MSU Opera Workshop to present āRAGTIMEā
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.āThis weekend, Ā鶹“«Ć½ Stateās Department of Music presents the turn-of-the-century musical, āRAGTIME.ā
The family-friendly Opera Workshop production takes place Thursday, Friday and Saturday [Oct. 20-22] at the First United Methodist Churchās Connection Center.
General admission is $12 for performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; $8 for children, seniors and MSU students, faculty and staff with identification.
Ticket purchases may be made at the door or reserved in advance by contacting the departmentās choral office at 662-325-3490.
The downtown Connection Center is located a short distance east of the church at the intersection of East Lampkin and South Washington streets in Starkville.
The Thursday evening production will be preceded by a ragtime music performance from self-taught jazz pianist Charles H. āChipā Templeton Jr., director of the MSU College of Businessā Small Business Development Center. He also is son of the late Charles H. Templeton Sr., namesake of MSU Mitchell Memorial Libraryās Charles H. Templeton Sr. Music Museum and annual Charles H. Templeton Ragtime and Jazz Festival.
A 1998 Tony Award-winning musical with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, RAGTIME is a powerful work that continues to be relevant and moving. Set in 1906, it tells the story of three very different families living in Americaāan African-American couple facing boundless racism and injustice; a Jewish immigrant father and daughter seeking success only to discover that they can barely earn a living; and a white upper class family that becomes involved in these struggles and realizes for the first time that there is a world beyond the one they know.Ā
The productionās ragtime, cakewalks and gospel music make for an incredible depiction of early-1900s America, according to Jeanette Fontaine, MSU assistant professor of voice and Opera Workshop instructor.
āOpera Workshop provides music majors and non-majors with the opportunity to perform in scenes and full productionsĀ of both operatic and musical theatre genres,ā Fontaine said. āIt is an excellent opportunity for students to become acquainted with the many facets of live theatrical performance.ā
In addition to movement and gestures, acting, dance and choreography, and dialogue, Opera Workshop participants learn about behind-the-scenes aspects of stagecraft, including hair and makeup, costuming, set design, and construction and lighting.Ā
For more Opera Workshop information, contact Fontaine at 662-325-8775 or jfontaine@colled.msstate.edu.
Complete details on MSUās nationally accredited Department of Music can be found at Ā .
MSU is Ā鶹“«Ć½ās leading university, available online at .