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Beverly helped the work to win
the convention’s chamber opera
competition.
On January 3, UNLV Opera made its debut at the National Opera Association convention in Portland, Oregon. Senior voice performance major Casey Gard-ner performed excerpts from
Mozart’s Così fan tutte. A student of Dr. Alfonse Anderson, Casey said of the conference, “It was a great way to network and get people acquainted with the fact that UNLV has a wonderful mu-sic program with a great staff. I loved the location and the type of people that were present. It is always a wonderful thing to be surrounded by fellow musicians. Portland was a beautiful place full of artistic inspiration, and of course, fabulous coffee.”
Casey’s performance received positive feedback from a number of convention attendees, as did UNLV Opera. NOA President-Elect David Holley, Director of UNCG Opera Theatre, said, “I admire UNLV Opera’s Facebook presence” and Paul Houghtaling of University of Alabama Opera Theatre gave a thumbs-up to our
upcoming Vegas-themed Elixir production concept.
The conference also featured a
UNLV Opera alumna. Beverly
Taflinger (MM 2012) performed
in the premiere of a one—act
opera entitled An Embarrassing
Position. Singing with the Univer-
sity of Oregon Opera Ensemble,
UNLV Opera travels to National Opera Association Convention
Opera Tidbit: Opera in Pop Culture
If you thought opera was only
heard in opera houses or on a
university campus, think again.
You’ve heard it but may not have
realized it was opera. Tunes from
the opera house often turn up in
places you never expected. There
may be no other classical tune
that turns up in more places than
the Flower Duet from Lakmé by
Delibes. Remember the British
Airways ads with its jetliner float-
ing through calm skies and fluffy
clouds? After the ads aired, every-
one started humming it. You may
remember it more from the
Ghirardelli chocolate ads (my
favorite). But of course, you have
heard opera in countless movies
across all genres. See if you can
recognize some of these examples:
Apocalypse Now—Die Walküre by
Wagner, Driving Miss Daisy—
Rusalka by Dvořák, Godfather I—
La Traviata by Verdi, James Bond:
Quantum of Solace—Tosca by
Puccini, Match Point—L’elisir
d’amore by Donizetti, Titanic, Les
contes d’Hoffmann by Offenbach
and Thaϊs by Massenet. For 400
years, opera has remained strong
in pop culture and it doesn’t
show signs of stopping. -SS
U N L V O P E R A T H E A T E R N E W S L E T T E R
Spring, 2013
Volume 1, Issue 2
Opera Rebels University of
Nevada,
Las Vegas
Opera Theater
Director
Dr. Linda Lister
Tickets
UNLV Box Office
(702) 895-ARTS
Inside this issue:
UNLV Opera at NOA 1
Opera Tidbit
1
The Fairy Queen 2
Inyo, CA Tour 2
Diva in Training: Lindsay Cunningham
3
Opera Quiz 3
I Feel Pretty 3
Casey Gardner
On December 6-7, nine singers from UNLV Opera traveled to California to perform for students in Inyo County. Sponsored by the Inyo County Council for the Arts, the trip included four performances at Death
Valley Academy and Bishop High School. In addition to singing excerpts from The Old Maid and the Thief, La
clemenza di Tito, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Don Pasquale and Don Giovanni, the UNLV Opera performers improvised scenes on the spot with input from the student audiences. The improvisations featured a variety of characters from an Native American chief to pop star Nicki Minaj. The singers performed primarily for young people who have never seen opera before, and for some who don’t have access to music classes at their schools due to budget cuts. Richelle Janushan said the trip was a chance “to change the lives of those who don't have the opportunity to see a live opera performance. It was definitely an experience that impacted my own life.” Xa-vier Brown also shared his thoughts on the young audience: “Watching the excitement and appreciation on their faces really assured me that I am in the right profession. I feel honored and privileged that my fellow colleagues and I were able to share such beauty and a part of ourselves with such willing people.”
The Fairy Queen opens UNLV Opera Theater 2012-13 Season
UNLV Opera tours to Inyo County, California
Page 2
Opera Rebels
Pei-ning Ku as Autumn
In November, UNLV Opera Theater presented a new adaptation of Henry Purcell’s semi-opera The Fairy
Queen. Staged in the intimate ninety--seat Paul Harris Theatre, the production featured the work of talented
student designers/sopranos Isabella Ivy and Daniella Toscano. They oversaw the costumes and slide projec-
tions in addition to playing the roles of Titania and Puck respectively. As a semi-opera, it also featured ex-
cerpts of Shakespearean dialogue from the opera’s inspiration, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In an interview on
KNPR’s State of Nevada, Daniella told host Luis Hernandez, “As an opera singer, you’re not used to speak-
ing. That’s the challenge.” (Experience with spoken dialogue will surely come in handy when UNLV Opera
singers find themselves auditioning for operetta and/or musical theatre.) Besides reciting Shakespearean text
and performing Purcellian coloratura, the singers were also called upon to do some Baroque dance befitting
an eighteenth-century masque. In particular, Alfredo Martirena opened Act II with a ballet solo, demonstrat-
ing that opera is a true amalgam of the arts incorporating music, theatre, design, fashion, and dance.
