ARTS . Arts Picks

L'Egisto

Fri., April 25, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., April 27, 3 p.m.; $20, Tomlinson Theater, Temple University, 1301 W. Norris St., 800-298-4200, temple.edu/boyer.


	print	email	reply	rss feed

Published: Apr 22, 2008

opera

(CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

Temple Opera Theater is putting on a production this weekend of a work that is funny, sexy and dramatically exciting. It is filled with florid, often lush vocal writing. Something new? Actually, L'Egisto, from the pen of Francesco Cavalli, was first performed in 1643, in Venice. Some things never go out of fashion, including sex and comedy. And in Cavalli's love tale, unlike most of those of the later Italian composers such as Verdi and Puccini, there is even a happy ending. The girl doesn't die. This is just the sort of opera that the Temple team has a lot of fun with, putting together large, colorful productions that draw on the multiple disciplines of Temple's fine arts departments in a way that is not usual for other area student productions. Music director John Douglas and producer Jamie Johnson have superb track records, which bodes well for another standout performance of unusual repertoire.

Fri., April 25, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., April 27, 3 p.m.; $20, Tomlinson Theater, Temple University, 1301 W. Norris St., 800-298-4200, temple.edu/boyer.