[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxWkbZt_3Ko’]The New York Metropolitan showed everyone that they still had the juice to drive an audience to tears and induce heavy doses of laughter by recently forming screening collaborations with college campuses around the country. One such screening was this weekend’s, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s, Eugene Onegin. The highly anticipated presentation was featured at USC’s, Eileen Norris Cinema Theater in the Frank Sinatra Hall and is a part of the Met’s 2013-2014 series. Onegin tells the story of the widowed Madame Larina who in an effort to soothe her yet to be wed daughters, tells of her stories of love before she married wherein she was courted by her husband but loved another. Tatiana the younger of the two girls is an avid novel reader while carefree and their neighbor, the poet Lenski, is courting happy go-lucky Olga. When Lenski calls upon his beloved Olga, he brings his close friend, Eugene Onegin. Tatiana stricken by an immense attraction to Eugene falls in love and asks her nurse, Filippyevna to tell her about her first love and marriage. Tatiana after staying up all night writing a passionate letter to Onegin finally convinces the nanny to have her grandson deliver the note to Onegin in the morning being careful not to speak a word of where the note came from. Tatiana awaits the neighbor’s friend’s response in her garden. Known as a real womanizer, much to Tatiana’s disappointment, and although touched by the young woman’s declaration of her ever kindling desires, Eugene tells the young maiden that he cannot accept her proposal and can only offer his friendship. He then advises Tatiana to gain control of her emotions lest another man use her innocence against her. Thus begins the tale of love and woe as the audience sees the tale dramatically unwind through Acts II, III, and I. The screenings two intermissions had some viewers who having already sat through an hour of the famous piece sat spellbound in their seats as they watched New York Met’s interview, Conductor, Valery Gergiev, Anna Netrebko who played Tatiana, Lenski( Olga’s fiancé) played by Piotr Beczala and the bad boy of the set, Eugene Onegin played by Mariusz Kwiecien. Scenery, costumes, and the physical act of moving about on stage are all a part of the sometimes vocally aggressive yet soothing world of opera. [youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE4bEPZcDoU’]This highly regarded art form started in Italy at the end of the 16th Century. It is an art from which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text (libretto) and musical score in a theater setting. Stagehands, scenery shifters, scenic artists and their beautifully crafted backdrops, along with skilled electricians who with their use of fantastic lighting techniques help to create an elusive yet interactive environment that can stir the very depths of our senses. Stage managers whose presence we could not dare do without call singers to their places during the performance. Opera first took place on May 29, 1879 at the Maly Theater in Moscow and in St. Petersburg during the 1820’s. Opera is presently performed all over the world. During the Onegin screening intermission Ankh Entertainment and Stones in the Color of Rare on behalf of the Culver City News, had an opportunity to talk with USC’s Opera Program student, Soprano, Amy Alexandra Lawrence. Amy happened to attend the campuses Onegin, which she said that she had never seen.. Amy told us that she started singing when she was very young and began to develop an interest in opera. Her first performance was at LA Opera, along side mezzo-soprano, Suzanna Guzman and Canadian Baritone, Gerald Finley in a children’s opera performance titled, “The Fantastic Mr. Fox.â€Â Ms Lawrence is set to re-enact the “Coronation of Poppea†on this November 20, 8:00PM at USC Thornton School of Music. A pre-performance is planned for 7:00PM. The NY Metropolitan opera series is offered free to the public and USC students upon reservation, which are on a first come, first serve basis. For more information on Eugene Onegin and the New York Metropolitan Opera 2013-2014 series go to www.metooperafamily.org, and for USC Opera Program and the Thornton School of Music visit www.usc.edu/schools/music/uscopera. Soprano opera singer Amy Alexandra Lawrence can be found on Facebook at amyalexandralawrence, amyalawrence@gmail.com and on You Tube at Blue yed belle.
