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University Theatre to stage American opera ‘Street Scene’
LAWRENCE — University Theatre and the Department of Music and Dance at the University of Kanas are staging the American opera “Street Scene,” based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Elmer Rice. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7, 8, 13, 14 and 15 and at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 9 on Stage Too! in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre.
With a script by Rice, lyrics by African-American poet Langston Hughes and music by the German composer Kurt Weill, “Street Scene” was a groundbreaking opera and earned Weill the first Tony Award for best original score.
The KU production is being staged by New York director Tazewell Thompson. David Neely, director of orchestra activities at KU, is music director and conductor of the 60-piece KU Symphony Orchestra playing for the production. Caleb Stroman, College Station, Texas, graduate student, is scenic designer; Robert Figueira, Lawrence junior, is lighting designer; and Kelly Vogel, a 2007 master’s degree graduate, is costume designer. Paul Meier, professor of theatre and film, is dialect designer; Leslie Bennett, assistant professor of theatre and film, is choreographer, and Jeremy Riggs, DeSoto senior, is the fight choreographer.
Composer Weill was a master musician and musical dramatist best known for his works “Three Penny Opera,” “Knickerbocker Holiday” and “Mahogony.” The original draft for “Street Scene” did not contain any African-American characters, an element added to the libretto in 1946 by former Lawrence resident Hughes. One of the most significant things about the work, Thompson said, is that Weill went to a black poet to put the words of the play into poetry. The opera marked the first time ever in the history of Broadway that had a black man put words into the mouths of white characters.
The opera takes place on a sidewalk in New York City in the late 1920s. The story follows the lives of four characters in a tenement house and focuses on two plots: the romance between Rose and her neighbor Sam and the marital affair of Rose’s mother, Anna, which is eventually discovered by her irritable husband, Frank. The show portrays the ordinary romances, squabbles and gossip of the neighbors, as the mounting tensions involving the family eventually build into a tragedy of epic proportions. The musical drama shows a cross-section of urban characters, hopeful immigrants, bigoted neighbors, poor families, angry socialists and romantic students.
Thompson said “Street Scene” is amusing, moving, joyous and tragic. Hughes’ lyrics are poetic, yet idiomatic of the variety of ethnic characters with realistic dialogue dealing with such themes as jealousy, regret, immigration, distrust of foreigners, domestic violence, bigotry, racial animosity and illusion vs. truth.
“The work has a wondrously gorgeous eclectic score that is strikingly original,” Thompson said. “Just like the neighborhood in the story, the music is a melting pot of musical styles, a pastiche of European opera and American musical theatre. Each number reflects the ethnic origins of the characters or the style of music associated with the sentiments they express. There are Broadway up-tempo songs and ballads, blues and jazz, boogie-woogie and jitterbug.”
KU’s guest director has produced or directed more than 60 plays. Thompson’s production of “Porgy and Bess” at New York City Opera, broadcast on PBS “Live From Lincoln Center,” received Emmy Award nominations for best director and best classical production.
The KU production is funded in part by a grant from the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music Inc.
General admission tickets for “Street Scene” are on sale in the KU ticket offices: University Theatre, 864-3982; Lied Center, 864-ARTS; and Student Union Activities, 864-7469, or online at kutheatre.com. Seating is limited. Tickets are $20 for the public, $10 for students and $19 for senior citizens and KU faculty/staff. Visa and Mastercard are accepted for phone and online orders.
Members of the cast for the KU production are listed below by hometown, level in school, major, parents’ names, high school and role.
ALLEN COUNTY
From Iola 66749
Allison Chase, junior, theatre and film major, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Chase, Iola High School, Graduation Girl and Neighbor.
BARTON COUNTY
From Great Bend 67530
Matthew R. Elliott, sophomore, communication studies major, son of Brian and Mary Elliott, Great Bend High School, Steve Sankey and Voice.
DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Lawrence 66044
Benjamin Cleveland, graduate student, voice major, son of Dale and Shirley Cleveland, Lippo Fiorentino.
Chris McBride, graduate student, voice major, Henry Davis.
From Lawrence 66046
Michael Austin, sophomore, voice major, son of Michael P. Austin and Natalie Wheeler, Lawrence High School, Workman.
From Lawrence 66047
Rebecca Burmingham, fourth-grader at Veritas Christian School, daughter of Larry and Dea Burmingham, Charlie Hildebrand.
Jayke Scott Workman, sixth-grader at Raintree Montessori School, son of Michael and Jeni Grob, Willie Maurrant.
From Lawrence 66049
Andrew Ashley, junior, vocal performance major, son of Charles and Karen Ashley, Lawrence Free State High School, Daniel Buchanan.
Jordan Gouge, junior, theatre/voice major, son of Kim and Teri Gouge, Lawrence Free State High School, Married Couple Man.
Kaitlyn Johnson, seventh-grader at Southwest Junior High School, daughter of Christopher and Cynthia Johnson, Mary Hildebrand.
Samantha M. Lenz, sixth-grader at Sunset Elementary School, daughter of Brenda and Mark Lenz, Joan.
Christopher Trepinski, senior, theatre/voice major, son of Robert and Celeste Trepinski, Lawrence Free State High School, Dick McGann.
