香港六合彩资料

For Willie Anthony Waters, Verdi鈥檚 鈥淔alstaff鈥� is the ideal fall opera production for the 22 vocal students in his 鈥淪tage Techniques鈥� class.

鈥淚 wanted to choose something that was challenging for the singers,鈥� the visiting associate professor said. 鈥淭his is one of the ultimate challenges in terms of ensemble writing and ensemble execution. I thought the students should be exposed to 鈥楩alstaff鈥� because it is done so infrequently. It鈥檚 a great piece that gives us a chance to incorporate practically everyone in the class.鈥�

The Music Department will present 鈥淔alstaff鈥� at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, in the AC-Chamber Hall. Tickets are $10, general public; $7, faculty/staff/seniors/alumni; and $5, students. Performances for local school-aged students will be held at 10 a.m. and noon Friday, Dec. 5 (by reservation at 777-3004). The opera, which features Waters as musical director/conductor and David Carl Toulson 鈥�97 as director, incorporates the first act and third-act finale of Verdi鈥檚 1893 comedic masterpiece. A scene from Douglas Moore鈥檚 鈥淭he Ballad of Baby Doe鈥� will precede 鈥淔alstaff.鈥�

Based on William Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥淭he Merry Wives of Windsor,鈥� 鈥淔alstaff鈥� follows a rotund, old knight named Sir John Falstaff who concocts a scheme to acquire some much-needed money by wooing two wealthy, married women. Falstaff gets his comeuppance after the women and others learn of his plot.

The graduate and undergraduate students in the cast said that they have enjoyed developing the rich characters of 鈥淔alstaff.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 learning about my friends and colleagues, as well as the choices we make with these characters,鈥� said Cody Caho, a first-year master鈥檚 student who plays Ford in the 1 p.m. show. 鈥淲e have three (students) who play Nannetta in different ways. It鈥檚 interesting and exciting to see all of the energy that鈥檚 on stage at one time.鈥�

鈥淔alstaff鈥� also enables the cast members to display some comedic skills.

鈥淭his is the first role I鈥檝e played that has been funny,鈥� said Lindsay Brown, a first-year master鈥檚 student who plays Dame Quickly. 鈥淕enerally, I play moms or evil people or sad people. I never get to play the goofy character. This has been a cool, out-of-the-box experience for me. Putting my own personality into a character is something I鈥檝e enjoyed doing.鈥�

Comedy is not an easy genre, Waters said.

鈥淭here is a reason why television sitcoms are a half hour, as opposed to an hour or longer,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ny actor will tell you that. I thought it would be a good exercise for these young singers to do something that isn鈥檛 鈥榮lapsticky.鈥� A disciplined comedic experience is important for their development.鈥�

That development has taken place over the course of the semester in the 鈥淪tage Techniques鈥� class. Students have prepared for 鈥淔alstaff鈥� both in the classroom and on the Chamber Hall stage since September. Toulson, who has directed at universities and for opera companies across the country, said the class is a vital component to the students鈥� growth.

鈥淭he fact that this class exists now is giving opportunities to students that they would not have had five years ago,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o have the opportunity to come out and sing is great. This class is important 鈥� and to have it in a theater is quite exciting.鈥�

Jake Stamatis, who portrays Falstaff in the early show and Pistola in the late show, said he is grateful for the chance to perform 鈥淔alstaff鈥� on stage. He called Pistola his 鈥渄ream role.鈥�

鈥淎nd Falstaff is great, too,鈥� he added with a laugh.

鈥淚 was excited to get the chance to start learning the piece because I鈥檇 love to do it again in the future,鈥� said Stamatis, a second-year master鈥檚 student. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 tough. You can鈥檛 do it all on your own. You have to get together with the rest of the ensemble. It鈥檚 been great for the cast to build that group effort.鈥�

The students have not only built camaraderie in class and on stage, but on their own time, as well. Jenny Gac, a second-year master鈥檚 student who plays Alice Ford in the 1 p.m. show, said the cast members worked with assistant musical director and pianist John Isenberg to perfect the ensemble.

鈥淲e were excited,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the most challenging music I鈥檝e worked on so far, especially the ending.鈥�

Waters noted that he has seen 鈥渢remendous growth鈥� from the students during the semester.

鈥淚 was impressed with the level of students when I came here,鈥� said Waters, who is in his first semester at 香港六合彩资料. 鈥淢y goal was to show them and let them see that there are other parts of this performing art besides learning the notes and the music. There is expression. There is interpretation. There is diction. When combined with stage movement, it鈥檚 an all-encompassing art form.鈥�

Cast members said they are appreciative of what Waters, Toulson and the 鈥淔alstaff鈥� experience have taught them.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a wonderful freedom to play after that foundation of being very prepared and knowing your notes,鈥� said Daniela Rivera, a junior who plays Meg Page.

鈥淪ing what鈥檚 on the page first before adding all of the (flourishes),鈥� said Stacey Geyer, a first-year master鈥檚 student who plays Nannetta in the 4 p.m. show. 鈥淏oth (Waters and Toulson) have been good about saying 鈥楴o. That鈥檚 not right. Let鈥檚 do it again.鈥� If something can be better, it鈥檚 going to be better. We are going to make it better.鈥�

鈥淒avid has taught us how to discover our own characters,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淗e gives us feedback, but lets us make it our character instead of saying: 鈥楪o here. Move there. Smile.鈥欌��

Taking what he has learned in class and applying those lessons to the stage has helped Stamatis discover new things about his voice and himself.

鈥淎 role like Falstaff 鈥� I didn鈥檛 think it was possible for me, even earlier this year,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut the right teachers and the right people believed in me. The stars aligned and I鈥檓 getting the chance to do it. It happened by being placed on stage and someone saying 鈥榞o.鈥欌��