USU Opera Theatre Students Present "La Finta Giardiniera"

Utah State University Opera Theatre is producing Mozart’s opera, La finta giardiniera Feb. 2-4, at 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 4, at 2 p.m., in the Morgan Theatre in the Chase Fine Arts Center on the USU campus.

This classical masterpiece tells the story of a wronged countess who disguises herself as a gardener in order to navigate the intricacies of courtly love, revenge and the usual temporary operatic insanity. Both comedic and dramatic, the piece will be performed in Italian and English with English subtitles by USU vocal performance students. It is accompanied by the USU Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sergio Bernal. The production is guest directed by Daniel Helfgot.

“I wanted to produce Mozart for the student’s benefit,” Dallas Heaton, director of the opera theatre program in the Caine College of the Arts, said. “La finta giardiniera is the perfect fit for the talent we have this semester and allows each cast member an intensive chance to work in a semi-professional setting. We’ve brought in a professional and highly successful director and collaborated with the USU Symphony Orchestra to present this piece in an authentic manner.”

While this is not the first time the opera theatre program has collaborated with the orchestra or the first show they’ve produced in Italian, it will be the first time they’ve done the two together, Heaton said.

“The cast, orchestra, production team and everyone else involved have put in many hours of preparation,” Heaton said. “I suspect this show will be another crowning achievement for the ensemble and a unique source of cultural enrichment for the university and community. This is truly an event you won’t want to miss.”

Tickets for the opera are $10 adults, $8 seniors/youth, $5 USU faculty/staff and free for USU students with ID. For more information and tickets, contact the CCA Box Office in room L101 of the Chase Fine Arts Center on USU’s campus, call 435-797-8022, or go online to cca.usu.edu.

Writer and contact: Whitney Schulte, whitney.schulte@usu.edu, 435-797-9203