[light gentle music] ♪ [light gentle music continues] ♪ [light gentle music continues] - Well, choosing an opera is a very big task for us to do.

So we had three really good tenors in the program.

We hadn't done a classical opera for four or five years since before COVID.

And so we decided that it was time to do a classical opera.

And this was a piece that fit our singers.

It was a great design process for our design and production school.

And so that's really why we chose it.

- Yeah, so the opera is from the classical period by Haydn.

His main contemporary at the time was Mozart.

And their music is very similar in sound.

The style of the music is very similar.

Just the musical vocabulary they were using, how they progressed from chord to chord.

- Actually Mozart conducted performances of "Orlando Paladino" in his lifetime.

So this was a very popular opera at the time it was written.

- The music itself has something to say about the emotions, about the drama, about what's going on, what the people are feeling.

- I'd never gotten to do an opera that was like that out there in the concept.

It was incredibly fun.

The costumes were beautiful.

The set was amazing.

It was just, it was...

It felt like I was in a whole new world.

- I wanna set it in the world of Thor, Ragnarok, and that's what I said.

And everybody went away and did their research.

And I came back to campus, and we were able to like, look at images and they had research and then, "Oh, what if we did this?

Oh, what if we did that?"

And even down to, once we got into rehearsal and we did our model tech, I said, "You know, we could go, we could actually go back to the place."

So we found a place to take one of the drops out and make another scene, 'cause it wasn't more scenery, but we actually used the set in a way that helped tell the story.

So "Orlando Paladino" basically has three stories happening at the same time.

The primary story is about Orlando and Angelica, and Orlando has been bewitched by Morgan le Fay.

And so, he has now fallen madly in love with Angelica, and he's doing everything he can to get to her.

Oh, but she has a boyfriend named Medoro who loves her, but she's afraid that Orlando's gonna kill him.

So she wants him to go away and she's gonna deal with Orlando.

- This has to be the hardest role that I've ever sung.

The whole show kind of sits in the highest part of the staff and above for me, which I get to do it occasionally, like I get to pop out some high notes here and there, they're fun.

But Angelica liked to sit up there, and everything she sang was very much up in the stratosphere for the whole show.

So that meant that the stamina needed for this show, I had to start building that.

My teachers and I talked about building that stamina and making sure I was singing as healthily as possible for months leading up to it, because of that.

- I think it's all about the subtlety for Alcina.

A lot of other roles have played, have been more comedic and very out there, but she is very composed, very serious.

For me, it was just about like the looks that I give or how I move.

And of course, she has her big moments where she takes the staff and does all of that stuff.

But it was really just about the text and how I could relay that.

- Orlando is, first and foremost, he's a knight.

So he's gonna be valorous, he's gonna be brave, he's gonna be noble, all of that.

But he's also, he's going through a situation, because the reason he falls in love with Angelica is he's placed on under a spell to make him fall in love with her.

So there's a lot of confusion that he goes through in the show, 'cause he doesn't really understand why he's doing these things that don't really seem very noble or valorous to him, but they're the things that he feels that he needs to do in order to get Angelica.

- Alcina has a sister Morgana, and she's most famously known for being in the King Arthur stories.

And so Morgana is the one who has put the spell on Orlando.

Alcina had not really messed with inside the mind.

She can make things appear, she can turn people into animals or inanimate objects externally, but she can't really do anything internally with people.

- So in "Orlando Palladino," before the show has happened, Orlando takes a potion and becomes infatuated with Angelica.

But Angelica loves Medoro.

So because he is hellbent on trying to get me and killing Medoro, we run away to this island that we have set in outer space.

I don't wanna run away anymore.

I want to be... Medoro and I have gotten into a fight and I just, I want to be happy finally.

So I call on Alcina to come help me.

[Angelica sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [dramatic orchestral music] [dramatic orchestral music continues] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [bright orchestral music] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] - Pasquale is Orlando's squire, who, you know, squires are in charge of carrying all of the master's equipment, shields, sword, all of that.

And they sort of support them on their quests and adventures.

Pasquale is...

I mean, he's not really the most motivated Squire and Orlando's not really the best master either.

