Later the Same Evening & Bastianello
by John Musto | libretto by Mark Campbell
Scott Skiba ’03, guest stage director
Timothy Weiss, conductor
Later the Same Evening
Campbell’s libretto is inspired by the work of iconic American artist Edward Hopper and his enigmatic depictions of life in New York City during the early 20th century. The one-act opera is set in a single evening in 1932 Manhattan and brings to life the characters and scenes from five Hopper paintings: Room in New York (1932), Hotel Window (1955), Hotel Room (1931), Two on the Aisle (1927), and Automat (1927). In a series of parallel vignettes, the characters all attend the same Broadway show. Later the Same Evening captures Hopper’s frequent motifs of isolation and loneliness, but as the 11 characters leave the theater, the opera’s parting theme rings clearly: New York is full of the possibility of connection.
Bastianello
John Musto’s Bastianello wraps itself around an amusing series of encounters derived from several versions of an old Italian folk tale.
Bastianello opens and closes with the narrative of Bastianello the younger, a college student who reminisces about the early married days of his father, Luciano.
Luciano experiences great dissatisfaction in his marriage and sets out to discover the meaning of life. He eventually encounters three sets of idiots. Their unbelievable cluelessness is eventually set right by his practical advice. Except for the final idiot who proves to be something more—someone who has actually learned the meaning of life through his tragic mistake.
Proudly supported by Ideastream Public Media, official media partner of Oberlin's Artist Recital Series and Opera Theater productions.
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TICKET INFORMATION
Reserved Seats $15 (Students $10)
Online Box Office
For assistance in purchasing tickets, please contact Oberlin College Central Tickets Service.
This fully-staged production of Oberlin Opera Theater will be presented in four performances, March 5 through 7 at 8pm and March 8 at 2pm.