ELLIS COUNTY
From Ogallah 67656
Callie Schlegel, junior, voice major, daughter of Elmer and Myrna Schlegel, Schlegel Farm Adventure School, Jennie Hildebrand.
JOHNSON COUNTY
From Leawood 66209
Joe Hager, graduate student, opera performance major, son of Kenneth and Marilyn Hager, Rockhurst High School, George Jones.
From Olathe 66061
Blake Benton, freshman, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, son of Bert Benton and Ashley Jeffries, Olathe North High School, Ambulance Driver.
Olivia Betzen, senior, vocal performance, daughter of Fredrick and Michelle Betzen, Shawnee Mission West High School, Greta Fiorentino.
From Olathe 66062
Amy Cahill, graduate student, opera performance, daughter of Richard and Sharon Cahill, Olathe South High School, Rose Maurrant.
From Overland Park 66210
Cassandra Hollmann, senior, elementary education and dance major, daughter of Dan and Andyla Hollmann, Blue Valley North High School, Mae Jones.
From Overland Park 66212
Julie Bayliff, senior, secondary history and government education and theatre major, daughter of Cheryl Bayliff, Shawnee Mission West High School, Graduation Girl and Music Pupil.
From Overland Park 66213
Jeff Welch, senior, English and film studies major, son of Jim and Christine Welch, Shawnee Mission East High School, Vincent Jones.
From Overland Park 66223
Jeremy Ims, freshman, theatre and astronomy major, son of John Ims and Terri Hopper Ims, Medical Intern.
From Shawnee 66216
Sylvia Stoner, doctoral student, voice major, Anna Maurrant.
From Shawnee 66217
Claire Vowels, freshman, theatre and communications major, daughter of Mark and Kathy Stone and Phillip Vowels, Shawnee Mission West High School, Graduation Girl.
LEAVENWORTH COUNTY
From Leavenworth 66048
Sean Hall, junior, theatre major, son of Danny Hall, Leavenworth High School, Officer Murphy.
LYON COUNTY
From Emporia 66801
Erin Reilly, senior, theatre major, daughter of Mike Reilly and Gwen Laflin, Emporia High School, Second Nursemaid.
NEMAHA COUNTY
From Sabetha 66534
Meaghan Deiter, graduate student, voice performance, daughter of Steve Deiter, Sabetha High School, Emma Jones.
OSAGE COUNTY
From Overbrook 66524
Dennis Crowl, senior, music education major, son of Dorothy Hoyt, Ottawa High School, City Marshall.
SEDGWICK COUNTY
From Wichita 67205
Jacquelyn Venetia Kelley, junior, voice performance major, daughter of Robert and Cynthia Kelley, Maize High School, First Nursemaid.
From Wichita 67206
Evan Kilgore, junior, theatre/voice major, son of Dr. and Mrs. Ransom Kilgore, Wichita Collegiate School, Dr. Wilson.
From Wichita 67217
Charles Martinez, doctoral student, voice, son of Ruth Martinez, Wichita High School North, Sam Kaplan.
From Wichita 67226
Elliot B. Metz, sophomore, journalism major, son of Eric and Susan Metz, Wichita Collegiate School, Abraham Kaplan.
SHAWNEE COUNTY
From Topeka 66604
Anna Louise Hoard, senior, voice major, daughter of Mary and Robert Hoard, Topeka High School, Mrs. Hildebrand.
From Topeka 66610
Sam Beasley, sophomore, music education major, son of Jeff and Flo Beasley, Topeka High School, Policeman.
From Topeka 66614
Nora Woolpert, sophomore, music education major, daughter of Bruce Woolpert and Stacey Ziegler, Washburn Rural High School, Grace Davis.
ARIZONA
From Scottsdale 85259
Luke Kanter, freshman, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, son of David and Nancy Kanter, Desert Mountain High School, Grocery Boy.
IOWA
From Neola 51559
Troy Clifford Dargin, doctoral student, voice science, son of Cathy Eckmann, Tri-Center High School, Carl Olsen.
MISSOURI
From Kansas City 64114
Jakob Joseph Wozniak, junior, theatre major, son of John Wozniak and Chery Behrends, Shawnee Mission North High School, Fred Cullen.
From Kirkwood 63122
Lucy Conklin, senior, voice performance major, daughter of Kathy Sherrick, Kirkwood High School, Office Girl.
From St. Louis 63141
Mary McNulty, sophomore, voice major, daughter of Tina and Patrick McNulty, St. Joseph’s Academy, Office Girl.
OHIO
From Solon 44139
Tali Beth Friedman, senior, theatre major, daughter of Roz and Ted Friedman, Solon High School, Shirley Kaplan.
OKLAHOMA
From Bixby 74008
Garrett Lawson, sophomore, theatre/voice major, son of Robert Lawson and Desiree Jett, Bixby High School, Harry Easter.
TEXAS
From Houston 77388
Kerry Gotschall, graduate student, opera performance, daughter of Dave and Kay Gotschall, Klein Oak High School, Olga Olsen.
From Longview 75605
John Dalton Frederick, doctoral student, voice, son of Patrick and Denise Frederick, Pine Tree High School, Frank Maurrant.
WASHINGTON
From Mercer Island 98040
Janet Summerfelt, sophomore, theatre major, daughter of Todd and Jane Summerfelt, Mercer Island High School, Married Couple Woman.
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