York College Opera Theater Production, "Dido and Aeneas"

Posted April 27, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The York College Opera Theater presents Henry Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas," an opera in three short acts, on April 30 and May 1 at 3 p.m. at the Music, Art, and Communication Center Recital Hall. The opera features a plot taken from Book IV of Virgil's "The Aeneid," one of the great epic poems from ancient Roman literature. It captures the perennial beauty of Virgil's characters and enchants us with its grasp of heroism, noble zeal and the final tragedy. The story is an imaginative journey into a world of sorcery, love and betrayal, and takes us "beyond perception" into a world that resonates throughout the ages.

The story takes place in Carthage, under the reign of Queen Dido, where Aeneas is shipwrecked on the shore and the two fall in love despite Dido’s protestations. The Sorceress, bent upon ruining their love, sends one of her cohorts in disguise of a Spirit, to falsely order Aeneas to leave at once and return to Troy. She also plots to conjure a mighty storm to shipwreck Aeneas on the ocean. Devastated by the departure of Aeneas, Dido takes her own life.

In a larger sense, the opera is a struggle between good and evil, seeing the Sorceress and Dido as two sides of the same personality. This classic struggle also plays out visually throughout the opera. Purcell sought to communicate the sensibilities of his time into ancient myth. The York College Opera Theater brings this concept into the production, along with the myth, the Baroque musical idiom, and 21st century sensibility and sensuality.


Cast

He - Andrew Baldwin

She - Rebecca Hofmann

Dido - Shirah Layton

Belinda - Laura Heydt

Second Woman - Beth Wise

Aenaes - Andrew Baldwin

Sorceress - Zohra Rawling

First Witch - Catherine Restrepo

Second Witch - Sarah Dise

Spirit - Ashley Chamiedes

Witches -  

Tim Hardman              Louisa Stewart

Kristen Swanson         Rebecca Hoffman

Ashley Chamiedes      Roxsand Ramos

 

Chorus 

Lindsey Anderson         Johanna Becker

    Jordan Carr                   Howard Cosgrove

Brian Flora                    Nicole Jones

Katie Kerchner              Anna Luther

  Andrew Maust              Steven McCune

Aliz Meszaros               Andrew Moore

   Adam Nobile                 Elizabeth Richards

Rachel Shopiro              Kathleen Werner

 

Production Staff

Music Director - Melvin Baer

Chorus Director - Grace Muzzo

Stage Director - Linda Anderson-Baer

Technical Director - Frederick Schreiner

Lighting  and Sound - Gary Keeney

Choreography Assistant - Roxsand Ramos

Costumes - Norcostco East

 

For more information about the production, contact Dr. Frederick Schreiner at (717) 815-1258 or call (717) 815-1528.

 

 

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