Hundreds attend opera at River Campus

About 300 people attended Southeast Missouri State University's Opera Workshop's production of "Cosi fan Tutte" over the weekend at the River Campus.

Saturday's and Sunday's performances of Mozart's romantic comedy were a "monumental task" and a "labor of love" but the hard work paid off, said Christopher Goeke, the opera's director and chairman of Southeast's Department of Music.

"The audience really seemed to enjoy the opera," he said. "They laughed in the right places."

The opera tells the story of two young couples who are deeply in love. A cynical older gentleman -- Don Alfonso -- challenges the two love-smitten men to do exactly what he tells them and he will prove to them that their devoted, virtuous sweethearts will be unfaithful. Alfonso convinces the men to don disguises so that they are wooing each other's sweethearts and persuades them to pretend to act so lovesick that they drink poison and pretend to kill themselves.

"Cosi fan Tutte" means "This is how everyone does it" or "Thus do they all." The Opera Workshop performed the English version titled "School for Lovers."

Southeast freshman Shelby Ratliff had never attended an opera.

"I really enjoyed it," she said. "I was expecting it to be more like a musical; I didn't know it would be fully sung."

Ratliff's friend Lauren Murray, a freshman and also a first-time opera attendee, agreed.

"It is so different," she said. "I can't believe the range of voices and the constant use of the voice."

The opera was cast in September, and the nearly 50 students involved in the Opera Workshop worked throughout the semester to bring the comedy to life at the Bedell Performance Hall.

"Any opera is challenging for undergraduates to perform," Goeke said. "For the younger students, it is a style they are not used to, so we had to give them plenty of time to assimilate all they need to know. They are now bitten by the opera bug, though. They love doing it."

Because of the intensity of the voice, two roles were double cast. During Saturday night's performance, senior Anna Christine Woiwood performed as Dorabella and junior Brittney Leimkuehler had the role of Fiordiligi. On Sunday afternoon, sophomore Katherine Shay played the role of Dorabella and senior Megan Statler played Fiordiligi. It was the first performance for Shay.

The rest of the cast included assistant professor of voice Timothy Schmidt as Don Alfonso; sophomore Adam J. Bradt as Guglielmo; graduate student Aaron

Lerma as Ferrando; and sophomore Kaitlyn Robinson as Despina. The orchestra was conducted by Dr. Steven Hendricks, music education coordinator and associate professor of music at Southeast. Associate professor of voice Leslie Jones assisted in music preparation.

"Everyone worked together so well," Goeke said. "All the directors were giving instruction and the students would respond with 'we will do it,' from the principals to the ensembles."

Goeke has directed opera and musical performances at the River Campus for five years. In May, the Opera Workshop plans to perform a one-act opera and other operatic performances in Shuck Recital Hall at the River City Campus.

Most students in the Opera Workshop are music majors, but it is open to all Southeast students. However, an audition is required.

Lori Trepasso contributed to this story.

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