With steady breath and no evidence of nerves, students provided a teasing of performances from several operas in the CSUB Doré Theatre Jan. 31.
Stage Director Peggy Sears hosted the evening, introducing select pieces from “The Marriage of Figaro,” “Susannah,” “The Mikado” and “The Merry Widow.”
Music director Soo-Yeon Park Chang played the accompanying piano throughout the night. Musical pieces by Mozart, Floyd, Sullivan and Lehár emphasized each scene, enhancing the changing moods from comedic to cheerless to carefree.
Andy Dare, 23, a senior majoring in liberal studies attended the event for Music in the Elementary Classroom with music professor, Dr. Rene Ferrell.
“I’m loving the show. The solo in the Susannah piece was really good. Sad, but really good. The Figaro scenes are all really funny, definitely a big tonal shift there,” Dare said.
“Susannah” was performed by Ashten Smith with Robert Hamilton playing Blitch. It was the somber piece of the night and the only one with origins in The United States. “The Marriage of Figaro” featured Tori Provencio, Robert Hamilton and Katherine Kiouses. Several of the vocals for Figaro were sang in Italian. These were translated for the audience on a screen above the stage.
Kathleen Murray, 57, who also attended, said the Japanese opera, “The Mikado” was her favorite. She was specifically entertained by David Allen Alvarez, who played the character of Ko-Ko.
“He’s just a natural comedian, dancing around. It was hilarious. He was so into the performance. He didn’t hold back,” Murray said.
Alvarez received much laughter from the audience, from his dancing and acting style to his wig flying off. Additional actors were Krystal Angulo as Yum-Yum, Lawrence Lyons as Nanki-Poo and Maritza Osornia as Katisha.
Ending the evening was “The Merry Widow,” which welcomed back most of the cast. The finale pleased Ali Ling, 13, who attended with her mother and younger sister. Ling particularly liked the costumes, designed by Roger Upton.
“I always thought it’d be fun to act,” Ling said. “It’d be fun to dress up.”
The Doré Theatre hosts events each quarter. Upcoming presentations include voice recitals, guitar and jazz performances along with the Chamber Orchestra and Concert Band. CSUB students are admitted free with student identification. General admission is $10 while seniors and off-campus students are $5.
