WT hosting two opera related performances of note

WT Opera to stage unusual ‘Postcard from Morocco’

CANYON — An upcoming West Texas A&M University opera production may be set in an infernal realm, but it’s meant to show students — and audiences — that there’s nothing to fear in tackling difficult material.

WT Opera’s staging of “Postcard from Morocco” is set for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 and 11 and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 13 in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall on WT’s Canyon campus.

“I did this as a student at Boston University, and it was the scariest thing I’d ever done,” said Sarah Beckham-Turner, assistant professor of music and WT Opera director.

It was frightening not because of its subject matter, but because the music was so daunting.

But the subject matter isn’t exactly breezy: Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s “A Child’s Garden of Verses,” “Morocco” depicts several waylaid travelers in a train station in the 1930s. Unbeknownst to them, the station is in some otherworldly realm, and they’re being picked off one by one by a puppet master who’s transforming them into mindless automatons.

Each passenger introduces themselves and the mysterious baggage they carry in a series of songs, prompting performer Brooklynn King to compare the one-act opera to the musical “Cats.”

“There’s no real plot until the last 20 minutes or so, and then it all goes crazy,” said King, a junior musical theatre major from Pearland. “This is probably the most unusual show people will ever see, and there are so many quirky, unforgettable characters.”

Part of the difficulty stems from the wide range of musical styles composer Dominick Argento pulls from — cabaret, operetta, jazz, even the grand opera tradition of Richard Wagner.

“I’ve never done a show like this,” said Taylor Lindley, a graduate student in vocal performance from Pampa. “I’m really excited to get out of my comfort zone and try something different.”

That’s the point, Beckham-Turner said.

“After I performed in it, I knew that I could do absolutely anything,” she said. “I haven’t been scared to learn any piece of music ever since.”

Leading opera star to give WT recital

CANYON — A world-renowned opera star will give a recital at West Texas A&M University while it hosts a regional conference.

Greer Grimsley, a bass-baritone who’s one of the most respected interpreters of Richard Wagner’s works, will perform with pianist Keith Chambers at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall on WT’s Canyon campus.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our community to see this world-class artist in the Texas Panhandle,” said Matthew Oglesby, Associate Lecturer in Voice. “Typically, you would have to travel to New York or internationally to hear Greer Grimsley, but we are blessed that he made time to join us for this evening at WT and doubly blessed that Keith Chambers is joining him.”

Grimsley most recently performed the role of Wotan in 2019 in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of “Der Ring ds Nibelungen.” He also has performed with San Francisco Opera, Dallas Opera, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Swedish Opera and elsewhere around the world.

Chambers, a nationally known opera conductor, will accompany Grimsley at the recital and also is helping prepare WT Opera for performances of “Postcard from Morocco” on Nov. 9, 11 and 13.

The recital will be held as WT hosts the Texoma regional conference of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. More than 600 attendees will participate in masterclasses, faculty artist presentations and vocal competitions from the high school level to post-graduate level.

Tickets to Grimsley and Chambers’ recital are $25 for general admission or $60 for a ticket and admission to a post-recital reception.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: WT hosting two opera related performances of note