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Albert Herring's Antics Turn Puritanism Upside Down at
San Francisco State University, Nov 6 to Nov 9

 

College of Creative Arts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS
Ariane Bicho, Publicist
College of Creative Arts
San Francisco State University
(415) 338-1442
(415) 338-0520 fax
abicho@sfsu.edu

Press Release published by the Office of Public Affairs

 


San Francisco -- Full of witty parody and allusion, Benjamin Britten's operatic masterpiece Albert Herring opens at San Francisco State University's Studio Theatre on November 6 continuing through November 9. The story features a gallery of beautifully drawn characters, including the young Albert Herring, who is crowned May King of his village in the absence of a suitable May Queen. But during the crowning ceremony, Albert has his first taste of liquor, with hilarious though affecting consequences. Presented by SFSU's School of Music and Dance and Department of Theatre Arts, the production will be performed to piano accompaniment with obbligato instruments.

Adapted from the original Guy de Maupassant short story, Le Rosier de Madame Husson (Madame Husson's May-King), Albert Herring was written in 1947 specifically to be a comic companion piece to Britten's recently completed operatic tragedy, The Rape of Lucretia (1946), with each sharing a chamber opera format. Together with Peter Grimes (1945), these represent an astounding three-year creative period for Britten as each of these full-length operas are considered masterpieces of a type and continue to be actively performed. The three works also share a theme that is central to many of Britten's works throughout his career, that of the individual at odds with society.

Albert Herring is directed by soprano Alissa Deeter, SFSU assistant professor of music, responsible for teaching private voice, vocal literature, vocal pedagogy and opera workshop classes. Deeter has also performed nationwide, including at the Santa Fe Opera and Central City Opera. Music direction is provided by pianist and composer Steven Damonte.

Schedule: Thursday, November 6, 8 p.m. (Preview); Friday and Saturday, November 7 & 8, 8 p.m.; Sunday, November 9, 2 p.m.. All shows are in the Studio Theatre located in the Creative Arts Building on the SFSU campus, 19th and Holloway Avenues.

Admission and Parking: Admission is $10 General/$5 Students and Seniors. For tickets and information, call the Creative Arts Box Office at 415/338-2467, Monday through Thursday, noon to 4 p.m.. Tickets also go on sale one hour before each show. Nearby on-street parking is readily available on weekends. Public parking is also available in Lot 20 on the SFSU campus, which can be accessed from Lake Merced Boulevard between Winston Drive and Font Boulevard. Parking in the lot is $1 per hour with a $5 daily maximum. For more information, see www.sfsu.edu/~parking.

The School of Music and Dance and the Department of Theatre Arts are programs of the College of Creative Arts at San Francisco State University. Under the direction of Dean Keith Morrison, an internationally acclaimed faculty directs over 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students in eight disciplines: art, design, cinema, radio, TV, music, dance and theatre. San Francisco State University is a highly diverse, comprehensive, public and urban university. For more information about the College of Creative Arts, please visit www.collegeofcreativearts.org.

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Last modified October 21, 2003, by the Office of Public Affairs