And Pasquale's really motivated by hunger and just desire to take it easy.

[laughs] And Angelica has enlisted the help of Rodomonte, the King of Barbaria to protect her, and later on, Alcina, a sorceress.

- Orlando comes, and everyone is freaking out.

They're like, "Oh no, he's here.

What is he gonna do?

We're scared that he's gonna kill Medoro."

And I stop him from everything, because it's getting out of hand.

[Angelica sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Medoro sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Medoro sings in foreign language] [both singing in foreign language] [both singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [gentle orchestral music] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [gentle orchestral music] [bright orchestral music] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Rodomonte sings in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [Rodomonte sings in foreign language] [Rodomonte and Alcina sing in foreign language] [Rodomonte sings in foreign language] [bright orchestral music] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Eurilla sings in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [Rodomonte sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [Eurilla sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [bright orchestral music] [ominous orchestral music] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [anxious orchestral music] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [anxious orchestral music] - Act two starts and Medoro's nowhere to be found.

I have this premonition that I just, I know he's dead.

I know he's going to die, and I decide that without him, there's no reason to be here.

So I am ready to throw myself off a cliff.

Medoro runs in to save me.

And we have this beautiful love duet, this beautiful moment together.

[Medoro sings in foreign language] [gentle orchestral music] [Algelica sings in foreign language] [Algelica sings in foreign language] [Algelica sings in foreign language] [Algelica vocalizing] [Algelica vocalizing] [Algelica sings in foreign language] [Medoro sings in foreign language] [Algelica sings in foreign language] [Algelica sings in foreign language] [both singing in foreign language] [both vocalizing] [both vocalizing] [both singing in foreign language] [amorous orchestral music] [both singing in foreign language] [both vocalizing] [both singing in foreign language] [both singing in foreign language] [amorous orchestral music continues] [amorous orchestral music continues] [gentle daydreaming music] [Medoro sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Medoro sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] - Yeah, Alcina comes in and tells me to stop.

And in the confrontation, Medoro and Angelica are able to get away.

And she then places a spell on me to make me see dragons and serpents everywhere.

So I go into a whole crazy mad scene 'cause I'm being attacked by imaginary serpents and dragons.

Again, he's a very brave knight, so he's not used to feeling fear, but this seems like a foe that he can't face and that's a new experience for him as well.

And so he's kind of confused about what he should do in this situation.

Like, should I try to attack it?

Should I go ahead and try to fight?

Or should I just get out of here?

[ominous orchestral music] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [bright anxious orchestral music] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [bright anxious orchestral music] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [bright anxious orchestral music] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [bright anxious orchestral music] - Comic opera was considered opera for the people.

And so when public opera houses began to open in 1647, 1637, public opera houses catered to the masses, not the aristocracy, which is what most serious operas are written for.

And so people would go and they wanted to be entertained, but those were considered not really worthy of being on the opera stage.

So oftentimes you would have the serious opera and then in between the acts, because there was no HBO or movies, so people would go to the theater for four or five, six hours.

And so you would have the serious opera, and then the minor characters in the serious opera would step out and they would do their own comic, little intermezzo, what we call like something in between.

And so that form actually became comic.

And so you had serious and comic, but that wasn't really how life and how stories are really told.

So they began to blend them into this aristocratic characters that had the common characters, and so there was something for everyone.

[Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Eurilla sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Eurilla sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Eurilla sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [bright orchestral music] [bright orchestral music] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [bright orchestral music] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [bright orchestral music] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Pasquale vocalizing] [Eurilla applauds] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Eurilla gasps] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [bright orchestral music] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [bright orchestral music] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [bright orchestral music] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Eurilla tapping] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] - I don't think that he's ever struggled with a foe.

I don't think he's ever had to fight a person twice.

So having to go against Alcina and having his plans thwarted by her each time, I think, that's very new for him.

But I think that for Alcina, because Morgana is the one that put the spell on me, I think that she feels like she has some like type of responsibility for like helping me to gain my sanity.

Orlando doesn't make it easy because he's fighting her the entire way, but eventually she does end up helping him regain his sanity.

