OCU Opera Twin Bill: Strawberry Fields and Gianni Schicchi at Oklahoma City University's Kirkpatrick Auditorium

OCU Operatic Twin Bill Presents Strawberry Fields, Gianni Schicchi

A bench in modern-day Central Park and the deathbed of a wealthy 17th century Italian merchant are the settings for two one-act operas, to be presented Feb. 21-23 by the Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University.

The twin bill of Michael Torke’s bittersweet Strawberry Fields (1999), performed in English, and Giacomo Puccini’s comic Gianni Schicchi (1918), presented in Italian with English supertitles, share top billing on OCU’s historic Kirkpatrick stage. 

The productions, directed by guest artist Claire Choquette, feature a 51-piece opera orchestra under the direction of Jan McDaniel.

“We paired two operas written 80 years apart, with very different musical styles, but connected in an interesting way,” said David Herendeen, director of OCU’s Opera & Music Theater Company. “Both operas are the third part of a trilogy and they both deal, very differently, with the passing of an elderly family member. One is voiced quite poignantly, and the other comically.”

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee. Tickets ($15-30) are available from 405.208.5227 or www.okcu.edu/tickets. An opening night dinner ($25) in the Bass Music Center Atrium will be held 6:15 p.m. Friday, featuring a themed menu and entertainment by Bass School musicians. 

Choquette, an Oklahoma native now based in Dallas, will direct both shows. A winner of Opera America’s Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize, she recently directed Little Women at Fort Worth Opera, Siren Song at Boston University, and Lucia di Lammermoor at Painted Sky Opera. She will present a free pre-show talk on Saturday and Sunday, beginning 30 minutes before curtain; Herendeen will present Friday’s talk.

OCU’s 73rd consecutive season of operas and musicals concludes April 11-13 with Cole Porter’s Anything Goes.

The Bass School of Music’s Oklahoma Opera & Music Theater Company, the nation’s oldest campus-based troupe, has been honored with 13 National Opera Association production awards, and selected multiple times by Playbill for its “Big Ten” honor roll of top schools educating Broadway performers. 

For details, visit www.okcu.edu/music.

MUSICAL TEAM:

Musical Director/Conductor: Jan McDaniel 

Associate Musical Director: Joe Fitzgerald

Repetiteur/Assistant Musical Director: João Pedro Pena Dutra

Assistant Musical Director: Sarah Gwatney

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Director: Claire Choquette

Assistant Director: Olivia Flores

Intimacy Choreographer: Joy Stachmus

Costume Designer: Ari Johnson

Assistant Costume Design: Dancie Vieyra, Adrian Montoya

Production Stage Manager: Jamison Ko

Strawberry Fields Stage Manager: Della Beckstrom

Assistant Stage Managers:  Molly Norton, Ella Studley 

Scenic & Projections Designer: Lauren McPherson

Assistant Scenic Design/Properties Supervisor: Mila Karp

Technical Director:  Brian Coleman

Strawberry Fields Lighting Designer: Erys Joos 

Gianni Schicchi Lighting Designer:  Annalise Caudle

Assistant Lighting Designer (Spots): Tait Truong

Assistant Lighting Designer: Jillian Elliott

CAST:

Michael Torke’s STRAWBERRY FIELDS will feature Jane Heidkamp and Maureen Morrissey as The Old Lady, Lucas Semrau and Parker Ellsworth (cover) as The Student, Giancarlo Holland and Caleb Cox (cover) as Son, McKenzie Lofgren and Makenna Jacobs (cover) as Daughter, Gabrielle Gore as Nurse, Grant Huneycutt as Workman, Alex Rodriguez as Panhandler, Presley Harrington as Boy, Raeslyn Miller and Malori Martin (cover) as Girl. The Chorus: Lailah Johnson, Malori Martin, Kylie Merrill, Caitlin Towell, Makenna Jacobs, Tatiana McAlpine, Amelia NeSmith, Samarah Robinson, Parker Ellsworth, Alek Lipinski, Lance Nájera, Tim Troilo, Caleb Cox, Caleb Kezeor, Jackson Murray, Ian Romero, and Dominc Sicola, guitar.

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GIANNI SCHICCHI, by Giacomo Puccini, will feature Josh Cominsky and Logan Dooley in the title role, Avery Benjamin and Rylee Polk as Lauretta, Alessandro Gucciardi and James Pendergast as Rinuccio, Kaytlyn Eagleton as Zita, Parker Ellsworth and Alek Lipinski (cover) as Gherardo, Anastassia Marr and Caitlin Towell (cover) as Gherardo, Blake Narcisian as Betto di Signa, Zane Brolin as Simone, Valentino Martone as Marco, Emma Johnston and Samarah Robinson (cover) as La Ciesca, Jackson Murray as Spinelloccio, Grant Huneycutt as Amantio di Nicolao, Caleb Kezeor as Pinellino, and Dominic Sicola as Guccio.

THE ORCHESTRA:

FIRST VIOLIN         

Grace Cavett, concertmaster

Kynlee Cook

Weston Tweddell

Emily Kent

Andrew White

Cassidy Ferguson

SECOND VIOLIN    

Grant Dominick, principal

Alaina Brady-Hummingbird

Isabella Maria Mertins

Madilynn Hinson

Addison Winesburg

Emily Harl

VIOLA       

Patrick Acosta, principal

Dubal Vargas 

Eylin Rocha

Florence Thompson

CELLO      

Nelson Conley, principal

Sam Smith 

Jaidan Ursich

Adrian Smith

BASS          

Eli van Swearingen, principal

Nathan Hobbs

FLUTE/PICCOLO   

Jenny Nguyen, principal

Naomi Tomko

Emma Gaona

OBOE         

Dakota Coker, principal

Jay Jiminez

Aidan Nuñez

CLARINET   

Julia Kahman, principal (GS)

Cristian Celis, principal (SF)

BASS CLARINET

Libby Revel

BASSOON 

Wesley Sloan, principal (GS)

Lince Ruiz (GS)

Emma Stoddard, principal (SF)

Aubrey Ketch (SF)

HORN        

Jacob Fleury, principal

Katelyn Thomas

Dylan Shockey

TRUMPET 

Gabe Carter, principal

Karl Huber

Wayne Hoover

TROMBONE

Benjamin Rihner, principal

Brandon Lowe

Garrett Carter

TUBA

Ajeet Singh

PERCUSSION

Aidan McCarty

Erick Benavides

HARP

Ryan Batt

PIANO/CELESTA

João Pedro Pena Dutra