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Four performancs of "Falstaff" staged in Dalton

Feb. 2, 2006

KALAMAZOO--The School of Music at Western Michigan University presents four performances of Giuseppe Verdi's rollicking comedy opera "Falstaff" Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 9-12, in the Dalton Center Multimedia Room.

Performances of "Falstaff" begin at 8:15 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 9-11, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12. All seating is general admission. Tickets are $16, $12 for senior citizens and WMU employees and $7 for students. Tickets are available in advance through the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office at (269) 387-2300 or (800) 228-9858 and also may be purchased at the door.

"Falstaff," based on Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor," tells the story of the legendary fat knight's hilarious attempts to seduce two married women, and the humorous way the "Merry Wives" teach Falstaff the error of his ways. Verdi's score captures every twist and turn of the fun, including Falstaff's famous honor monologue, Ford's rage aria and Nannetta's ravishing fairy song.

The opera will be sung by alternating student casts in Andrew Porter's English translation, accompanied by an instrumental chamber ensemble conducted by WMU faculty member David Little. Carl Ratner, director of opera at WMU, will direct, and he will sing the role of Falstaff in the performances on Friday and Sunday performances. Children from Ballet Arts School of Dance will participate under the direction of Janelle Holland.

For more information, contact Dr. Carl Ratner at (269) 387-4706 or carl.ratner@wmich.edu.

Media contact: Kevin West, (269) 387-4678, kevin.west@wmich.edu

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