A melodramatic comedy of sorts opens tonight in the form of Giacomo Puccini's opera, Gianni Schicchi.
Students from the School of Music are performing in this opera set in 1299 Florence, Italy.
Director Richard Crist said the opera, which will be performed in English, begins with the recent death of the extremely wealthy Buoso Donati. His greedy family is gathered around his deathbed in fake mourning, eagerly waiting for word of the inheritances left to them in the will.
A rumor that Buoso left all his money and possessions to the friars leaves the family less than pleased. Buoso's nephew, Rinuccio, convinces his family to call upon the clever Gianni Schicchi to help them.
Brad Hoffman, a graduate student studying music performance, plays Schicchi.
He's a schemer
but not necessarily in a bad way. He's kind of like a wily fox type guy Hoffman said.
Meanwhile, Schicchi's daughter, Lauretta, is struggling with her own major dilemma. She is madly in love with Rinuccio, but cannot marry him without a dowry.
Lauretta pleads with her father to help her in the song O mio babbino caro (oh my dear papa). Hoffman said this song is one of the most famous arias of all time.
Katie McGonagle, a junior studying music education and vocal performance, said her character, Lauretta, is definitely a daddy's girl.
Lauretta is used to working her father...[She tells him] 'Daddy
can I please marry him? I'm so in love
and if I don't get to marry him
I'm just going to jump off a bridge.' McGonagle said.
Schicchi, easily won over by his daughter's misery and dramatic threats, hatches a plan that will work in his daughter's favor. As the plan unravels, Schicchi is truly shown as the ringmaster of this circus
McGonagle said.
Hoffman said that Gianni Schicchi should be very enjoyable for first-time operagoers.
It has a little bit of everything
so it makes it nice for people who might not normally go see an opera to dip their toes in the water
Hoffman said.
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