• Programs
  • Apply
  • Give
  • College of Fine Arts Home
  • Students
    • Advising
    • Areas of Study
    • Degrees
    • Performing Ensembles
    • Student Organizations
    • Studios
  • Admissions
    • Apply
    • Auditions
    • Scholarships
    • Theory Readiness Quiz
    • Deadlines
  • People
    • Directory
    • Musicians for Hire
    • Faculty Research
    • Music Advisory Board
    • Alumni Connections
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Events
    • Outreach
  • Facilities
    • Concert Halls
    • Recording Studio
    • Electro-Acoustic Music Studio
    • Technical Department
  • Donate
    • Giving
    • Medici Circle
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • College of Fine Arts Home
Home › News & Events › Events › “ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD” BY JACQUES OFFENBACH

“ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD” BY JACQUES OFFENBACH

Vocal Thursday April 5, 2018 - 7:30p.m. to 9:30p.m.Friday April 6, 2018 - 7:30p.m. to 9:30p.m.Saturday April 7, 2018 - 7:30p.m. to 9:30p.m.Sunday April 8, 2018 - 3:00p.m. to 5:00p.m.

Venue: Crowder Hall, 1017 N Olive Rd, Tucson, AZ 85721-0004

The University of Arizona Opera Theater presents “Orpheus in the Underworld” by Jacques Offenbach on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 5, 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 8 at 3:00 p.m. in Crowder Hall. There will be a post-performance talk-back after each show. The opera will be sung in English with supertitles.

(See photo gallery below.)

 

Off we go, down below, Orpheus will rock your underworld!

 

We all know the famous story of Orpheus and his Euridice. The University of Arizona Opera will be telling this story on stage – with a twist! Join us for Offenbach’s irreverent spoof, complete with the “Can-Can”! When Orpheus and Euridice find boredom in their marriage, the devious god, Pluto, offers a solution to the problem. He seduces Euridice and lures her down to the Underworld. Euridice’s presence causes a big stir among the gods of Olympus. Public Opinion (the woman whom we all know matters) sets the moral tone of the evening and keeps watch over the behavior of the characters.

 

Director Cynthia Stokes has set the show in the 1970s during the debauchery and glamour of the free-spirited era that brought you Studio 54, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Cher, Jimi Hendrix and Andy Warhol. The costumes, designed by Chris Allen, are a whirlwind of colors, pop art, platform shoes, and of course, glitter. The Fred Fox School of Music will be installing our very own three-story temporary dance club called Inferno 54, designed by Sally Day. Alcohol will not be allowed on stage, of course, but that’s why we have ambrosia and nectar.

 

Dr. Thomas Cockrell conducts the University of Arizona Symphony Orchestra in this light-hearted farce with many tunes that will have you dancing in your seats. Cynthia Stokes, the newly appointed director of opera and Amelia Rieman Endowed Chair in Opera Theater, brings a fresh and energetic perspective on a time old story.

 

Join us in Crowder Hall at the Fred Fox School of Music for this thrilling comedy. The performances will be on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 5, 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 8 at 3:00 p.m. in Crowder Hall. There will be a post-performance talk back after each show. This hilarious romp of Greek mythology will make hell seem like a party and you’re all invited! See you in hell!

 

 

Thursday & Saturday Cast

Orpheus: Emma Petersen

Euridic: Brianna Barnhart

Public Opinion: Kaitlin Bertenshaw

Jupiter: Mark Hockenberry

Venus: Bridget Marlowe

Mars: Jordan Murillo

Cupid: Anisa Jimenez

Diana: Chunghee Lee

Mercury: Sebastian Alameda

Pluto: Dan Marino

John Styx: David Ingram

Juno: Jenna Rosebrough

Minerva: Morgan Hardy

 

Friday & Sunday Cast

Orpheus: Jake Walters

Euridice: Kristen Lucas

Public Opinion: Matthew Alexander

Jupiter: Powell Brumm

Venus: Athena Beebe

Mars: Simon Faddoul

Cupid: Frannie Barrows

Diana: Shainy Manuel

Mercury: Jinzhou Jia

Pluto: Dan Marino

John Styx: David Ingram

Juno: Jenna Rosebrough

Minerva: Morgan Hardy

 

 

Cynthia Stokes, stage director

 

Stage and opera director Cynthia Stokes has devoted her professional career to creating provocative and thrilling productions across America. Her work has been praised for, “clear story-telling, theatrical sensibility and as having existential depths and evoking mythical resonance,” by the Philadelphia Inquirer; and, “funny and moving…as was the fatal confluence of illusion and reality…” by the San Francisco Chronicle.

