Opera In The Rock presents Double Feature: a 1950’s Night of Comic Opera November 9th & 11th at The Studio Theatre featuring three short operatic comedies in English. Staged in one of the 20th-century’s most loved decades by Director Kayren Grayson Baker with musical accompaniment by Gio Antipolo – get ready for nosy neighbors, desperate housewives, giddy teens and more!
- Igor Stravinsky’s Mavra (1922), a satire about a proper household with a teenage Romeo and Juliet-like romance
- Liam Wade’s Part of the Act (2012), a love triangle between a showgirl, a crazed housewife and her simple-minded husband
- Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Telephone (1947), a hilarious look at young love competing with modern technology. The Telephone will be presented Friday night only as a special pre-show performance for VIP ticket holders.
Cast includes Joylyn Rushing as the three leading-ladies, hailed by OperaWire as a “powerful stage presence” with “real star potential,” alongside Nisheedah Golden, Sarah Stakiewicz Dailey, Christopher Turner, and Maxwell Owen of Dallas.
Get in the mood for a romp through the ‘50’s, the cast shares insight about their characters and their favorite thing about this decade.
Nisheedah: My favorite thing about the 1950’s was the nine brave black students who integrated Little Rock Central High School. They knew that they were deserving of a good education just like everyone else.
Sarah: Don’t underestimate Mabel (Part of the Act)! She’s got guts and is cleverer than she appears. The funniest thing about the Neighbor (Mavra) is her nosiness. She feels free get overly invested in everyone’s business.
Nisheedah Golden, Sarah Stankiewicz Dailey
Maxwell: Whether my character is digging himself out of a deep hole or professing his inner feelings, he can’t seem to give up! It’s quite entertaining to see just how far these characters are willing to go no matter the outcome!
Joylyn: Patricia (Mavra) rebels against her parents, Lucy (The Telephone) can’t have a real conversation with the man in the room who loves her, and Ginger (Part of the Act) doesn’t care about anything but her image. Through all the laughs there’s a lot more to walk away with than just the surface narrative. The era of “Father Knows Best” and “Leave it to Beaver” holds the idea that life is good and everything is as it should be, but it’s not hard to find the cracks in the picturesque image.
Christopher: Mavra reminds me of Mrs. Doubtfire because it’s a story where the boyfriend dresses up like the maid to get closer to his girlfriend. I think hands down the funniest thing about being Mavra is going to be running around on stage in a dress!
Maxwell Owen, Joylyn Rushing, Chistopher Turner
“You don’t want to miss OITR’s three one acts,” says Director Kayren Grayson Baker. “Expect a night of beautiful singing, exceptional tinkling of the ivories and some great laughs along the way!”
Double Feature will run for only two special performances benefitting Opera In The Rock so be sure to get your tickets!
Founded in 2012, Opera In The Rock is Arkansas’s only professional opera company. Its mission is to spread this beautiful art form with diverse communities across the state and create performance opportunities that support and nurture our local musical talent.
