Baylor to Stream a Pair of One-Act Operas

Baylor Opera Theatre will present one-act operas by American composers Samuel Barber (1910-1981) and Tom Cipullo (b. 1956) on Friday, March 19, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Barber wrote his A Hand of Bridge in 1958 to a libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti. The opera takes the form of a tableau in which two couples play a game of bridge, with the characters singing arias that reveal their true thoughts to the audience. Menotti’s libretto makes frequent use of wordplay, often using a term from the game of bridge to allude to a character’s secret desires.
Performers will be Evan Welliver (David), Hannah Hyden (Geraldine), Kyle Felkins (Bill), and Gigi Bautista (Sally). A Hand of Bridge is directed and produced by Jen Stephenson, assisted by Kate Bishop, with musical preparation and piano accompaniment by Joseph Li.
Cipullo composed Lucy in 2009 to his own libretto. The story tells of an elderly woman who is often visited by a young man. She must try to decide whether he is real or just a pleasant delusion for her declining time on earth. Whichever, Lucy freely admits to being lonely and missing her husband, and she welcomes the young man to stay and keep her company. Lucy makes stunning use of the short-form opera to tell the touching story of an elderly woman and her relationship with her past and future.
Performers will be Emily Wood (Lucy) and John Jovicich (Young Man). Lucy is directed and produced by Jen Stephenson, assisted by Charity Cooper, with musical preparation and piano accompaniment by Joseph Li.
To join the virtual audience for these Baylor Opera Theatre productions, visit the School of Music’s streaming page at baylor.edu/music/live.