A German musical comedy will be presented this week in three locations, with those in Cuba and Wellsville being free to the public.
The Houghton University Greatbach School of Music Lyric Theatre group will provide free general performances of Mozart’s The Impresario (Der Schauspieldirektor) from 7PM to 10PM Thursday, September 24, at The Palmer Opera House at 12 West Main Street in Cuba, and at the same time Saturday in the David A. Howe Library auditorium at 155 North Main Street in Wellsville.
A third ticketed performance will be presented from 7:30PM to 10:30PM Friday in the University’s Center for Fine Arts Recital Hall at 1 Willard Avenue, with $10 adult and $5 student and senior citizen tickets, plus processing fees, available at https://tinyurl.com/Impresario-Tickets.
The musical, with the original work being ordered by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II for a private luncheon for 80 guests at the Schonbrunn Place in Vienna, Austria, features a backstage setting in which egos are enormous, tempers are short, and everyone is convinced they deserve top billing.
While an Impresaria tries to survive running a theater, while dreaming of returning to a quiet life on her farm, two fiercely competitive sopranos make harmony nearly impossible, with the result being termed “ridiculous.”
Described as “packed with sparkling music, larger-than-life personalities, and plenty of theatrical mayhem,” the comedy pokes fun at the very business of making opera.
This story first was reported by the What God is DoingTM in Allegany County ny group Facebook page at https://tinyurl.com/God-in-Allegany-County-ny.