An uplifting, coming-of-age story set on a Midwestern farm will be staged at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in April as part of the Music Department's annual Opera Workshop.
Aaron Copland's "The Tender Land" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 5-6, in Michelsen Hall at the Noel Fine Arts Center, 1800 Portage St., Stevens Point. The production features voice students under the direction of Professor Susan Bender, and students in the university's Symphony Orchestra, directed by Assistant Professor Andy Moran.
Set in a small rural Iowa town after World War II, "The Tender Land" is the story of Laurie, a young farm girl yearning for a way out. When a traveling worker is hired to help with the spring harvest, he and Laurie fall in love, setting off rumors and trouble in the tightly knit town.
"This is a relatable, sweet story with beautiful choruses," said Bender. With its American music, authentic clothing and a set filled with hay bales, wagons and the recreated farmhouse from the iconic "American Gothic" painting, the show makes opera accessible for Central Wisconsin audiences.
"Audiences may find they are reminded of the Golden Age of Rodgers and Hammerstein when they hear the music, but we aren't using microphones for projection and the ranges are broader," said Bender.
Among the pieces in the show is "The Promise of Living," a famous choral work. In "Stomp Your Foot," the UW-Stevens Point Concert Choir will join the cast for a square dance sequence. Steve Gonske of Stevens Point, president of a local square-dancing club, taught the students the steps.
Many of the voice students are acting for the first time, so they are learning to connect the lyrics to a gesture or movement, said Bender. This method allows them to create their character physically as well as vocally. "Given the tools, they really rise to the challenge," she said.
During rehearsals, Dennis Willhoit, the executive director of The American Gothic Performing Arts Festival, is meeting students from the show to cast for another performance of "The Tender Land." This one will be staged outdoors in Eldon, Iowa, in June, on the lawn of the original "American Gothic" home.
Tickets are $17 for adults, $10 for students with any student I.D. They may be purchased through University Information and Tickets in the Dreyfus University Center Concourse, by calling 715-346-4100 or at http://tickets.uwsp.edu.
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