 

Ms. Stokes is the artistic director of San Diego City Opera, which is dedicated to encouraging San Diegans to see their community in new positive ways by presenting opera in site-specific locations throughout the city.  City Opera’s first production, “Queen of Carthage,” a contemporary retelling of “Dido and Aeneas” was part of La Jolla Playhouse’s Without Walls Festival. Music critic Jim Chute said,” they got to the beating, beautiful, timeless heart of Purcell’s 1688 masterpiece. Their 45-minute reduction of Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas,” was an inspiration. She staged Dominic Argento’s song cycle “The Andrée Expedition” with three singers in an abandoned factory. Music critic Pam Kragen said, “ Stokes ends the engrossing piece with a surprising and moving theatrical flourish that features a soulful and stylish reunion of the dead and dying. Opera is at its best when it’s visceral, and City Opera’s imaginative conception of the tragic, true story of the Andrée Expedition has proven to be a natural.”

 

Other directing credits include: Michigan Opera Theatre, Mainly Mozart, The Vermont Opera Project, Rhymes with Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, San Diego Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Cincinnati Opera, Piedmont Opera, San Antonio Opera, Opera Carolina, Opera San Jose and The Los Angeles Philharmonic,

 

Deeply committed to encouraging the next generation of artists and audiences, Ms. Stokes started La Jolla Playhouse’s Summer Conservatory and San Diego Opera’s Summer Opera Training Program. She is currently on faculty at The Taos Opera Institute. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in directing from The University of California at San Diego.

 

 

Thomas Cockrell, music director and conductor

 

Dr. Thomas Cockrell has served as the Nelson Riddle Endowed Chair in Music, director of orchestral activities and music director of the UA Opera Theater at the University of Arizona since 2000. Cockrell is equally at home on the symphonic podium and in the opera pit, working with professionals or student musicians. In 2010 he was appointed artistic director of Opera in the Ozarks, which he had previously served as music director from 2003 to 2005.  He has conducted the professional symphony orchestras of Dallas, Cincinnati, Phoenix, Tucson, Louisville and Boulder, as well as several in Romania, Italy, Mexico and South Korea. Operatic credits include productions for Dayton Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Theatre of the Rockies and Washington D.C.’s Summer Opera Theatre. He served as the associate conductor of Cincinnati Opera, Opera Colorado, The Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Spoleto Festivals and music director of Denver Young Artists Orchestra. He was a member of the conducting faculty of the Interlochen Arts Camp from 2006 to 2008. Cockrell frequently is the conductor and clinician for regional and all state music festivals. In 2008 he was the conducting master teacher for the College Orchestra Directors Association national conference and is increasingly sought after for conducting master courses in the USA, Mexico, Asia and Europe.

 

Before coming to the University of Arizona, Cockrell was on the faculty of the University of California, Irvine and the State University of New York at Purchase. He has been a visiting professor at the National Academy of Music in Bucharest, Romania and a faculty artist at the Academie Internationale de Musique, Chateau de Rangiport.

 

Cockrell earned his Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University. He studied conducting with Franco Ferrara in Rome and at Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy. Additionally, he was an Aspen Conducting Fellow and completed advanced training at the Conservatoire Americain in Fontainebleau, France and the Tanglewood Music Center, where he worked with Gustav Meier, Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa.

CONTACT: Fine Arts Box Office, (520) 621-1162 or tickets.arizona.edu
TICKETS: $20, $15, $10

Download The
Event Program

Photo Gallery

News & Events

  • News
  • Events
  • Outreach
February 2023
SMTWTFS
------1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728--------
View All Events

Facebook

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music
7 hours ago
The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music

This content isn't available right now ... See MoreSee Less

This content isn't available right now

View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 4
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music
13 hours ago
The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music

The FFSOM is well represented at the AMEA conference! ... See MoreSee Less

View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 14
  • Shares: 1
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music
16 hours ago
The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music

Meet pianist Wenxin Guan and don't miss her performance with the ASO this weekend!

