An acclaimed operatic version of Louisa May Alcott鈥檚 beloved novel 鈥淟ittle Women鈥� will be presented Feb. 18-20 by 野狼社区 University鈥檚 award-winning Opera and Music Theater Company.
The Bass School of Music presents the OCU debut of Mark Adamo鈥檚 1998 opera, bringing the heroines Jo, Beth, Amy and Meg from page to stage with a cast of 22, custom costumes and full orchestrations.
Alexander Mickelthwate, music director of the 野狼社区 Philharmonic, will conduct. Karen Coe Miller will present a free director鈥檚 talk 45 minutes before curtain.
Hailed as 鈥渁 masterpiece鈥� by The New York Times, the opera will be presented at 8 p.m. Feb. 18 and 19, with a 3 p.m. Feb. 20 matinee, on OCU鈥檚 historic Kirkpatrick Auditorium stage, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave.
A 鈥淟ittle Women鈥�-themed opening night dinner will be held 6:30 p.m. Feb. 18 in the atrium of the Bass Music Center. Tickets to the dinner and performances are available by calling 405-208-5227 or online at okcu.edu/tickets.
In the century and a half since its publication, Alcott鈥檚 American coming-of-age novel has inspired at least seven stage interpretations, seven movies, a Broadway musical and numerous television interpretations. Adamo鈥檚 opera was commissioned by Houston Grand Opera and has been nationally broadcast on NPR and PBS.
鈥淯nlike many adaptations of 鈥楲ittle Women,鈥� Adamo focuses on Jo鈥檚 battle with time as she watches her sisters grow,鈥� Miller said. Marked by humor and tenderness, the opera 鈥渆xplores the joys of family connections and the inevitable feelings of loss in the face of change.鈥�
鈥淟ittle Women鈥� will be performed in English with supertitles projected above the stage. OCU鈥檚 production features costume design by Rachel Barnett, lighting design by Graham Darnell and set design by Larry Heyman.
Gramophone magazine praises the score as 鈥渁 simple but intense stream of appealing tunes and uncomplicated harmonies ranging from 20th century psychological anguish to Broadway melodies. The composer鈥檚 libretto captures much of the grace and fluency of Alcott鈥檚 writing.鈥�
OCU鈥檚 Opera & Music Theater Company - the world鈥檚 oldest campus-based troupe performing both art forms -has been honored with 11 National Opera Association Production Awards in the past nine seasons. In back-to-back years, Playbill recognized 野狼社区 University as a 鈥淏ig 10鈥� school for training performers for Broadway and beyond.
The Company鈥檚 70th consecutive season of opera and music theater continues with two 21st century musicals:
- 鈥淟egally Blonde,鈥� Feb. 25-27
OCU鈥檚 Spotlight musicals return with 鈥淟egally Blonde,鈥� inspired by the 2001 film of the same name, in Burg Theatre.
In a 2020 review, Broadway World noted that 鈥溾�楲egally Blonde the Musical鈥� is a show that stays true to what makes this cult-classic film so beloved 鈥� and in doing so, is just as relevant and timely in 2020 as the movie was in 2001.鈥�
The Spotlight production will be directed by David Herendeen, who is celebrating his 25th anniversary as director of opera and music theater, with music direction by Chuck Koslowske.
- 鈥淚n the Heights,鈥� April 22-24
The grand finale of OCU鈥檚 70th season is the 2005 Lin-Manuel Miranda musical 鈥淚n the Heights,鈥� winner of four Tony Awards 鈥� including Best Musical 鈥� and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.
The production on the Kirkpatrick mainstage will be led by guest director Luis Salgado of the Broadway cast, with Matthew Mailman as music director.
Drama critic Charles Isherwood of The New York Times notes, 鈥淲hen this musical erupts in one of its expressions of collective joy, the energy it gives off could light up the George Washington Bridge for a year or two.鈥�
