Friday, Apr 22, 2011
Deception...confusion...discovery...presented in the intimacy of Westminster's Playhouse.
BOTH PERFORMANCES ARE SOLD OUT
Westminster Opera Theater will present Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte on Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30 at 8 p.m. in The Playhouse on the campus of Westminster Choir College of Rider University. Performers are students at Westminster Choir College. William Hobbs will direct, and David Paul is music director.
One of Mozart’s most beloved operas, Così Fan Tutte is the story of two young couples who are destined for a life of love, marriage, and happiness until someone asks the question, “How sure are you, really, that your partner will always be faithful to you?” What ensues is a comedy of deception, confusion, and discovery -- with a touch of worldly wisdom and some of the most beautiful music ever written for the stage. It will be performed in Italian with English supertitles and piano accompaniment.
William Hobbs works at many of the world’s major opera houses, including the Opéra National de Paris, the Salzburg Festival, San Francisco Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Seattle Opera, Washington Opera and the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, as repetiteur and conductor. His repertoire ranges from Handel to the European avant-garde, as well as works by Slavic composers and a number of premieres by American composers such as Lowell Liebermann and John Musto. Mr. Hobbs has devoted a large portion of his career to working with young singers. He was on the faculty of the Aspen Opera Theater Center of the Aspen Music Festival for six years, and he has been on the faculty of Westminster’s CoOPERAtive summer opera training program since 2008.
David Paul has worked extensively on operatic and theatrical stages throughout the United States and abroad. His recent directing credits include Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at the Washington National Opera, William Walton's The Bear for the Tel Aviv Summer Opera Festival, and his own adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet for Michael Kahn's Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C. He returns to the Shakespeare Theatre this summer to direct Julius Caesar, following his debut at Ash Lawn Opera in Virginia, directing Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and he will make his debut at North Carolina Opera next season with Verdi's Il Trovatore. In addition to his directing work, Mr. Paul has worked extensively as a music director and assistant stage director, including Terrence McNally's play Master Class at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, whose upcoming Broadway production he will also work on. A highly sought-after acting teacher for singers, Mr. Paul is a member of the faculty at the Juilliard School in New York, where he serves as dramatic advisor and acting teacher for the graduate program in voice.
The Westminster Choir College opera program is recognized for its individualized curriculum. Its graduates are appearing at major opera houses around the world.
Admission to these performances is $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. For updates or to purchase tickets, visit www.rider.edu/arts or call the box office at 609-921-2663. Westminster Choir College is located at 101 Walnut Lane in Princeton.
