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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance
Conservatory Connections: Strike a Pose
Thursday, June 25 at 6:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Bloch Lobby, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art
4525 Oak Street, Kansas City, Missouri 

Conservatory Connections is the community outreach program of the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, and on June 25 they will present two performances of a music and dance presentation at the Nelson Atkins Museum, to complement the Museum's exhibition of the works of George Segal, entitled "Street Scenes." The choreography is by Paula Weber.

Best of all, no ticket is required and the performance is free. 

For information online, see www.conservatory.umkc.edu or www.nelson-atkins.org.  Check the calendar of events section of either web site. 

Kansas City Civic Opera
Don Pasquale
Friday, June 26 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 28 at 2:00 p.m.
Goppert Theater, Avila University
119^th and Wornall, Kansas City, MO

Summer time in Kansas City is tough sledding for true-blue opera fans, as there isn't much going on because of the summer shutdown of the Lyric Opera and the opera programs at both UMKC and the University of Kansas.  However, not to fear...our own community opera company, the Kansas City Civic Opera, has stepped into the breach with a summertime presentation of Gaetano Donizetti's delightfully hilarious Don Pasquale.  It will be presented the last weekend in June at Avila College.

Okay, let's face it.  The plot of Don Pasquale is basically the same as that of almost every other comic opera: a lovely young girl and a handsome fellow wish to get together, but are being thwarted by a dirty old man, who has designs on the girl.  But through various tricks and machinations, often with the aid of sympathetic friends, they defeat the dirty old man, leave him embarrassed and embittered, and walk off arm in arm at the end.

Such a plot may be easy to recite, but to pull it off musically is actually one of the trickiest things a composer can do, and nobody ever did it better than did the early 19^th century bel canto master, Donizetti.  In fact, although he was ill and nearly dying at the time he wrote Don Pasquale late in his career (1843), his musical invention had lost none of its charm.  In a poll of opera experts taken by a European opera magazine about ten years ago, Don Pasquale ranked among one of the top five comic operas ever written (curious about the others?  They were Il Barbieri di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) and Der Rosenkavalier (Cavalier of the Rose)).

David Adams, the fine tenor who also serves as the general producing director of the Civic Opera, has put together a fine production team for this performance.  Bass baritone Kurtis Shoemake, soprano Julie Wyma and tenor Ben Hilgert, all of the UMKC Conservatory of Music, sing the principal roles. Jeremy Mims will conduct and Rick Truman is doing the stage direction.  It should be just plain midsummer fun. 

For tickets call (816) 719-1835, or e-mail at COTofKC1@gmail.com. The Civic Opera web site is www.kccivicopera.org. 

Des Moines Metro Opera
Tosca June 19, 21 and 26; July 1, 4 and 12
Der Freischutz June 20 and 28; July 3, 7 and 11
The Barber of Seville, June 27 and 30; July 5, 8 and 10
Blank Performing Arts Center
Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa 

There is one more option for opera diehards who want a taste of opera during the summer.  Just a three hour drive from Kansas City is the Des Moines Metro Opera, which actually performs in Indianola, Iowa just south of Des Moines. Founded 37 years ago by a Simpson College professor and opera fanatic, Dr. Robert Larsen, the Des Moines Metro Opera summertime festival has become one of the best-known in the country.  Fans from all over the country flocks to Iowa, believe it or not, to enjoy outstanding productions in a small-scale theater which you can almost reach out and touch the performers.

Don't be fooled; the Des Moines Metro attracts top-class talent, easily comparable to the singers we often enjoy at the Lyric Opera here in town.  The festival features a fine chorus made of summertime apprentices from music conservatories around the country, and the stage direction and conducting, both by Dr. Larsen, are outstanding.

This season's summer festival features a couple of old warhorses - Tosca and The Barber of Seville - and one unusual piece, Weber's rarely performed Der Freischutz (The Freeshooter).  If you plan it right you can catch all three operas on the same weekend.  Don't be surprised if you see some friends while you are there...many Kansas Citians love to journey north for a weekend to catch the action in Indianola. 

For tickets call (515) 961-6221 or online at www.desmoinesmetroopera.org.

By Don Dagenais

City Classics Music and Dance Columnist; Classical Contributor

A lifelong classical music fan, Don Dagenais is a frequent preview speaker for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and has taught classical music and opera courses at several Kansas City venues. He has served on the boards of directors of a number of performing arts organizations including the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the Lyric Opera Guild, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, Opera Volunteers International, the Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City, Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony, Octarium, and the Friends of the Symphony.  He has been the past president of most of these organizations and is current the president of the Friends of the Symphony. 

Dagenais co-authored a history of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, published on the occasion of its 50th anniversary (2007) and has written books on the histories of both the Lyric Opera Guild and Opera Volunteers International, as well as an introductory book for opera novices (Your Passport to the Opera).  He has received several local and national awards for outstanding volunteer work for the arts, including a lifetime achievement award from The Coterie Theatre in 2000, the Kansas City Musical Club's annual award in 2001, a Partners in Excellence Award from Opera Volunteers International in 2002, a Bravo Award from Opera Volunteers International in 2004 and a community service award from the Daughter of the American Revolution in 2008 honoring him for his community service to the arts.

In addition to his music interests, Don is president of the board of directors for the Metropolitan Ensemble Theater and has served on the boards of The Coterie Theatre and the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, serving as president of each organization.  He publishes newsletters for seven arts organizations.  When not involved in the performing arts, Don is a senior real estate attorney with Lathrop & Gage LLP in Kansas City, Missouri, where he has practiced law since 1976 after graduating from the Cornell Law School.