MEDIA CONTACT: Judy Moore at 847-491-4819 or jkm229@northwestern.edu

February 15, 2005

Two One-Act Puccini Operas on Tap

EVANSTON, Ill. --- The Northwestern University School of Music’s 2004-05 opera season continues this winter with four performances of the final two operas in “Il Trittico,” Giacomo Puccini’s trilogy of one-act operas. 

The two, one-act operas will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24; 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb.  25; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27, at Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St., on Northwestern’s Evanston campus.

“Suor Angelica” (“Sister Angelica”) is the story of a woman of noble birth serving penance in a convent for seven years after the birth of her out of wedlock son.  She grieves that she has never been allowed to see her child, until one day when her austere aunt pays an unexpected visit.

The comedy “Gianni Schicchi” is based on tales from Dante’s “Inferno.” It tells the story of a rich man’s relatives and a scheming notary who try to change the dead man’s will after he leaves his entire estate to a monastery.

Both operas will be performed in Italian with English supertitles. They will be directed by Rachel Gates and Noel Koran. Frederick Ockwell will conduct the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra.

Single tickets are $12 for the general public, $8.50 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff and $5.50 for students. 

To purchase tickets, call the Pick-Staiger Ticket Office at (847) 467-4000. For general information, call (847) 491-5441.