Opera comes to Cape Girardeau's River Campus

This weekend, opera comes to Cape Girardeau at the River Campus.

The opera is two one-act shows from Gian Carlo Menotti. "Amahl and the Night Visitors" is a take on the three wise men's journey to Bethlehem. "Amelia Goes to the Ball" is about an Italian woman who wants to go to an evening ball. It's an Italian script, but for those interested in a translation, one will be provided.

Organizers encourage everyone to consider the production as it is family-friendly and may not fit a typical view of what people think of opera.

"We're the only source for opera between St. Louis and Memphis," show director Dr. Chris Goeke told the newspaper about the university's production. "I challenge people to come see the show before they make their judgment on what opera is. You might think that opera is long and dull, but Menotti is not."

The opera will be performed at 7:30 tonight at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Bedell Performance Hall in the River Campus. Tickets are $16 and are available through the River Campus box office.

The River Campus will have several other events in the coming weeks, including "Tango Buenos Aires" and "The King & I." Several other performances are scheduled. You can see a list at rivercampusevents.com. For River Campus and other upcoming events, go online to semoevents.com or look at Page 2A of the Southeast Missourian.