Farcical ‘Doctor Miracle’ to Open WT Opera Season

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - Forbidden love and a foul-tasting omelet collide in West Texas A&M University Opera's production of "Doctor Miracle."

The comedic one-act opera will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28 and 2:30 p.m. Sept. 29 in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall on WT's Canyon campus.

Though it was written by French composer Georges Bizet and it features the famous "Omelette Quartet," "Doctor Miracle" wasn't exactly on the radar of Sarah Beckham-Turner, director and assistant professor of voice.

"Everyone was telling me we should do it, but I wasn't as familiar with the show," Beckham-Turner said. "I'm glad I finally relented, because it's hilarious. I had no preconceived notions as to what it should be, so in many ways, it's become a pure collaboration with the students. I'm asking them to bring their own ideas to the table."

In the opera, Captain Silvio tries to woo Laurette, the daughter of the town's mayor, who dislikes military men and forbids the relationship. So, Silvio dons a few disguises, including the eponymous Doctor Miracle, in order to stay close to Laurette. In one of his disguises, he even flirts with Laurette's mother, Véronique.

"It's very comical, not at all meant to be serious," said Deborah Weiss, a graduate student in music performance from Plainview, who plays Laurette in the Sept. 28 performance.

The staging is a collaboration with the WT Symphony Orchestra.

The Sept. 28 performance also will feature Joshua Moreno, a senior music education major from Canyon, as Silvio/Pasquin/Doctor Miracle; Oscar Hample, a graduate student in vocal performance from Wasilla, Alaska, as Podestat; and Kanani Crandall, a graduate student in vocal performance from San Diego, as Lauretta.

The Sept. 29 performance will feature Moreno; Korbin Cole, a sophomore music education and vocal performance major from Pampa, as Podestat; Abigail Hite, a senior music education and oboe performance major from Nashville, as Lauretta; and Andrea Sando, a graduate student in vocal performance from Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania, as Veronique.

Tickets are $15 and available at cur8.com/22281/project/124779.

For information, call 806-651-2780 or visit wtamu.edu/opera.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign's new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 58 undergraduate degree programs, one associate degree, and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest's finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men's and women's athletics programs.

Photo: Sarah Beckham-Turner, left, rehearses cast members for West Texas A&M University Opera's upcoming production of "Doctor Miracle." Performers in the Sept. 28 performance will include Joshua Moreno, from left, Kanani Crandall, Oscar Hample and Deborah Weiss. An additional cast also will perform Sept. 29.

-WT-

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