We continue our series of one-day road trips available for residents of Mansfield and Richland County during the summer of 2017. These are, of course, in addition to the wonderful places to visit in our own backyard.
In each, we are profiling new and interesting attractions to tempt day vacationers.
Some 40 miles to the east, the Ohio Light Opera’s venue at the Freedlander Theatre on the campus of the College of Wooster provides a yearly treat for fans of lighter operatic and music fare. Billed as “America’s Premier Lyric Theatre Festival,” offerings include the comic operas of Gilbert & Sullivan, the operettas of American and European composers, and good old-fashioned musicals – all of which are represented in the 2017 Festival Season.
And, while that season began last month, there’s still plenty of time to catch wonderful music and lyrics.
Works being presented during the remainder of the summer include the following:
The Student Prince – Sigmund Romberg’s well-known The Student Prince, the longest-running Broadway musical of the 1920s, is for many theater-goers the quintessential romantic operetta.
Countess Maritza – The masterpiece of composer Emmerich Kalman, this lyrical operetta premiered in Vienna in 1924, and in New York City two years later.
HMS Pinafore – Gilbert & Sullivan’s first international sensation, this comic opera features several well-known favorites including “I’m Called Little Buttercup.”
The Music Man — Meredith Wilson’s magnificent musical-turned-movie has delighted since its 1957 debut. Well-known selections include “Till There Was You” and “Seventy-Six Trombones.”
Primrose – This is the first fully-staged production of George Gershwin’s 1924 musical Primose in almost a century.
Anything Goes – Cole Porter’s amazing Anything Goes is presented in its original, 1934 version. Hear “I Get a Kick Out of You.”
The Lady of the Slipper – Victor Herbert’s zany and delightful 1912 music comedy that riffs on the Cinderella story.
A performance calendar can be accessed here, together with additional information with ticket information and directions.
Sources: Ohio Light Opera, Wikipedia – Photo: Public Domain
