By Jordan Beach
Reinhardt’s School of Performing Arts has been working to put together a performance of “Signor Deluso” and select scenes from Italian operas to perform later this month.
The opera performance will take place Oct. 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. at University Theater.
“Please join us for two evenings of humanity and humor,” said Brian Osborne, assistant professor of music and music director for musical theatre and opera. “Reinhardt voice performance and music education majors present their showcase of this charming and poignant comment on human nature. Love hurts, but then heals, something that endures from one century to another.”
The first part of the evening will present older pieces, including “Cenerentola,” the Cinderella story by Rossini; “Le Nozze di Figaro,” or “The Marriage of Figaro,” by Mozart; “Il Matrimonio Segreto,” or “The Secret Marriage,” by Domenico Cimarosa; “L’Olimpiade” by Caldara; and “Paride ed Elena” by Gluck.
“Signor Deluso,” by Thomas Pasatieri is an opera written in English in the 20th century and is inspired by “opera buffa,” an opera form of rich tradition and perfected in the 18th century. “Opera buffa” includes stock characters, like young lovers, older comic characters, the all-knowing maid and the jealous wife. Osborne says, “there are misunderstandings around every turn and lots of comedy.”
“Signor Deluso is about a series of misunderstandings. Conversations are misunderstood and misinterpreted, interactions are suspect for no reason and jealousy is rampant,” said Osborne. “While funny, it reflects how we as humans jump to conclusions in our effort to protect ourselves from disappointment.”
