Lee Opera Theatre brings Sondheim to the stage
Calling all musical theater fans! Lee Opera Theatre is presenting their annual Musical Revue on Nov. 16. The Revue occurs every fall semester, and it gives students the chance to showcase their talents, hard work, and passion.
Assistant Professor of Voice Dr. James Frost is the director of Lee Opera Theatre. Frost guides the production through a collaborative process that encourages students to contribute their own ideas.
“I like to see what their creative ideas are. They then bring them to the class and perform them in front of me and the other students. [We] all work fine-tuning their ideas until an end result is reached. It is more of a collaborative piece of work instead of it just being one director telling everyone what to do,” Frost said.
Lee Opera Theatre performing at last year’s Musical Revue.
Participating in the revue challenges students and encourages them to be creative. Cinema and Theater major Tanner Jennings has participated in Opera Theatre in the past, and will be performing several songs at the revue.
“Opera Theatre often invites, dare I say, requires, you to think outside of the box. Whether in class or on the stage, you perform and interpret theatre in new and creative ways. Opera Theatre challenges me to think on the fly and to always be open to new ways of interpreting and portraying my characters,” Jennings said.
The revue will feature songs from musical theater. Most are penned by legendary composer Stephen Sondheim. The songs are from some of Sondheim’s best known shows, like “West Side Story,” “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” and “Into the Woods.”
“Through harrowing drama and gut-busting comedy, the scenes tell stories of love and loss, greed and revenge, and of longing and hope,” said Jennings. “Fundamentally, they examine the human condition.”
The revue features a wide array of stories, songs, and characters. Theatre major Ryan Wheeler enjoys the ways in which music from the revue explores rich relationships.
“What does one do without a relationship as they wander through the mysteries and horrors of the world alone? How can a person who is deeply in love go on, knowing the person they love does not share those feelings? This show has allowed us to explore these feelings, and by doing so, become better acquainted with the characters we attempt to portray,” Wheeler said.
Lee Opera Theatre performs at last year’s Musical Revue.
For a night of show-stopping musical theater, attend the Lee Opera Theatre Revue. The event will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. in Squires Recital Hall in the Humanities Center. Admission is free.
Photos courtesy of Lee Opera Theatre.