Nathan Van Arsdale
as Oberon in UNLV Opera Theater’s The Fairy Queen (2012)
“A very visual
approach to Pur-
cell’s brilliant com-
position, the pro-
duction flowed elo-
quently with full
cooperation of the
students in the arts
at UNLV and high-
lighted many indi-
vidual talents from
the designers, direc-
tor, and cast.”
-David Casey,
Nick Bottom in
The Fairy Queen
Master of Music candidate
Lindsay Cunningham will make
her UNLV Opera debut this
spring as Adina in L’elisir d’amore.
A student of Dr. Michelle Latour,
Lindsay is a graduate of Vander-
bilt University and she has also
studied in both Salzburg and Vi-
enna, Austria. Her previous oper-
atic roles include Cherubino in Le
nozze di Figaro and Gianetta, the
other female role in L’elisir
d’amore.
Lindsay already has some inter-
esting insights into her character:
“I love that Adina is the smartest
girl in town, knows how to be in
charge, but is still adored by
everyone. Despite her endless
teasing and flirtation, she’s really
not as capricious as she claims to
be.” We look forward to seeing
how Lindsay brings this lyric
coloratura role to life in March
when UNLV Opera’s L’elisir
d’amore opens on the Ham Hall
stage.
Venus and Adonis, Offenbach’s La
Belle Hélène and Massenet’s Thaïs
and Cendrillon.
The scenes program also provides
the opportunity for student direc-
tors to experiment with their craft.
Master of Music student Nathan
Van Arsdale and senior Daniella
Toscano will go from singing in
L’elisir d’amore to directing their
first scenes for UNLV Opera.
The 2012-13 UNLV Opera season
closes with a scenes program
showcasing excerpts from opera
and musical theatre about beauty
and vanity. Familiar selections
from Faust, La bohème, West Side
Story, HMS Pinafore and Sweeney
Todd will be presented, as well as
some lesser known pieces from
Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire,
Herbert’s Sweethearts, John Blow’s
Another first will be the world
premiere of a scene adapted by
Linda Lister from Robert Har-
ling’s play and film, Steel Magno-
lias. It features Southern beauti-
cian Truvy, played by Dolly Parton
in the movie, explaining why
“There is No Such Thing as a
Natural Beauty.” It’s a perfect
thematic tie-in to the program,
which is certain to include some
beautiful singing.
Diva in Training: Lindsay Cunningham
I Feel Pretty: Featuring a Number of Firsts
Opera Quiz
II. Which of the following operas
was not written by Henry Purcell?
a. Dido and Aeneas
b. Acis and Galatea
c. The Fairy Queen
d. King Arthur
Answers:
q ˙ıı p ˙ı
I. Which Donizetti opera features
the famous tenor aria “Ah! mes
amis” with its nine high Cs?
a. L’elisir d’amore
b. Guillaume Tell
c. Linda di Chamounix
d. La fille du régiment
________________
“Trust us.
See “(S)He Wears
the Pants.”
UNLV Opera presents
scenes from
The Marriage of Figaro,
Hansel and Gretel
and more.
Plus, lots of pants.
Yes, pants.”
-Las Vegas Weekly,
11/29/12
__________________
Page 3
Volume 1, Issue 2
OTHER UNLV DIVAS:
Sheronda McKee won the
Audience Choice Award
at the 2013 Metropolitan
Opera National Council
Utah District Auditions. A
DMA candidate at UNLV,
Sheronda is a student of
Dr. Alfonse Anderson.
__________________
Carrie Wachsberger and
Isabella Ivy (students of Dr.
Latour and Dr. Anderson)
sang at the Nevada Opera
Theatre Guild holiday
luncheon.
__________________
Opera Rebels
Editor: Linda Lister
Assistant Editors:
Suzanne Stone, Stephanie Weiss
UNLV Opera singers after three assemblies at Bishop High School
From left to right:
Carolina Gamazo, Eliysheba Anderson, Casey Gardner,
Nathan Van Arsdale, Xavier Brown, David Casey,
Daniella Toscano, Richelle Janushan, Hye Youn Joo Sin
U N L V O P E R A T H E A T E R
Save the dates!
Spring 2013 Performances
March 15-17 UNLV Opera Theater:
L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love) Ham Hall
April 26 UNLV Opera Workshop:
I Feel Pretty Rando Recital Hall