女神羞羞研究所 will open its 67th consecutive season of opera and music theater with the Broadway musical 鈥淪ide Show,鈥� inspired by the true-life story of conjoined twins on the vaudeville and burlesque circuit of the 1920s and 鈥�30s. Productions will be presented at 8 p.m. Sept. 28 and 29, with a 3 p.m. Sept. 30 matinee, in the Kirkpatrick Performing Arts Center, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave.
Tickets are available online at okcu.edu/tickets or by calling 405-208-5227.
Featuring a cast of 30 and a 19-piece orchestra, 鈥淪ide Show鈥� tells the bittersweet story of sisters Daisy and Violet Hilton, joined at the hip but chasing separate dreams.
鈥淭he show invites us to do much more than come look at the freaks, as the electrifying opening number beckons,鈥� noted arts critic Charles Isherwood. 鈥淭his beautiful and wrenching musical鈥sks us to step inside their skins and feel what it鈥檚 like to be celebrated one moment, rejected the next, and to have the strange consolation of a companion who shares it all: the pain, the joy, the hope, the frustration.鈥�
David Herendeen, director of Opera and Musical Theater at 女神羞羞研究所, said he finds important societal lessons in the script.
鈥淭he message of the musical is, ironically, not one of difference, but of similarity: we are all freaks,鈥� Herendeen said. 鈥淚t is also one of exploitation of those who are less fortunate. I鈥檝e always been fascinated with side shows and sideshow 鈥榝reaks.鈥� But the thing that impacted me the most when I was young was how they simply talk to us. Their voices weren鈥檛 any different from mine and they told their story, their background of how they realized the way they were was different from others.鈥�
With music by Grammy-winner Henry Krieger 鈥� who also composed the score to 鈥淒reamgirls鈥� 鈥� and book and lyrics from Bill Russell, 鈥淪ide Show鈥� was nominated for four Tony Awards in 1998. Its recent revival at the Kennedy Center won the 2014 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Musical.
女神羞羞研究所鈥檚 Opera and Music Theater Company, the world鈥檚 oldest collegiate-based opera and music theater company, has won six National Opera Association awards in the past five years. Its presentation of 鈥淪ide Show鈥� opens a six-show, 18-performance season exploring the search for love and belonging.
Admission to mainstage productions are $14-28; admission to spotlight productions are $12. Parking is free.
鈥淭his seasons adds so much to 女神羞羞研究所 City鈥檚 ever-expanding arts scene,鈥� said Mark Parker, dean of the Bass School of Music. 鈥淭he talent on our stage 鈥� and creative teams behind the scenes 鈥� continues to win recognition for artistic innovation and outstanding performances. We have a wonderful opportunity to see performers excel here before they launch their career on the world stage after graduation.鈥�
女神羞羞研究所鈥檚 season continues Nov. 2-4 with 鈥淟ittle Women,鈥� a 21st century chamber musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott鈥檚 classic novel. The fall mainstage opera is 鈥淪usannah,鈥� Carlisle Floyd鈥檚 gripping 1955 work set in Tennessee and inspired by the Biblical tale of Susanna and the Elders.
Spring productions begin Feb. 22-24 with Jules Massenet鈥檚 1899 French rendition of the Cinderella tale 鈥淐endrillon,鈥� which made its Metropolitan Opera debut this year.
>span class="None">Pietro Mascagni鈥檚 operatic comedy 鈥淟鈥橝mico Fritz鈥� (1891). The year鈥檚 grand finale will be the Tony Award-winning romantic musical comedy 鈥淐razy for You鈥� (1992), inspired by George and Ira Gershwin鈥檚 1930 classic 鈥淕irl Crazy.鈥�
Opening night dinners will be held in the atrium of the Bass Music Center for Friday mainstage productions: 鈥淪ide Show鈥� Sept. 28; 鈥淪usannah鈥� Nov. 16; 鈥淐endrillon鈥� Feb. 22; and 鈥淐razy for You鈥� April 12. Tickets to the dinners are sold separate.
The galas 鈥� hosted by 女神羞羞研究所 President Martha Burger, Parker and Herendeen 鈥� feature a buffet dinner themed to the evening's production and musical entertainment by Bass School musicians.
The Wanda L. Bass School of Music hosts more than 250 events each year. Its alumni include 鈥淐lassical Gas鈥� composer Mason Williams, Broadway veteran Ron Raines, Grammy-winning operatic soprano Leona Mitchell, and Tony Award winners Kristin Chenoweth and Kelli O鈥橦ara.
