The Ithaca College Opera Workshop will present Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas on Tuesday, November 9, at 8:15 p.m. in Ford Hall of the James J. Whalen Center for Music.
The free performance, which will last about an hour, will be directed by Patrick Hansen.
Hansen has recast the original story from 1689, which itself combined two mythological stories, into an unspecified time period much like the present political climate. Student assistant director Melanie Fishman explained that "groups of characters become, variously, members of the media and "West Wing"-style power-seekers. A key element of the staging is two monolithic televisions, playing oddly juxtaposed scenes familiar to modern TV viewers. The images, while initially seeming to contrast with the action, ultimately connect with the story in unexpected ways."
For more information on any Ithaca College School of Music concerts, call 274-3717.
Contributed by Erik Kibelsbeck
