By David Seaman | Echo
Taylor University Opera Theatre has updated the classic Baroque opera "Dido and Aeneas" for the 21st century. With an emphasis on a culture where social media and gossip define love, this "Dido" is both relevant and timeless in its themes of love and loss. Employing collaboration from the theater and art departments in areas of stage management, lighting and design, this classic tale of tragic romance looks and sounds fantastic.
The first opera in the English language, Henry Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas" premiered in 1688 but did not gain true appreciation until the 20th century. With dance music and stylized Greek choruses, the opera can easily connect an audience to the stage action and is prime for reinterpretations.
Based on the Greek legend "The Aeneid" by Virgil, the opera tells the story of the love between Dido, Queen of Carthage, and Aeneas, a Trojan warrior. Except here, there are no queens or warriors, at least not in Greek terms; Dido is recast as a fashion designer and her beloved Aeneas is a charming politician. The villains in the original tale and opera are sorcerers and enchantresses, but in this version it is the paparazzi and tabloid reporters. Setting up the romance only to ruin it, the reporters and press create a scandal through magazines and Facebook, intending to boost sales.
Opera and stage director Conor Angell describes his vision for the retelling. "Purcell's opera is a vehicle for exploring our culture's fascination with celebrity and public image," he explains. "(It) depicts society's love for capturing moments: Social media allows us to share messages-whether true or false-more effectively than ever."
Along with these important themes, "Dido and Aeneas" boasts impressive production quality. The set moves convincingly from parties to parks to the evil paparazzi lair. The chorus sings haunting melodies at crucial moments, elevating the play to grandiose emotional levels. But there is humor here to bring things down to earth, and the contrast between humor and sadness makes the opera more relatable. Screens show the scandal unfolding through social and print media, and the opera brilliantly has paparazzi sneak around the corner and take pictures of the events on stage.
Senior Courtney Jameson and freshman Howard Lee perform the title roles, showcasing great range in their voices. Senior Haley Kurr, junior Sarah Kline, sophomores Emma Helfgott, Josh Duch and Ye Jong Yoo and freshmen Meghan Gamble, Diana Romeo and Hyung Jin Park fill out the lead roles, along with others in background parts. The great vocals are backed up by a tremendous string section from the Taylor Symphony Orchestra.
The production also features the talents of recent graduates Ryan Maloney in set design and Sara Phillips in costumes, as well as senior Brianna Wyatt in choreography and sophomore Leah Murphy in hair and makeup. Music professor Patricia Robertson is the music director.
With a duration of just under an hour, "Dido and Aeneas" is a brief but revealing work. Bringing the classic story to a whole new generation, "Dido" showcases the finest from the Taylor Opera Theatre.
"Dido and Aeneas" will be performed on April 11 and 12 at 8 p.m. in the Butz-Carruth Recital Hall in the Smith-Hermanson Music Building. Tickets are $10 and can be reserved at the music office or bought at the door.Thumbnail photograph by Luke Lines.
