UGA Opera Theatre prepares Mozart “romantic comedy” for Valentine’s Day weekend

The UGA Opera Theatre’s spring production presents a world-famous opera at, perhaps, the most appropriate time of year: Mozart’s classic love story, “Così fan Tutte.”

The opera will be performed in the UGA Fine Arts Theatre on February 12 and 13 at 8 p.m. and February 14 at 3 p.m.

“This is the perfect Valentine’s Day treat,” said Frederick Burchinal, director of the UGA Opera Theatre. “This opera—also called The School of Lovers—is filled with intrigue and deception, combined with beautiful scenery, elegant historical costumes, magnificent voices and orchestra, all in the intimate setting of the UGA Fine Arts Theatre.”

Told over two acts, “Così fan Tutte” tells the story of two soldiers, their fiancées and a wager that tests their fidelity. Once two outside meddlers join in to create an elaborate ruse, the game is on in what Burchinal calls a “romantic comedy” and “one of Mozart’s great compositions.”

The cast of six includes four UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music graduate students: Laura Anne Cotney, Rachel Eve Holmes, Brett Pardue and Isaiah Feken, who will also be featured as Sweeney Todd in the Theatre and Film Studies department’s April production.

The cast also includes the return of two alumni singers, Avery Draut and Richard Block, who are currently pursuing professional singing careers.

Other guest artists include Vince Liotta and Maestro Imre Pallo, who will contribute to the production as guest stage director and conductor, respectively.

Vince Liotta comes to Athens for the first time, having directed more than one hundred different productions in his repertory with international acclaim in theaters including the Chicago Lyric Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Vienna Staatsoper.

Maestro Imre Pallo, principal conductor of the New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, and Deutsche Oper Berlin, returns to conduct the UGA Opera Orchestra after successes with previous UGA productions of Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore and Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz.

The opera will be sung in Italian as originally written with English supertitles displayed on a screen above the stage.

Tickets are $18 each or $5 with a UGA student ID and are available at pac.uga.edu, 706-542-4400 or by visiting the Performing Arts Center box office.

Parking will be available at the Tate Center, the Hull Street Special Collections Parking Deck and W01 Lot on Lumpkin.