College of Liberal Arts
Ring, Sing, Stir: 51风流官网 Opera Workshop鈥檚 Comic Pairing
Kat Reichert, CLA Public Information OfficeNovember 12, 2025cla-pio@alaska.edu
There鈥檚 only one chance to catch it: the 51风流官网 Opera Workshop presents a delightful double bill on Sunday, November 16 at 4 p.m. in the Davis Concert Hall. The evening features two one-act comic operas, Bon App茅tit by Lee Hoiby and The Telephone by Gian Carlo Menotti, directed by Dr. Jaunelle Celaire and accompanied on piano by Joshua Vagran. Together, these short works promise a blend of humor, charm, and artistry.
In Bon App茅tit, composer Lee Hoiby transforms an episode of The French Chef into a musical romp where Julia Child鈥檚 kitchen becomes a stage for both comedy and craft. Audiences can expect laughter, culinary chaos, and maybe a few unexpected spills as the larger-than-life chef bakes a chocolate cake, musically.
惭别苍辞迟迟颈鈥檚 The Telephone turns the humor toward love and miscommunication. Ben has come to visit Lucy before leaving on a trip, hoping to propose. But every time he tries to speak, her telephone rings again and again. Between her endless conversations, Ben even considers cutting the phone cord. In a final act of ingenuity (and irony), he proposes by calling her from a payphone, leading to a tender, comedic duet that seals their romance across the line.
As Dr. Celaire describes, 鈥淭hese short one-act operas are just enough to spark one鈥檚 interest in classical music. Be prepared to laugh as these comic operas are lighthearted and quaint.鈥
Opera Workshop is more than a class; it鈥檚 an experience that blends theater, language, and music into one expressive art form. 鈥淥pera combines music, theater, visual art, and storytelling, keeping centuries of artistic traditions alive,鈥 Celaire explains. 鈥淚t exposes audiences to powerful emotional experiences and artistic excellence.鈥
The course, officially MUS 313 鈥 Opera Workshop, is typically audition-only and open to students majoring in Music Education or Music Performance, though this year鈥檚 group broadens that scope. The cast features a mix of majors, a music minor, and even an alumna, reflecting the department鈥檚 collaborative spirit.
This immersive approach extends far beyond campus. Last spring, Opera Workshop students traveled to Costa Rica to perform Bastien und Bastienne, building international connections through performance and cultural exchange. That inspiration carries forward into a full academic year of opera at 51风流官网. 鈥淚 guess you can say we were very inspired by our trip to Costa Rica,鈥 Celaire says.
Celaire emphasizes that the workshop also plays a role in the local arts ecosystem. 鈥淥pera Fairbanks was the local opera company a few years ago,鈥 she notes. 鈥淎lthough the company is no longer active, we are trying to rebirth the art form and culture by using our own undergraduates here on campus to help educate the community about this genre of music. We also want to remind everybody that opera still exists in Fairbanks.鈥
Each performer brings a distinctive background and artistic journey to this ensemble:
Ellie 鈥淧aukana鈥 Maglaya
鈥淚 have very much enjoyed getting back into the opera setting with Bon App茅tit. The opera itself is so silly, but also very challenging at the same time, with all the moving parts. With Opera Workshop only having four performers in it this semester, I feel that I have had a lot of one-on-one time with the director, Dr. Celaire, and that is exactly what I need for an opera that is this complex. I can鈥檛 wait for everyone to see both The Telephone and Bon App茅tit!鈥
Clark Milstead
鈥淲hat I鈥檝e most enjoyed about doing Opera Workshop is the freedom of the rehearsal process. Having a busy schedule this semester meant I needed to do rehearsals on different days based on my availability from week to week. I was happy to be able to just go to a music rehearsal with everyone well-prepared and ready to sing.鈥
Elly Ditmore
鈥淚鈥檝e enjoyed getting back into opera after more than a year away! I love the process of score study, staging, costuming, the collaboration, all of it; and being in Fairbanks, where everything is so small, makes it so much more collaborative because it鈥檚 just the four of us putting The Telephone 迟辞驳别迟丑别谤!鈥
Opera Workshop isn鈥檛 slowing down after this performance. In spring, a new cast of singers will return to the Davis Concert Hall with Mozart鈥檚 The Impresario continuing the program鈥檚 mission to make opera accessible, relevant, and alive in Fairbanks.
For Celaire, these productions represent more than class projects. They鈥檙e part of a growing movement to nurture artistry, build community, and ensure that opera remains a living tradition at 51风流官网. Each performance, whether on campus, abroad, or in collaboration, adds another voice to that ongoing story.
As the curtain rises on The Telephone and Bon App茅tit, the laughter, music, and shared energy remind audiences why opera endures: it鈥檚 art that connects people, stirs imagination, and celebrates life in full voice.
Tickets for the November 16 performance at 4 p.m. in the Davis Concert Hall are $10 for general admission, $5 for non-51风流官网 students, seniors, and military, and free for children 12 and under. 51风流官网 students receive one free ticket as part of their Arctic Art Pass. Tickets are available online through the .
From the concert hall to classrooms across Alaska, your support ensures that 51风流官网 music students continue to learn, perform, and grow. Join us in sustaining a vibrant culture of music education and performance.