49th Annual President’s Concert – Arizona Symphony Orchestra
with 2022-2023 Concerto Competition winners
Gloria Ines Orozco Dorado, clarinet
Wenxin Guan, piano
Martina Portychova, mezzo-soprano
Emmy Tisdel, violin
February 4, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
February 5, Sunday, 3:30 p.m.
Crowder Hall, $10 music.arizona.edu/tickets

The concert will feature the Arizona Symphony Orchestra and student soloists who won the highly competitive University of Arizona Concerto Competition. Featuring clarinetist Gloria Ines Orozco Dorado, performing the “Black Dog Concerto” by Scott McAllister; pianist Wenxin Guan, performing movements II and III of the Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25 by Felix Mendelssohn; mezzo-soprano Martina Portychova, performing “Nobles Seigneurs, salut!” from Les Huguenots by Giacomo Meyerbeer; and violinist Emmy Tisdel, performing movement I of the Violin Concerto in D major, Opus 35 by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The students are selected from each area of the Fred Fox School of Music – strings, voice, wind and percussion, and keyboard. They represent the depth of talent at the school, shining in this performance with the Arizona Symphony Orchestra. Graduate students Yudai Ueda and Fátima Corona del Toro will conduct the students’ performances. The program will also include works by Myroslav Skoryk and Alexander Borodin, under the baton of Dr. Thomas Cockrell.

***

About Wenxin Guan

Wenxin Guan, a native of China, is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance at the University of Arizona under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Linder. She earned both a Master’s degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy and a Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Oklahoma in 2021, where she studied piano with Dr. Jeongwon Ham and Dr. John Murphy and piano pedagogy with Dr. Barbara Fast and Dr. Jane Magrath. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from Capital University in 2018, where she studied with Dr. Tianshu Wang. Wenxin’s playing has earned her numerous scholarships and grants, providing opportunities to perform both regionally and internationally (Eisenstadt, Austria). She has received awards in several piano competitions, including the MTNA Oklahoma Young Artist Competition, OMTA Collegiate Competition, the University of Oklahoma Concerto Competition, and Capital University’s Concerto Competition. She has also performed in masterclasses for Alexander Kobrin, Alan Chow, Alvin Chow, Lisa Kaplan, and others.
... See MoreSee Less

View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 0
  • Shares: 1
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music
19 hours ago
The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music

Meet violinist Emmy Tisdel and don't miss her performing with the ASO this weekend!

49th Annual President’s Concert – Arizona Symphony Orchestra
with 2022-2023 Concerto Competition winners
Gloria Ines Orozco Dorado, clarinet
Wenxin Guan, piano
Martina Portychova, mezzo-soprano
Emmy Tisdel, violin
February 4, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
February 5, Sunday, 3:30 p.m.
Crowder Hall, $10 music.arizona.edu/tickets

The concert will feature the Arizona Symphony Orchestra and student soloists who won the highly competitive University of Arizona Concerto Competition. Featuring clarinetist Gloria Ines Orozco Dorado, performing the “Black Dog Concerto” by Scott McAllister; pianist Wenxin Guan, performing movements II and III of the Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25 by Felix Mendelssohn; mezzo-soprano Martina Portychova, performing “Nobles Seigneurs, salut!” from Les Huguenots by Giacomo Meyerbeer; and violinist Emmy Tisdel, performing movement I of the Violin Concerto in D major, Opus 35 by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The students are selected from each area of the Fred Fox School of Music – strings, voice, wind and percussion, and keyboard. They represent the depth of talent at the school, shining in this performance with the Arizona Symphony Orchestra. Graduate students Yudai Ueda and Fátima Corona del Toro will conduct the students’ performances. The program will also include works by Myroslav Skoryk and Alexander Borodin, under the baton of Dr. Thomas Cockrell.

***

About Emmy Tisdel

Emmy Tisdel is a doctoral student in the Fred Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona, where she studies with Tim Kantor. She joined the Tucson Symphony Orchestra as a member of the second violin section in Fall 2022. Emmy has been selected as a P.E.O. Scholar for the 2022-23 academic year, and is also a former University of Arizona Doctoral Fellow. Within the University of Arizona, Emmy is a member of the Graduate String Quartet, the Cabrini Quartet. Emmy graduated from Oberlin Conservatory with a bachelor’s degree in music, from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University with a Master of Music, and from Schulich School of Music at McGill University with an Artists’ Diploma and a Graduate Diploma in music performance. She is a co-founder of Ensemble Urbain, a conductorless chamber orchestra based in Montreal; she is a faculty member for the SA’ Oaxaca strings international music festival, which provides free chamber music tutoring to students based in Mexico; and a member of Austin Camerata, an interdisciplinary chamber music organization based in Austin, Texas. She has played in masterclasses for people including Christian Tetzlaff, Jamie Laredo, and Ani Kavafian. Former teachers include Jinjoo Cho, Kenneth Goldsmith, David Bowlin, Samantha George, and Katie Brooks.

