Westminster Opera Theatre offers students the opportunity to perform staged operas with instrumental accompaniment in the Yvonne Theater (450 seats) and the Bart Luedtke Center Theater (350 seats). Two productions are presented each academic year, one inherited repertoire (traditional titles) in original language, and one new American opera. This allows our singers to graduate with the skillsets needed for a variety of musical styles and languages. An in-depth rehearsal process prepares singers for professional opportunities with an understanding of what readiness truly is and what professional expectations are.
Westminster Opera Theatre productions often include residencies with composers such as Evan Mack, Richard Wargo and Ellen Fishman. Students learn from the composers in one on one coaching and from feedback during the rehearsal process, providing valuable insight into the music.
Recent seasons have included The Ghosts of Gatsby (Evan Mack) Cendrillon (Pauline Viardot), Ballymore: Winners (Richard Wargo), Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck), Così fan tutte (Mozart), Marie Begins (Ellen Fishman), Cendrillon (Massenet), Trouble in Tahiti (Bernstein), Service Provider (Christopher Weiss), Die Zauberflöte (Mozart).
Auditions for Westminster Opera Theatre are open to Rider University students who are sophomores through graduate students. Freshmen are eligible for backstage and offstage opportunities. Contact Susan Ashbaker, director of Westminster Opera Theatre, for more information.
