The word “opera” is often associated with long performances filled with classical music and songs sung in languages other than English. But the ETSU Department of Music and the Opera Workshop aim to show audiences that operas can be fun and entertaining.
On Thursday evening, the Opera Workshop presented “Mozart In Love,” an interactive operatic experience.
“We started rehearsing in August,” cast member Gladys Bedoya said. “I was excited to be cast as Marcellina.”
‘Mozart In Love’ took different pieces from some of Mozart’s famous operas and put them together in a performance to show audience members that the operas were interesting and entertaining.
“It’s all about different Mozart scenes,” Bedoya said, “and, of course, Mozart in love.”
Throughout the play, the cast allowed the audience to participate in the opera. In one scene, the actors gave the audience ping pong balls to throw at two of the female actors as they acted out a cat fight. In another part of the play, they chose a male at random from the audience to play the part of Don Giovanni. To make the operas more relatable, the cast made references to modern culture and even took selfies with the audience.
“I really like the audience participation part,” audience member Emily Ducko said. “Sometimes with an opera it’s hard to connect, especially if you’re not a music student to understand what’s going on. But they really talked to us as people.”
Throughout the opera, the cast members sang various songs in both English and Italian, with songs such as “Mistress Dear, Accept These Flowers,” “Parto, Parto” and at the very end Katy Perry’s “Hot and Cold.”
“I grew as a musician and became more of a confident singer through this performance, and I got to make new friends and create new music with people I love to be around,” said Bedoya.
The Opera Workshop put on a funny and entertaining opera that had the audience laughing and realizing that not all operas are long and boring.
