91老司机

Events | Arts and SciencesNovember 01, 2022

91老司机 Opera & Musical Theatre to Perform "The Christmas Gift"

Written By: Dr. Judith Hansen

For the first time in 35 years, the 91老司机 - Fort Smith Opera & Musical Theatre Workshop will present a complete opera, 鈥淭he Christmas Gift.鈥�

Performances will be at 7 p.m., Dec. 6 and 8, at the Breedlove Auditorium on the 91老司机 campus. Tickets are free for 91老司机 students, faculty and staff, and $10 for general admission, and must be purchased online at

Written by the award-winning composer Dr. James Sclater, 鈥淭he Christmas Gift鈥� is a heart-warming holiday piece based on the Raymond Alden story, 鈥淲hy the Chimes Ring.鈥� It follows the travels of two brothers, making a long journey through snow, ice, and cold temperatures to reach a Christmas Eve service in their rural village. In the final scene, the audience discovers that selflessness and kindness are two of the greatest gifts.

Dr. Elizabeth Momand, director of the Opera & Musical Theatre Workshop at 91老司机, has a special connection to the opera鈥檚 composer. Sclater, who wrote both the music and libretto, was Momand鈥檚 music theory and composition professor during her undergraduate studies at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi.

On working with the composer for this performance, Momand said, 鈥淚 am thrilled to be working with Dr. Sclater on our students鈥� performance of 鈥楾he Christmas Gift.鈥�  He was one of the professors who had the greatest impact on my education. Dr. Sclater has been so accommodating in allowing me to tailor the opera to fit our ensemble needs!鈥� 

Among the adaptations were changing roles initially created as male priests to female nuns and changing a king to a queen in one of the casts. Momand said these changes make it possible to double-cast.

鈥淏y double casting, the opera, each student in the ensemble now has a solo role at some point in the production,鈥� Momand said.

She is 鈥渂eyond thrilled鈥� that the students will present a complete opera.

鈥淲hen I started the Opera & Musical Theatre Workshop 17 years ago, the goal was always to present a full opera. But until this point, we鈥檝e only been able to present scenes from various operas.鈥�

Some of the students initially seemed unsettled by the idea of performing a whole opera, Momand said.

鈥淥peras haven鈥檛 been performed in the River Valley for quite a few years, and when I announced that we would be performing this semester, there were raised eyebrows, and several looks cast my way. But after we sang the first chorus, there were smiling faces because the music is just so beautiful and so much fun the sing,鈥� she said.

Momand seeks to dispel the thought that opera is stuffy and boring: 鈥淚 wanted our first full opera to be in English and tell a story that will appeal to everyone, and The Christmas Gift perfectly fits the bill. I truly believe that everyone will enjoy the students鈥� performance, and we hope to have packed houses for both performances.鈥�

 

The ensemble will perform educational matinees of the opera for local elementary, middle, and high school students.

 

Members of the Opera & Musical Theatre Workshop are:

Alma: Addison Albers

Greenwood: Caleb Bivins, Macy Driscoll, Janie Pendleton, Carolyn Young

Muskogee: Jamarion Davidson

Greenbrier: Alyssa Foley

Tahlequah, Oklahoma: Josie Foster

Fort Smith: Emily Hunter, Sally Olson, and Kenzi Sutherlin

Bokoshe, Oklahoma: Kassandra Jiminez

Ozark: Joshua Moore

West Fork: Katelyn Risner

Van Buren: Eliza Vargas

Edmond, Oklahoma: Avreigh Watson

Spiro: Oklahoma: Adonis Wilson

 

Gini Law of Fort Smith is the staff accompanist for the ensemble.