On Thursday, May 22, 2025, the Lawrence University Opera Department held the annual Spring Scenes performance. Led by Director of Opera Studies and Associate Professor of Music Copeland Woodruff, Assistant Professor Kristin Roach and Assistant Professor of Music Dr. Shannon Gravelle, this yearly event includes a variety of opera scenes, ranging from Mozart to Sondheim. Vocalists, instrumentalists and costume designers have worked tirelessly all term to put together a showcase of different operatic styles, time periods and composers.
First was Act 1 Scene 1 from Gioachino Rossini’s “La Cenerentola.” This opera follows the French fairy tale of “Cendrillon,” or Cinderella. The opening scene depicts Cenerentola played by sophomore Jo Matchette, serving her two evil stepsisters, Clorinda and Tisbe, played by senior Chelsea Dongas and sophomore Ruby Recht-Appel respectively. The stepsisters torment her for singing quietly to herself of a good king who marries a pure-hearted girl. This trio is then joined by a beggar, Alidoro, played by senior Curtis Anderson, for an ironic episode of Cenerentola feeding Alidoro bread and coffee, while the two stepsisters flaunt their wealth and status, discussing the upcoming arrival of a wealthy prince. At the end of the scene, it is revealed to the audience that this beggar is the prince’s tutor in disguise, sent to find a girl with a kind soul worthy of marrying the prince. In addition to the costumes designed by junior JD Haak, the staging evoked the classic 17th century French setting of Cinderella.
Next came Act 3 of Georges Bizet’s “Carmen,” a daring 19th century opera telling the messy tale of a beautiful vagabond, a runaway soldier, smugglers and an egotistical, but heroic, bullfighter. Breaking with the traditional setting of 1820s Spain, costumes designed by fifth-year Zhanna Weil took inspiration from spaghetti westerns, complete with fringe, cowboy boots and prairie skirts. In this scene, Carmen, played by junior Eavin Puknys, becomes bored with Jose, telling him to go back to his mother. Meanwhile, Mercédès and Frasquita, played by juniors Megan Smith and Anna Milton, amuse themselves by reading their fortunes in a deck of playing cards, laughing about what they find. They are then joined by Carmen, who is convinced the cards foretell her and Jose’s deaths. Accompanied by first-year Abir Sud on piano and senior Benjamin Keating conducting, this scene from “Carmen” provides a look at 19th-century opera.
After the Bizet, Professor Woodruff introduced the next scene, “Schläft sie?” from “Ariadne auf Naxos” by Richard Strauss. Composed in 1912, this opera combines elements of an Italian low comedy form and traditional high opera. This combination comments on the battle for the Italian public’s attention between the high and low arts, with two competing troops of actors — one performing the Greek myth of Ariadne and the other a Burlesque show. The scene performed depicted the opera troop’s staging of Ariadne on Naxos. Left behind by Theseus after escaping the Labyrinth, Ariadne, played by senior Mariah Schaumberg, is left to die on the island of Naxos where she is visited by three nymphs: Najade, Dryade and Echo, played by senior Lily Thompson Nittler, sophomore B Duke and junior Ava Wadia, respectively. Costumes designed by junior Mercury Thornton portrayed the nymphs as nature spirits.
Next was Act 3 of “La Bohème” by Giacomo Puccini. This 1895 four act opera is the story portraying the Bohemian lifestyle of artists and a poor seamstress. In Act 3, while afflicted with tuberculosis, Mimì, played by junior Isabella Cerdan, desperately searches for Marcello, played by senior Matthew Carlson. Instead, she runs into Rodolfo and Musetta, played by seniors Preston Parker and Tanvi Thatai, respectively, who she overhears talking to Marcello about her illness and the short time she has left. This quartet was performed with Professor Krisitin Roach conducting and junior Ella Dorsey on piano, accompanied by costumes designed by sophomore Aimsley Shearer.
Kicking off the second half of the performance was the Act 2 Finale of Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” (The Magic Flute). One of the most popular operas in history, The Magic Flute remains a staple of the operatic repertoire. In this scene, three boys, played by sophomore Aly Redding-Lapuz, junior Sonya Penheiter and sophomore Alanna Willenson, inform a distraught and suicidal Pamina, played by junior Emily Hamm, that Tamino is in love with her, but had to keep a vow of silence to maintain membership in his initiation ritual. The costumes designed by senior Jordan Wallin-Swanson were reminiscent of a 60’s action movie, with the boys dressed as secret agents.
The following scene was the Prelude from Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music,” a modern opera taking influence from Broadway musicals and Sondheim’s signature composition style. A quintet of Mrs. Nordstrom, Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Segstrom, Mr. Erlanson and Mr. Lindquist, played by junior Ruby March-Tormé, sophomore Logan Kane, sophomore Alison Langteau, senior Benjamin Keating and sophomore Auden Svoboda, sets the scene for the musical with overlapping vocal flourishes and intertwined melodic passages, creating a chaotic feeling to represent Sweden 1900. This performance featured first-year Idil Kuner on piano, Professor Kristin Roach conducting and costumes designed by sophomore Tristyn Arndt.
Just before the brief intermission was another Strauss scene, this time the final trio of Act 3 from “Der Rosenkavalier” (The Rose Knight). This trio was performed by junior Dalena Williamson as Sophie, senior Francesca Rogers as Octavian and senior Sarah Ruiz as Marschallin. In this scene, Sophie and Octavian are finally allowed to be together, with the Marschallin offering them protection from Faninal (Sophie’s fiance). With costumes designed by senior Luna Wisdom and piano accompaniment by junior Isaac Epley, Strauss’ score took on a triumphant and ecstatic character.
To finish, the Lawrence University Opera Department performed two scenes from Evan Mack and Joshua McGuire’s “A Nearer Mother,” a modern opera taking inspiration from various facets of Broadway theatre and classical opera. It is based on the true story of Ruth Coker Burks, an AIDS awareness activist known as the Cemetery Angel, who, in the face of scorn from her church community, provided support for AIDS patients that had been abandoned by their support systems. In the first of two scenes, Ruth, played by junior Alex Berget, brings her child, Allison, played by Dongas, to a drag performance in order to better understand the community she is helping. Next is a domestic scene between Ruth, Billy — played by junior Sean Price — and Paul, played by Carlson. The ending aria from Price, “A Nearer Mother” left the audience yearning for more. Musically, this scene featured senior Kai Outzen conducting, Dr. Gravelle leading the chorus, Professor Krisitn Roach on piano and costumes designed by alumna Kellyn Gagner and Svoboda.