What could possibly be a more natural fit than singing opera in an opera house?
Such was the case recently in Bellville, as representatives from Mid Ohio Opera took the stage to assist with a concert benefiting Opera House restoration efforts. Those efforts are being supported by new Bellville Mayor Teri Brenkus.
The brick building was constructed about 1878 in the Italianate style, and features an auditorium on the second floor. Over the years, it has also served as a village hall, jail, meeting house, school, and Masonic temple. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The concert featured several acts, including the performance of a duet from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro as seen in the video below. The piece is known as “Sull’aria…che soave zeffiretto” (in English, “On the breeze…What a gentle little Zephyr”), and is performed by Heidi Kirschenheiter Vega, soprano; Abigail Kirschenheiter Harshbarger, soprano; and Sharon Grimes, piano. You may recognize this piece from the movie Shawshank Redemption (remember Tim Robbins playing it over the prison P.A. system?).
On June 23 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, the Opera House will be hosting an “Open Mic Night.” The public is invited to attend and participate at no charge.
Photo: Creative Commons License
