蜜桃视频 to present operatic version of well-known play “Our Town”
March 26, 2018
POCATELLO – 蜜桃视频’s School of Performing Arts will present “Our Town” the Opera on April 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Diane and Chick Bilyeu Theatre in Frazier Hall.
Ned Rorem鈥檚 operatic interpretation of 鈥淥ur Town鈥� is a three-act opera that tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 through the everyday lives of its citizens, based on the classic production of 鈥淥ur Town鈥� by Thornton Wilder.
鈥淚f you think you have seen 鈥極ur Town鈥�, you haven鈥檛 seen it through this lens,鈥� said Vanessa Ballam, the production鈥檚 director. 鈥淭he operatic elements of the production enhance the storytelling in marvelous ways. And as this is the 80th birthday of Thornton Wilder鈥檚 play, it鈥檚 a fitting time to celebrate the work.鈥�
The cast is split almost evenly between theatre and music students. The departments jointly host a musical every two years and an opera every four. ISU music students will also play in the live orchestra for this production.
This collaboration features two musical directors, Diana Livingston-Friedley and Kathleen Lane, both ISU music professors; costume designer, Kylie Cosgrove, ISU theatre student; and Scott Anderson, ISU music professor, the conductor of the live orchestra.
The production has minimal stage design and props to allow the audience to develop the scenes in their imagination and become more invested in the show. Ballam said this concept also helps audience members be more present and mindful when seeing the production, capturing what 鈥淥ur Town鈥� is really about.
鈥溾�極ur Town鈥� deals with the human experience and what is means to live a life,鈥�
Ballam said. 鈥淭he production shows the cyclical and relentless nature of time while encouraging the audience to take a moment to breathe and soak in the beauty of life.鈥�
ISU is one of a handful of universities to perform the operatic version of 鈥淥ur Town,鈥� as it was the first operatic adaptation of the Wilder play, premiering in 2006 at Indiana University.
鈥淚 think it says something of our college and the university that we are tackling this production and giving it a life,鈥� Ballam said. 鈥淚t is an important education for faculty, students and our community.鈥�
Tickets are available at or at (208) 282-3595.
For more information, contact Vanessa Ballam at ballvane@isu.edu or (208) 282-3173.
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