Uno Scambio da Favola: Snow White Opera, 2006
As an artistic project Snow White dazzled; as part of the initiative Uno Scambio da Favola, Snow White demonstrated yet again Syracuse’s commitment to involvement with the Florentine community; and as a benefit event, the March 19th gala performance of Snow White renewed our dedication to the Meyer Children’s Hospital of Florence. Spring 2006 saw the second collaboration of SUF with the renowned Florentine opera house, the Teatro Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, in the production of the opera Snow White, by Italian-American composer Luigi Zaninelli. Directed by Vivien Hewitt, well-known in the international world of opera, Snow White featured lush, richly colored costumes by fashion designer Regina Schrecker. Lighting and stage design were created by SU professor Alex Koziara, already known to the SUF campus for his work on the opera Where the Wild Things Are. SUF was particularly pleased to collaborate on this opera with the
home campus through the Setnor School of Music. Thirteen Setnor students
came to Florence for the exhilarating experience of singing and performing
in the opera, along with their Italian peers from the MaggioFormazione School
of Music. |
In class we really got
the idea of working with the director, costume designer, and each
other to interpret and create outfits for use in an actual production.
This experience helped me to see fashion as a necessity for performance. Opera
Overview
Title:
Snow White Description: An opera based on the original fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm Music and libretto: American Luigi Zaninelli, composer-in-residence, Univ. of Southern Mississippi Director: Vivien Hewitt Orchestra Director: Michele Mariotti Set & Lighting Designer: Alex Koziara, SU Dept of Drama Costume Designer: Regina Schrecker Producers: Syracuse University in Florence in collaboration with Teatro Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Performance Dates: March 15, 16, 18, 21, 22, 23 Gala Event: March 19 |
The opera Snow White was developed within the context of a larger community initiative, Uno scambio da favola (A Magical Exchange) guaranteed to both entertain and benefit the local community. The ‘scambio’ foresaw the involvement of SUF student volunteers teaching Snow White in English to local elementary and middle school groups, most of who then went on to see the opera matinee performances as a class. A second component of the Scambio was an international conference entitled “The Importance of Fairy Tales in Early Childhood Development.” Yet another element of the ‘scambio’ was a large-scale drive by SUF in the community for used children’s books, which were then donated to a local children’s library. Lastly, an evening performance was given over to a much-publicized gala, with all proceeds going to benefit a long-time SUF “friend,” the Meyer Children’s Hospital of Florence, further strengthening our ties to and support of this institution.
Students studying in Florence assisted in lighting, set, and costume designs and worked as interns at the Teatro Maggio.
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