A masterpiece of comic opera will come to life when Wichita State University’s Opera and Musical Theatre Series presents “Albert Herring” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 21-23, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24, in Wilner Auditorium. Tickets are $16 with discounts available.
The opera, by Benjamin Britten and Eric Crozier, will be in English with titles. Critcs have said that “Albert Herring” proved that Britten could create comedies that were just as successful as his dramatic masterworks such as “Peter Grimes” and “Billy Budd.”
Marie Allyn King
When time comes to crown a Queen of the May for the town’s annual spring celebration, it becomes clear that the village of Loxford has a deficit of virginal young ladies. Albert Herring, an innocent young man dominated by his mother, is selected as May King instead. Albert is considered somewhat simple, but sufficiently virtuous.
At the spring celebration, the bashful Albert is honored with a virginal crown of orange blossoms and 25 pounds in prize money, only to launch a night of revelry that leaves his elders aghast and his chums impressed.
The cast includes faculty associate professor and mezzo soprano Deborah Baxter as Lady Billows, and a mix of undergraduate and graduate students and alumni in the lead and other roles. Florence Pike is portrayed by Erin Mundus; Miss Wordsworth, shared by Jennifer Williams/Heidi Smorstad; Mr. Gedge by Steven Cox; Mr. Upfold by Theodore Dvorak; Superintendant Budd, shared by Marland Chang/Yung Jin Lai; Sid by Matthan Black; Albert Herring, shared by Aaron Short/Brian Yeakley; Nancy, shared by Jennifer Weiman/Stephanie Goodwin; Mrs. Herring by Virginia Revering; Emmie by Leanne Scaggs; Cis by Catherine Bartomeo/Lydia Pirilli; and Harry, shared by Stefanie Randall/Catherine Behrens.
Stage direction is by King, music conducted by Mark Laycock, set by Andy Rouse, costumes by Rebekah Priebe, lights by Will Johnson and props by Tom Mittlestadt.