Penn State Opera Theatre Presents Albert Herring
March 26, 2007
It is 1950 and spring in the small English village of Loxford, where stuffy Victorian morality still rules the day. The local aristocrat, Lady Billows, is organizing the annual May Day festival, and has gathered all the important people of the village to submit nominations for the coveted position of "Queen of the May." But Florence Pike, her housekeeper, has dug up dirt on every single girl nominated, proving that not one is chaste enough to wear the May Queen's crown. Lady Billows is very depressed, until Superintendent Budd suggests that the solution may be to select, this year, a May King instead. So they choose Albert Herring, the son of the local grocer, as the May King. Albert is not at all happy about his coronation or his "tied-to-his-mother's-apron-strings" reputation. Jealous of the freedom of his friends Sid and Nancy, he breaks free of the expectations of his mother and the entire town, as the audience cheers for him.
Benjamin Britten is one of England's most beloved twentieth century composers. The Penn State Opera Theatre's production of his comic opera ALBERT HERRING features twenty-two double cast undergraduate and graduate voice students. They are accompanied by the Penn State Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Gerardo Edelstein.
The opera will be performed Friday, April 13, and Saturday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. in Esber Recital Hall in Music Building I on the Penn State University Park campus. Tickets are $14, with a special rate of $4 for students, and can be purchased from the Eisenhower box office or at the door. Susan Boardman, the opera's director, plays the role of Mrs. Herring (Mum). Guest faculty soprano Jennifer Trost sings the role of Lady Billows in the Saturday performance. Musical direction is by Beverly Patton. The opera is suitable for all ages, including older children.
We're making an effort to start our concerts on time. For ticketed events especially in Eisenhower Auditorium, please plan to arrive early to purchase your ticket. Tickets for all our Eisenhower concerts are available by calling 814-863-0255 or
1-800-ARTS-TIX, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or visit the web at www.cpa.psu.edu.
For a complete listing of all concerts and recitals, please visit http://www.events.psu.edu and choose music performance events.
Contact: Candace Bishop cjb289@psu.edu