West Virginia University’s School of Music will blend the high drama of opera with the dark notes of crime in this year’s evening of one-acts, “Opera Noir!” The ensemble promises an evening when love and murder are never black and white.

They’ll perform Kurt Weill’s “The Seven Deadly Sins,” Paul Hindemith’s “There and Back,” and Gian Carlo Menotti’s “The Medium.” Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, through Sunday, Jan 24, in the Antoinette Falbo Theatre in the Creative Arts Center.

“The intimate setting of the Falbo Theatre lends itself well to the intricate, ironic plots found in these three chamber operas,” said Rebecca Kreider, director of the evening of one-acts. “In each opera, our leading characters deal with their own inner demons and the subsequent results of their actions.”

The Film Noir style of the black-and-white movies of the 1940s makes for an interesting backdrop and shared theme for the one-acts, all dealing with complicated moral choices.

Janine Ernsting, an undergraduate voice major, is playing Monica in “The Medium.” She’s been performing in WVU opera scenes and full productions for three years, and she enjoys the experience.

“It’s much easier to put emotion behind the character when you have a full production,” she said.

This year, she’s got the opportunity to share the stage with one of her mentors, Hope Koehler, an associate professor of voice and an accomplished operatic soprano in her own right.

“At first it was terrifying, but I can feed off of her great acting skills and her experience,” Ernsting said.

Koehler is also enjoying the experience. “It’s wonderful to see how my students work, how they apply what they’re learning in voice lessons,” she said. “More than that, though, I love singing this show with them because I always learn something from them. They are amazing young artists.”

Caryn Crozier is pursing a Doctor of Musical Arts in voice, and she’s playing one version of the character Anna in “The Seven Deadly Sins.” In it, Crozier assays Anna through song while Adelaide Estep articulates the character through dance. Crozier isn’t exempt from brushing up her choreography, though.

“It’s been a long time since I had to dance in a show,” Crozier said. “General Hambrick from WVU’s dance program has really pushed me to do things that I haven’t done in a very long time.”

Beyond the physical demands, the show offers psychological challenges. “It goes really deep into the psychology of the two Annas,” she said. “It’s fun to go deep and dark.”

“The Seven Deadly Sins” features the two aspects of Anna faced with seven different moral dilemmas over the course of seven years. “There and Back” portrays a tragedy born of a husband’s jealous rage. “The Medium” features a phony psychic (Koehler) who finds herself haunted by her own demons.

Kreider and Hambrick are joined by musical director and conductor James Mitchell. Voice professor, William Koehler, adds his talents to the cast of “The Seven Deadly Sins.”

For tickets and information, call the WVU Box Office at 304-293-SHOW.

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CONTACT: David Welsh, WVU College of Creative Arts
304-293-3397; David.Welsh@mail.wvu.edu

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