The Leader
Life & Arts

Review: Hillman Opera captivates audiences with two different shows

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LERON WELLINGTON

Staff Writer

The School of Music shook things up this year by collaborating with the Hillman Opera and putting on two shows, “Dido and Aeneas” and “The Medium.”

The combination was brilliant, giving audiences two very different stories and musical styles: one, a Baroque tale of love that is separated by a vengeful sorceress and the other, a spine chilling story of a makeshift family’s encounter with the supernatural.

Putting on two full-length operas in under two months seems nearly impossible. But it can be done with the dedication of a large ensemble cast and the direction of Terry Beck. The adjunct professor of movement took on the challenge of directing operas that required dance and strong acting abilities.

He was more than pleased with the final product.

“I am extraordinarily proud of what was presented on stage by the phenomenal performers. For them to find the newness of of it, every night is like looking at a whole new production,” said Beck.

Tyler Mecklenburg, a senior music education major, played Aeneas in the first opera presented.

“Working with the cast was really easy this year. Because quite a few of us have been working together for three or four years, we just all knew what kind of professionalism and hard work was expected of us, and it happened,” said Mecklenburg.

Baroque dance was added as a complement to the music of the opera, which was both visually appealing and furthered the plot of Dido and Aeneas.

The acting performances in this production truly did stand out in comparison to the previous operas performed here. Samantha Luck, a junior voice and theatre arts major, played the role of the Sorceress in “Dido and Aeneas” and captivated the audience with the malevolence of her character.

“It was really interesting to be the villain because you get to step out of yourself and be somebody completely different. It was a lot of fun to explore a character that was so different from what I’m used to playing,” said Luck.

“The Medium” was led by voice faculty Lisa Layman. Her commitment, vocally and as an actress, was matched by the students. Seniors Lucia Helgren, a vocal performance major, and Jay Romero, an acting major, made it easy to root for their characters throughout the opera.

Kordell Hammond, a freshman musical theatre major who was seeing a Hillman Opera for the first time with these performances, said, “It left me overwhelmed with emotion, artistic inspiration and optimism for my future in the arts here at Fredonia. I felt like the performers in both operas all had convincingly strong performances and that really allowed me to indulge in their stories.”

Fredonia serves as an artistic sanctuary when it comes to performers who want to learn. The Hillman Opera was spectacular mainly because of the hard work of the students. The cast, orchestra and set was almost entirely students, but they were guided by faculty to achieve a performance that one could call professional.

What made this production so enjoyable was the perfect collaboration of art on stage. With great music, talented performers and striking visuals, the stories were not only brought to life but stayed with the audience after leaving the theatre.

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