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PITTSBURG —
A mummy queen rules the dead, a crazed bride murders her new husband on their wedding night and assorted vampires cavort on silks suspended from the ceiling of Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium.
That’s just part of what the audience can expect in “The Macabre,” to be presented by the American Opera Studio at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday in Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium. Special guests are members of the Midwest Regional Ballet.
The show is an artistic marriage of song, dance and spectacle, under the direction of Dr. William Hall of the opera studio, with choreography by Kaye Lewis of the MRB. Students of both are the performers, along with Hall and Lewis.
His powerful baritone is featured in several scenes, including one in which he is menaced by a tempting female vampire danced by Lewis.
A variety of music is used, including a lot of Carmina Burana and some opera. Sara Sneed of the American Opera Studio displays an outstanding and highly-trained voice in the mad scene from “Lucia di Lammermoor” by Donizetti. In this demanding piece a woman forced to marry against her will snaps and kills her bridegroom on their wedding night.
More upbeat is Courtney Koval, as a young woman determined to live by her ideals who finds true love.
A truly special feature is presented by Tricks of the Light, Kansas City, a fire dancing duo frequently featured at the Renaissance Faire. Their performance looks dangerous, but Kaye Lewis said the performers always keep safety in mind.
“They’ve got a spot man back stage who watches to see that everything is all right,” she said.
The various scenes of the show are introduced by narration read by Austin Curtright. He said that his favorite narration is the one before the scene featuring the mummy queen emerging from her sarcophagus.
“I like it because I built the sarcophagus,” he said.
Tickets for the show are $12 for the main floor and $8 for the balcony.
A mummy queen rules the dead, a crazed bride murders her new husband on their wedding night and assorted vampires cavort on silks suspended from the ceiling of Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium.
That’s just part of what the audience can expect in “The Macabre,” to be presented by the American Opera Studio at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday in Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium. Special guests are members of the Midwest Regional Ballet.
The show is an artistic marriage of song, dance and spectacle, under the direction of Dr. William Hall of the opera studio, with choreography by Kaye Lewis of the MRB. Students of both are the performers, along with Hall and Lewis.
His powerful baritone is featured in several scenes, including one in which he is menaced by a tempting female vampire danced by Lewis.
A variety of music is used, including a lot of Carmina Burana and some opera. Sara Sneed of the American Opera Studio displays an outstanding and highly-trained voice in the mad scene from “Lucia di Lammermoor” by Donizetti. In this demanding piece a woman forced to marry against her will snaps and kills her bridegroom on their wedding night.
More upbeat is Courtney Koval, as a young woman determined to live by her ideals who finds true love.
A truly special feature is presented by Tricks of the Light, Kansas City, a fire dancing duo frequently featured at the Renaissance Faire. Their performance looks dangerous, but Kaye Lewis said the performers always keep safety in mind.
“They’ve got a spot man back stage who watches to see that everything is all right,” she said.
The various scenes of the show are introduced by narration read by Austin Curtright. He said that his favorite narration is the one before the scene featuring the mummy queen emerging from her sarcophagus.
“I like it because I built the sarcophagus,” he said.
Tickets for the show are $12 for the main floor and $8 for the balcony.
