males with a chorus.  The role of the Mikado is pre-cast.

 

Cast Breakdown:

 

The Mikado, bass

Nanki Poo,  tenor

Yum Yum, soprano

Koko, baritone (Patter role)

Katisha, mezzo or contralto

Poo Bah,  baritone or bass

Pish Tush, baritone or bass

Peep Bo,  soprano or mezzo

Pitti Sing,  mezzo

 

 

Contact Shawn Roy at 482-5939 or srr3023@louisiana.edu for more information about the auditions or performances.

 

The operetta is being accompanied by the UL Lafayette Wind Ensemble conducted by Dr. William Hochkeppel.  The show is being directed by Shawn Roy and choreographed by Kenneth Jenkins.  Sets are by Duncan Thistlethwaite and Lighting Design by Ken Harrelson.  Costumes are by Malabar Costume rental, Inc. 

Opera--Review (UL-Lafayette Opera Theatre)

For a soprano, getting to Heaven means going through Hell.

At least that's the idea in Too Many Sopranos, an affectionate send-up of opera, produced by the UL Opera Theater.

Edwin  Penhorwood's Too Many Sopranos sends four opera divas to Heaven – each a particular brand of opera soprano ripe for parody – and serves them one final injustice: they must audition for a spot in Heaven because there are too many sopranos and not enough tenors in basses upstairs. The foursome reluctantly audition, and when St. Peter is unable to decide who stays, the angel Gabriel gives the ladies an out. If they travel to Hell and perform a selfless act, they can bring as many male singers to Heaven as they want, ensuring their places in the forever after. The ladies agree, descend to Hell and make a go of it.

Everything works out in the end – this is a comic opera, after all, and tears aren't the business of the day. But Too Many Sopranos has more on its mind.  Sopranos is a playful introduction to opera as a medium, gently ribbing the styles, modes and performers that have made the medium great. It never takes itself too seriously, and wins you over with its mischievous spirit and generous heart.

Penhorwood's score is an always-accessible and tuneful creation, giving playful nods to a whole array of operatic traditions and styles. The opera also benefits from a clever libretto by librettist Miki L. Thompson, delivering a rich and abundantly entertaining show. Opera buffs will revel in the many in-jokes that litter the show, but the piece remains wholly accessible to neophytes as well. The show is smart, quick, affectionate and clever.

The cast is filled with capable and confident student performers. All four sopranos were delights to watch. Lana Carver's Miss Titmouse was a deliciously flirty creation, and her audition aria was simply terrific. Jessica Wiltz scored some big laughs as Madame Pompous – particularly owning the moment late in Act One when the ladies assume their disguises as missionaries. And Meghin Taylor delivered a sweetly adorable Just Jeanette, delivering some subtle but effective comic moments in her Act Two stretch with Nelson Deadly (Kevin Credeur).

Of the sopranos, I was particularly fond of Alex Hollerman's Dame Doleful, a boozy, morose dark stormcloud of a soprano that practically vibrated with self-seriousness. In Hollerman's hands, the role was a riot. She's got comic chops and knows how to use them. I kept seeing Hollerman as a cross between Beth Leavel's fierce grandiosity in The Drowsy Chaperone, and Katie Finneran's hilarious physical comedy in Promises, Promises.

The men all acquit themselves nicely. Holden Greene (Enrico Carouser) has one hell of a voice, and his big moment at the start of Act Two was a delight. Jared Price as the Unnamed Bass also delivered some nice moments. Jonah Slason's St. Peter and Nicholas Manzo's Orson and Jenee Luquette's Sandman are less showy roles, but the actors scored nicely with them.

(And the wordless appearance by local entrepreneur Wesley Sun Chee Fore was both a hoot and a reminder that we all – seriously, all of us – need to get to the gym.)

The show's single performance oddity was Joshua Coen's Gabriel. The role is essentially a silent one (save for one line at the opera's conclusion), but Gabriel's a constant presence. Coen certainly takes the role and runs with it – his take on Gabriel is a frenetically physical one, bounding from moment to moment, all arms and legs and exaggeration – but the energy expended doesn't consistently reap comic rewards. It too soon begins to feel a little self-indulgent, and it's too quickly out of step with the more considered comic performances around him. His castmates are doing more with less, and it's the one misstep in an otherwise uniformly impressive ensemble performance.

The show benefits from some strong direction by Shawn Roy and a clever scenic design by Duncan Thistlethwaite. Roy keeps things moving, but the staging never gets in the way or becomes cumbersome. Roy knows how to put together a nice-looking musical moment with a few simple gestures and a few simple moves. And his staging always looks great on his actors. Thistlethwaite's set offers Roy an abundance of opportunities to create interesting stage pictures, and it delivers a charmingly simple but impressive Heaven-to-Hell transition. Add some smart costume choices and a few well-chosen props you've got a show that's visually as charming as the performance.

Too Many Sopranos has a lot on its mind, but what makes the show a winner is what's in its heart. The show was a boyuant, playful and ebullient romp, and it was an easy two hours in the theatre.  That's something to be thankful for.

This show was Heaven, even though it went to Hell and back.
---Cody Daigle

Opera--Performance

Opera--Performance

The UL Lafayette Opera Theater will present the 2 act comic opera Too Many Sopranos by Edwin Penhorwood.  The contemporary opera was written in 2000 and explores the world of opera.  It looks lovingly and humorously at the "typical" opera singer stereotype of every voice. 

The plot revolves around four divas who arrive at the pearly gates where they meet St. Peter (Jonah Slason) and the angel Gabriel (Josh Coen) who inform them that there is only one spot available in the heavenly chorus for a soprano because of a serious lack of tenors and basses who are mostly in hell for doing terrible things.  The divas are forced to audition for placement, but they are all of equal talent, so St. Peter cannot decide.  The 4 divas are Miss Titmouse (Lana Carver), Madame Pompous (Jessica Wiltz), Just Jeanette (Meghin Taylor) and Dame Doleful (Alex Hollerman).  They are they told of a clause that if they go to hell and do a selfless act, they will be allowed to bring back as many tenors and basses they wish, thus granting all four of them entry into the chorus.  They agree to this and decend into hell. 


 In Act 2, we meet the men, Enrico Carouser (Holden Greene), the Unnamed Bass (Jared Price), Nelson Deadly (Jace Fogleman) and Orson (Nicholas Manzo).  They all hear their sad stories and are moved by them. Nelson and Jeanette are forced to attempt to listen to Orson, the director, talk without falling asleep, thus fulfilling their promise.  They fail, however, but the Sandman (Jenee Luquette) tells them they attempted, therefore they can now go back to heaven with the men.  All end happily, promising never to sing opera again!

This delightful opera is being directed by Shawn Roy with piano accompaniment by Geraldine Hubbell.  The set is being designed by Duncan Thistethwaite, the lighting designer is Ken Harrelson and the production stage manager is Kristy Chiasson-Gondron.  The performances will be in the Burke Theater on the UL Lafayette campus and are on November 5 and 6 at 7:30PM and November 7 at 3PM.  Tickets are available at the door only and are $10 for general admission and free for UL Lafayette students, faculty and staff.  Call 482-6012 for more information.