***
... See MoreSee Less

View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 6
  • Shares: 2
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music
2 days ago
The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music

Meet mezzo-soprano Martina Portychova!

49th Annual President’s Concert – Arizona Symphony Orchestra
with 2022-2023 Concerto Competition winners
Gloria Ines Orozco Dorado, clarinet
Wenxin Guan, piano
Martina Portychova, mezzo-soprano
Emmy Tisdel, violin
February 4, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
February 5, Sunday, 3:30 p.m.
Crowder Hall, $10 music.arizona.edu/tickets

The concert will feature the Arizona Symphony Orchestra and student soloists who won the highly competitive University of Arizona Concerto Competition. Featuring clarinetist Gloria Ines Orozco Dorado, performing the “Black Dog Concerto” by Scott McAllister; pianist Wenxin Guan, performing movements II and III of the Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25 by Felix Mendelssohn; mezzo-soprano Martina Portychova, performing “Nobles Seigneurs, salut!” from Les Huguenots by Giacomo Meyerbeer; and violinist Emmy Tisdel, performing movement I of the Violin Concerto in D major, Opus 35 by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The students are selected from each area of the Fred Fox School of Music – strings, voice, wind and percussion, and keyboard. They represent the depth of talent at the school, shining in this performance with the Arizona Symphony Orchestra. Graduate students Yudai Ueda and Fátima Corona del Toro will conduct the students’ performances. The program will also include works by Myroslav Skoryk and Alexander Borodin, under the baton of Dr. Thomas Cockrell.
***
About Martina Portychova

Born in Liberec, Czechoslovakia, Martina Portychova started her musical education when she was just five years old. She was enrolled at the elite Public Music Academy for piano, and auditioned for the prestigious Children's Choir, where she remained a member throughout high school. In 1995 Ms. Portychova moved from the rolling green pastures of the Czech Republic to the Arizona desert. She lived in Tucson where she attended University of Arizona and earned her Bachelor and master's degree in Voice Performance. When she was not performing, she would explore the desert on her Arabian horse Gypsy Gaim and compete in endurance races. She remained in the United States after her education was completed and moved to New York to seek her professional life. Recently she officially became a citizen here. This was an essential life goal, and her American identity is important in her life. Maintaining dual citizenship in both the Czech Republic and this country gives her a seamless advantage to working anywhere between the European Union and here in the United States. Having grown up in Eastern Europe, Ms. Portychova speaks several languages. Russian, Czech, German, French, Italian, and Latin are her most fluid. Her other personal interests include skiing, horseback riding, and target shooting.
***
Don't miss Martina in the role of Carmen this April!
“La tragédie de Carmen” adapted by Peter Brook, music by Georges Bizet
Friday, April 14, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 16, 2023, at 3:00 p.m.
Crowder Hall, $20, 15, 10
... See MoreSee Less

View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 3
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 1

Comment on Facebook

I know this will be a lovely performance, Martina!

The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music
2 days ago
The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music

Check out our February 2023 Concertlist! ... See MoreSee Less

The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music Concertlist

conta.cc

View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 5
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

Load more
  • Students
    • Advising
    • Areas of Study
    • Degrees
    • Performing Ensembles
    • Student Organizations
    • Studios
  • Admissions
    • Apply
    • Auditions
    • Scholarships
    • Theory Readiness Quiz
    • Deadlines
  • People
    • Directory
    • Musicians for Hire
    • Faculty Research
    • Music Advisory Board
    • Alumni Connections
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Events
    • Outreach
  • Facilities
    • Concert Halls
    • Recording Studio
    • Electro-Acoustic Music Studio
    • Technical Department
  • Donate
    • Giving
    • Medici Circle

Fred Fox School Of Music

P.O. BOX 210004
1017 North Olive Road
Music Building, Room 109
Tucson, AZ 85721-0004

Email: musicweb@cfa.arizona.edu

Phone: 520.621.1655

Fax: 520.621.8118


Console

Copyright © University of Arizona 2023

University Privacy Statement

College of Fine Arts

P.O. BOX 210004
1017 North Olive Road
Music Building, Room 111
Tucson, AZ 85721-0004

Email: finearts@cfa.arizona.edu

Phone: 520.621.1302

Fax: 520.621.1307

en English
en Englishes Spanishzh-CN Chinese (Simplified)ko Korean