‘La Double Coquette’ adds a revitalizing and comedic twist to the typical opera!
Peak Performances is gearing up for their summer season with the premiere of La Double Coquette at the Alexander Kasser Theater. The shows will take place during the first weekend of June. La Double Coquette features the Ensemble Amarillis and their updated rendition of Antoine Dauvergne’s 1753 Opéra Comique. Present-day composer Gérard Pesson joins the talented group of musicians with a wealth of experience to add his personal taste to the original score.
La Double Coquette is a French work with English supertitles, making it unique from any other show performed on the Kasser stage. The show follows an attractive cross-dresser as she finds love in multiple partners as she is forced to compete against a young seductress. Opera fans of all ages will surely be impressed by the professional quality voices of Ensemble Amarillis. This group of talented musicians has the vocal power to make eleven singers sound like over 100.
“When I heard Peak Performances would be having a summer season, I got so excited,” said MSU sophomore Jamie Sudol. “It’s good to know that something will be going on at Kasser during the summer.”
The Alexander Kasser Theater could not be a more perfect venue for this classic baroque work. Stationed locally here in Montclair, members of the surrounding communities have easy access to surrounding restaurants for a summer night filled with dinner and a show. The Ensemble Amarillis is currently one of Europe’s best performance groups, making the Alexander Kasser Theater lucky to host La Double Coquette’s premiere.
Prior to the first performance, Neal Goren, the Founding Artistic Director of Gotham Chamber Opera will be holding a pre-show talk. Goren plans to bring his expertise to the Kasser Theater while he examines Pesson’s additions the original 1753 score. The question proposed here is how the concept of “artistic purity” remains when a historic score is revised. The French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF) in Montclair will accompany Goren at 6:30 p.m. on June 4 in the Kasser lobby for the talk.
Don’t miss out on the two-night event! Shows dates are Saturday, June 4 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 5 at 3 p.m. The Alexander Kasser Theatre is located right on Montclair State University’s campus at 1 Normal Ave. in Montclair. Please visit www.peakperfs.org for more information about shows premiering during the up and coming summer season. Tickets for this performance are available online or at the door from the box office. All seats are $20 or free to MSU undergraduate students with their school ID.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login