News Release

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April 3, 2006

The Medium and the Mafia Go to the Opera at Boise State University

The Boise State University Music and Theatre Arts Departments will present a double feature at 7:30 p.m. April 14 and 15 in the Student Union Special Events Center. Tickets will be available at the door for $5 general, $3 seniors and free for Boise State students, faculty and staff.

The performances will include Gian Carlo Menotti�s dramatic opera �The Medium� and Giacomo Puccini�s comic opera �Gianni Schicchi.� Both one-hour operas will be performed in English, in the Boise State Opera�s tradition of making the medium both fun and appealing for both novices and lovers of opera.

�Gianni Schicchi,� originally set in Florence, Italy, in 1299, has been updated to 1960s New York. The cast includes a hilarious bunch of mafia wannabes intent on getting their hands on the wealthy estate of a dead relative. Alex Fuhriman, a recent graduate of Boise State�s Department of Music, will play the title role. 

Guest artist Tiffany Calas, a mezzo-soprano and well-known Opera Idaho artist, will be featured in the dark, intriguing title role in �The Medium.� 

The Boise State departments of Music and Theatre Arts have long worked together on university opera and musical theatre productions, but this year marks the first time that a Theatre Arts faculty member has directed a Boise State Opera production. Ann Hoste of Theatre Arts will make her opera directing debut with �The Medium,� and professor Laura Rushing-Raynes of the Department of Music will make her directing debut with �Gianni Schicchi.� The casts include both music and theatre majors.

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Contact: Laura Rushing-Raynes, (208) 426-1975, lraynes@boisestate.edu

Media Contact: Julie Hahn, University Communications, (208) 426-5540, juliehahn@boisestate.edu

 Boise State University is the largest institution of higher education in Idaho with about 18,600 students and 2,200 faculty and staff. More than 190 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and technical degrees are offered within eight colleges. A metropolitan university located in the capital city, Boise State is committed to life-enhancing research, teaching excellence and public service.

 

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Last reviewed on Wednesday, January 03, 2007