by Karen Hughes Beacom and
Lizabeth Jenkins-Dale
After the tremendous and well-received production of “Fiddler On The Roof”, you may think that The Soo Theatre Project will be slowing down for a while. Nothing is farther from the truth! There are at least ten more productions before the end of the year including the upcoming “Hansel and Gretel,” which will delight you and the entire family with its fairy tale story, angel ballet, evil witch, and triumph of Hansel and Gretel in freeing all of the gingerbread children.
2013 marks the eighth season of opera at the historic downtown Soo Theatre. All of the operas have been fully staged and accompanied by orchestra. From the first season, cast with talented young artists from the community to having our first guest professionals in residence the second year, the opera has grown into a sophisticated and eagerly anticipated event each summer here in Sault Ste. Marie, MI.
This summer’s performance of “Hansel and Gretel” will be no different. It will include a cast of opera professionals from around the country: Karen Hughes Beacom of Pickford, MI; Dawn Pawlewski Krogh of Lincoln, NE; Scott Wichael of Kansas City, KS; and husband/wife team Jon and Beth Truitt of Evansville, IN.
Other members of the cast who are pursuing performance degrees or are currently training at The Soo Theatre Project include Melanie Case of Depauw University, Becky McCauley of Central Michigan University, Adam Graber of Western Michigan University, Gabbie Pepin of The Soo Theatre Project’s STARS program, Hollyann Beck of The Soo Theatre Project’s STARS program, and more!
In addition, the cast will be complete with local opera apprentices who participate in a weeklong intensive workshop called the Opera and Vocal Workshop scheduled for August 5-9. These workshop participants, as well as those selected from auditions previously held August 26, will fill roles and also participate in the chorus in the main production to be performed August 15, 16, and 17 at 7:30 pm as well as a Sunday matinee at 2pm.
The tremendous value of this operatic opportunity is gaining invaluable education and experience from professional opera vocalists. Stage presence, theatre knowledge, vocal techniques, and inter-disciplinary cooperation, as the Soo Opera Orchestra and the Footlights Dance Theatre partner with this production, will all be part of this wonderful exposure to opera!
Please join us for the production of “Hansel and Gretel” August 15, 16, 17, and 18 as well as for the Opera and Vocal Workshop August 5-9. This workshop will have its own showcase on Friday, August 9 at 7 pm.
So many wonderful, confidence-boosting, and educational opportunities at The Soo Theatre Project this summer! No way is the historic theatre slowing down! See what is happening at www.sootheatre.org or at 534 Ashmun Street, Sault Sainte Marie, MI.
This article was originally published in the Soo Evening News on Sunday, July 28, 2013.
