English lyrics and book: Buck Ross
reduced orchestration: Omari Tau
director: David Gardiner
music director: David Richardson
choreographer: Joey Miller
scenic designer: Frank Ludwig
lighting designer: Ann M. Archbold
sound designer: Megan Gunderson
costume designer: Bryce Turgeon
cast: Katie Bean, Aidan Buckingham=Taylor, Alexandra Burch, Arianna Day, Jackson Diedrich, Hunter Evenson, Emma Finder, Jonathan Gill, Sierra Glosson, Abigail Hall, Cameron Henrickson, Zach Johnson, Aaryn Jones,Cameron Lande, Joseph Madary, Cale RauschMax Rosa, Deana Schmidt, Sarah Seegert, Libby Sorenson, Nick Temte, Leah Wons, Dylan Woodman, Emma Woods
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How often do you get the opportunity to see an opera like Orpheus in the Underworld? If you live in a major metropolitan area with a regularly producing opera company, perhaps there are more opportunities. But for those of us who live in a rural area, the opportunities are much less.
The production at Viterbo University was pretty average college fare. Most of the performances were somewhat tepid and the direction simple. As is often the case with opera, the voices are most important, and indeed, our leads (Arianna Day as Eurydice, Jackson Diedrich as Pluto, and Hunter Evenson as Jupiter) sing divinely.
The costumes are the star of the show, however ... with Cameron Henrickson as Mercury making an applause-worthy entrance and outshining the rest. The costume theme is clear and well conceived and beautifully executed.
I am not a fan of productions that add regional commentary and inside jokes and this production added more than a few. Not being previously familiar with the show, I don't know what the references typically are and how the modern references may have changed things.
The music is familiar, of course, and some may be surprised at just how familiar. You might not be expecting to hear the 'can-can' in an opera about gods and hell, but this is the show where that familiar piece originated.
I'm glad I went but this was definitely a college performance.
