NewsRelease

UNCG Presents "The Merry Wives of Windsor" in April
 

Falstaff, played by Sidney Outlaw, smiles smugly as he tries to seduce Mrs. Page (Nicole Asel), left, and Mrs. Ford (Renee Sokol), right, in "The Merry Wives of Windsor." The opera opens April 3.

GREENSBORO — “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” a comic opera based on Shakespeare’s rollicking romantic play, will entertain audiences at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in April.

The performances will be presented by the UNCG School of Music and the Department of Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, April 3 and 4, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 6.

German composer Otto Nicolai wrote the three-act opera in a largely Italianate style. It was first produced in Berlin on March 9, 1849, two months before his death. Written in German, the opera will be sung in English for the UNCG performance.

Shakespeare’s plays have inspired many composers. Verdi took on Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” marrying the comedy with “Henry IV” to produce “Falstaff.” The German opera, however, follows the play of the same name more closely than its Italian counterpart. Its famous overture is a staple of the standard symphonic concert repertoire.

“The music is romantic but with a classical foundation,” said David Holley, stage director and professor of opera at UNCG. “It sounds like Mozart but with advanced harmonies that are more toward romanticism.”

The two-hour opera opens with a duet by the merry wives, Mrs. Page and Mrs. Ford, as they compare identical love letters from Sir John Falstaff. Discovering Falstaff’s deception, the wives scheme revenge. The ensuing action involves jealous husbands and the thwarted Falstaff being dumped in the Thames with a load of laundry. Meanwhile, a second plot line follows Page’s lovely daughter, the Mistress Anne Page, who is being courted by three suitors – Dr. Cajus, Slender and Fenton.

The annual spring opera is traditionally a collaboration that unites faculty and students from across campus, including artists from theater, opera and dance.

The School of Music will provide the singers, under the direction of producer and stage director, David Holley, and conductor and musical director, Robert Gutter.
Sidney Outlaw will sing the lead role of Sir John Falstaff. The merry wives will be played by Renee Sokol (Mrs. Ford) and Nicole Asel (Mrs. Page). Rita Dottor will sing the part of Anne Page, while Jeffery Maggs will play her victorious suitor Fenton. Rounding out the cast will be Charles Stanton (Mr. Ford), Jeffrey Carlson (Mr. Page), Nathan Kling (Slender), and Daniel Hunter-Holly (Dr. Cajus). The opera will be accompanied by the UNCG Symphony Orchestra and include a 25-member chorus.

Technical aspects of the production will be designed by the UNCG Department of Theatre. The team will consist of production manager John Wolf, technical director Zachary Stevenson, costume coordinator Gay Hensley, set designer Marlaina Seay, and lighting designer Erin Hisey.

Eluza Santos, associate professor of dance, choreographed the pivotal scene in which Falstaff is tormented by sprites and fairies in Windsor Park.

Ticket prices are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and students and $6 for UNCG students. For more information, call the university box office at (336) 334-4849 or visit the Department of Theatre on the Web at  www.uncg.edu/the.

#####
 

Back to the Latest News Releases
Return to the University News Service Home Page