News - November 21, 2008

Plans for opera progress full-scale

Singers for the lead character roles have been chosen from SU’s Setnor School of Music and the Italian music school Il Trillo. Costume designer Marina Turova is churning out preliminary sketches. Choreographer Keith Ferrone of the Florence Dance Company promises fantastic choreography for the production. Mattineé opera performances are sold out, with much demand for a fifth performance by local area schools. In short, plans are in full swing for the production of The Enchanted Dragon, SUF’s world-premiere children’s opera to be staged in April 2009 in Florence, Italy, at the Saloncino of Teatro della Pergola.

SU Florence Professor Prof. Eric Nicholson, after having completed the libretto a few months ago, has just completed final revisions on the version for the correlated children’s book, soon to be published as the fifth volume in SUF’s The Villa Rossa Series. Says Nicholson, “One has to rely on patience, creative tenacity, and a willingness to write, revise, edit, re-write, and refine every word in order to distil an opera story and libretto into a concise children’s book, written in the form of rhyming couplets. Hard work, yes, but also a great deal of fun!”

Progress continues on the home campus as well. Elizabeth Luttinger has completed much of the music score while Alex Koziara, artistic director and scenographer, is finalizing illustrations for the children’s book. Students involved in the SUF Storytelling Volunteer Program will also make use of the book as they travel to Florentine schools and teach the story, in English, to elementary schoolchildren.

Says SUF Director Barbara Deimling, “I am very excited about how all of the components of the opera are coming together and feel confident that this opera will be a wonderful part of SUF’s fiftieth anniversary celebration.”