Hutton Honors College

HHC - in Costume - at the Opera:
Gounod's Roméo et Juliette

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 * 7 p.m. Pre-performance Talk * 8 p.m. Performance * Musical Arts Center
Refreshments Provided * SIGN-UP REQUIRED * Main-floor Tickets: $10
Optional: 5:30 p.m. RPS Reception, Costume Contest, and Set Tour

In honor of Halloween (and in the spirit of Shakespeare) there will be an optional "costume ball" theme - so come dressed in your disguise of choice! The Hutton Honors College will be partnering with RPS for this event.

William Shakespeare's classic tragedy Romeo and Juliette has inspired dozens of operas, but Charles Gounod's five-act masterpiece is the most enduring of them all. The opera, written in the lyric and sumptuous style typical of the Romantic era, was an immediate hit when first performed in Paris in 1867. Gounod collaborated with librettists Jules Barbier and Michael Carré, whose adaptation closely follows the plot of the original play, opening with Shakespeare's prologue: "Two households, both alike in dignity, / In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, / From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, / Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean . . . ." This quintessential love story lends itself perfectly to the romantic and grandiose art of opera, as is evident in this magical production.

At 7 p.m. there will be a pre-performance talk, Opera Insights, in the mezzanine lobby, followed by the performance at 8 p.m. You are invited to arrive at 5:30 p.m. for an RPS reception and welcome by Gwyn Richards, dean of the Jacobs School of Music. The reception will also include a costume-judging contest. After the reception, you will have the opportunity to tour the venue and view the stage and sets before the 7 p.m. Opera Insights.

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