[gentle orchestral music] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [both singing in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Orlando and Pasquale singing in foreign language] [staff thuds] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Orlando laughing] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [ominous orchestral music] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [bright orchestral music] [Pasqual sings in foreign language] [ominous orchestral music] [gentle orchestral music] [light anxious orchestral music] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Rodomonte sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Algelica, Eurilla, Medoro singing in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [tense orchestral music] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [gentle orchestral music] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [staff bangs] [Rodomonte sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [sword thuds] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [ominous orchestral music] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [tense orchestral music] - Orlando goes to the Lethe River, and Charon, or Caronte gives him the waters of forgetfulness.

And he's led back through...

He doesn't go to the underworld.

He's led back to the planet that they're on.

[gentle orchestral music] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [light solemn orchestral music] [light solemn orchestral music continues] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [light solemn orchestral music continues] [light solemn orchestral music continues] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [light solemn orchestral music continues] [gentle pensive orchestral music] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] - So Alcina's attendance take me to the underworld and in hopes that Caronte will be able to give me water from the River Lethe and make me forget Angelica.

I think that he's just back to being the brave, valorous, noble knight that he was before.

He refers to himself as the hero.

So, I think that he finally feels like himself again.

- Alcina says, "He won't remember anything.

I had him drink the waters.

It's gonna be fine."

And he even says to Angelica, "Did I love you or did I know you?

I don't know."

- Pasquale is very not trusting of the fact that I'm back to myself, but he also may just be afraid of Orlando in general.

- Medoro gets stabbed and my premonition comes to life and I'm just distraught.

I run away, I come back.

I'm angry at the Gods who I've been singing to this entire opera, praying for any kind of release, any kind of help in this situation.

And I'm just angry with them.

And I know it's all my fault, because Orlando has come after me and all these people are here trying to help me.

But now my love is dead and it's all over.

There's no life without Medoro.

[Angelica sings in foreign language] [bright orchestral music] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [light orchestral music] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [gentle orchestral music] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [both singing in foreign language] [both singing in foreign language] [Rodomonte sings in foreign language] [Rodomonte sings in foreign language] [Algelica sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Angelica and Alcina singing in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Algelica sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Angelica and Alcina singing in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Medoro sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [Pasquale sings in foreign language] [Eurilla sings in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [Medoro sings in foreign language] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [bright orchestral music] [Orlando sings in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [Eurilla sings in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [Rodomonte sings in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [Alcina sings in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [Medoro sings in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [Angelica sings in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [all singing in foreign language] [bright triumphant orchestral music] - medoro and Angelica end up together.

Pasquale says to Orlando, "What about me, master?"

And he says, "I don't care what you do."

And so at that moment he says, "Yay."

And he says, "Eurilla, will you marry me?"

And she says, "Yes."

So everybody... And Alcina then goes off to her next adventure.

And she's a big character in a lot of operas.

This story is not just Haydn that just set it, a lot of composers and librettists set this story.

It's very famous.

The nice thing about being here at UNCSA is, because we have a great school of design and production, we can pretty much produce anything we want to produce.

We give the title and then we can produce it, because we're not renting scenery, we're not renting costumes.

We can actually build the costume for these people.

And every decision we make must tell the story.

So be prepared, as I am always prepared, to abandon your best idea.

'cause sometimes you're trying to shove a square peg in a round hole and that's not gonna work.

But I tell people when I lose the marvel of that creative process, I need to retire.

What I love about opera, number one, is you're telling a story and you're usually telling a story about the human condition, whether that be a comedy, a tragedy, or somewhere in between.

So we can see ourselves up there on the stage some way.

What I also love about opera is that the human voice and the colors and the way that that can tell that story when they're acting is like nothing else.

I always tell people, you have to give opera a chance.

If you go to a movie and it's bad, you don't stop going to movies, you just go to the next movie.

I just marvel at sometimes the stuff I hear that singers can do, the colors, the choices, the way they say the word.

It can really just blow you away.

[bright orchestral music] [bright orchestral music continues] [bright orchestral music continues] [bright orchestral music continues] [bright orchestral music continues] [bright orchestral music continues] [bright orchestral music continues] [bright orchestral music continues] [bright orchestral music continues] [bright orchestral music fades]