Ensembles: Opera

MSU Opera Theatre and MSU Philharmonic Orchestra presented Domenico Cimarosa's The Secret Marriage, Fall 2001

The Michigan State University College of Music's Opera Theatre presented three performances of the 1792 opera, The Secret Marriage on November 16, 17 and 18, 2001 at the MSU Music Building Auditorium.

This delightful comedy by Domenico Cimarosa, an Italian contemporary of Mozart's, was performed in a new English version by stage director and new MSU faculty member Melanie Helton, assistant professor of voice. The MSU Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by Raphael Jimenez, associate conductor of MSU orchestras and assistant professor of conducting, and doctoral candidate Glenn Klassen. The production was double-cast with students from freshman to doctoral level.

The production was updated to mid-19th century America, and involves a family of social-climbing merchants desperate to marry into royalty. The plot reads like an episode of Jerry Springer or Sally Jesse Raphael. This dysfunctional family tries to work everything out in sparkling and tuneful arias, duets, trios and ensembles.