{"id":959,"date":"2019-07-17T18:19:04","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:19:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wcsu.wpengine.com\/news-archives\/trouble-in-tahiti\/"},"modified":"2019-07-17T18:19:04","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:19:04","slug":"trouble-in-tahiti","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/news-archives\/trouble-in-tahiti\/","title":{"rendered":"2015 Opera Ensemble presents Bernstein’s ‘Trouble in Tahiti’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"ImageDANBURY, CONN. <\/strong>\u2014 The Western Connecticut State University<\/a> Opera Ensemble will present Leonard Bernstein\u2019s \u201cTrouble in Tahiti,<\/a>\u201d a one-act opera set in middle-class American suburbia after World War II, at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015<\/strong>, in the university\u2019s Veronica Hagman Concert Hall.<\/p>\n

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The opera, part of Bernstein\u2019s musical composition legacy that also included \u201cOn the Town\u201d and \u201cWest Side Story,\u201d will be performed in the concert hall at the Visual and Performing Arts Center<\/a> on the WCSU Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury. General admission will be $10; reservations may be made online at www.wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com<\/a> or by calling (203) 837-8732.<\/p>\n

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\u201cTrouble in Tahiti\u201d premiered in June 1952 at Bernstein\u2019s Festival of the Creative Arts in Massachusetts, and was later presented in 1958 at the New York City Opera. The opera\u2019s libretto in English, written by Bernstein in the American vernacular of the early 1950s, tells the story of a day in the life of a troubled young married couple, Sam and Dinah, against the backdrop of discontent and disenchantment in suburbia. An argument over breakfast sets the tone for struggle throughout the day to reconcile the pop-culture image of the couple\u2019s blissful suburban lifestyle with the reality of the couple\u2019s frustrations, loneliness and inability to communicate, capped as the play ends with their departure for an evening of escapist entertainment to see the film, \u201cTrouble in Tahiti.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Professor of Music Dr. Margaret Astrup<\/a> will be the director of the WCSU production. The leading roles will be performed by WCSU students Kassiani Kontothanasis, of Meriden, as the disillusioned and unhappy housewife Dinah, and Steve Valenzuela, of Waterbury, as the intensely competitive businessman Sam. The small supporting cast will feature a trio of jazz singers acting as the \u201cGreek chorus\u201d commenting on the unfolding story of the opera including Samantha Feliciano, of Stratford; Sergio Mandujano, of Norwalk; and Edwin Rodriguez, of New Haven.<\/p>\n

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Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs.\u00a0 Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York.\u00a0 Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England\u2019s best small private universities.
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