The School of Music will present “Four on Tap” at The Bard’s Town, a “pub theatre” in the Highlands, in March and April. “Four on Tap” is a series of four one-act operas performed in English by students in UofL’s School of Music. Two operas will be performed in March and two in April. Admission to all shows is free and open to the public.
“We want to make opera accessible,” said Michael Ramach, co-director of opera theatre at UofL. “Partnering with The Bard’s Town brings an opportunity for a new audience to see what our students can do and to experience music theatre in an unconventional way. People can grab a beer and a snack and watch an opera.”
Each “Four on Tap” night will feature two operas. The first round is March 25 and 26 with “The Stronger” by Hugo Weisgall and “The Old Maid and the Thief” by Gian Carlo Menotti.
Based on the play by August Strindbert, “The Stronger” takes place at a bar on Christmas Eve and shows the conflict between two women after one accuses the other of being in love with her husband. “The Old Maid and the Thief” is a twisted tale of a thief and two gossips and their ensuing love triangle and crime spree. It was originally conceived as a radio opera and will be performed as such.
The last call will be April 21 and 22 when guests will be treated to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “The Impresario” and “Riders to the Sea” by Ralph Vaughn Williams.
For “The Impresario,” Ramach adapted the libretto from Mozart’s original opera about dueling divas fighting for a starring role in the impresario’s new opera company. Based on the play by John Synge, “Riders to the Sea” tells the story of an Irish woman whose husband, father-in-law and four of six sons have been lost at sea. She is convinced her two remaining sons will follow the same fate.
All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. While admission is free, there is limited seating and reservations are encouraged. The March 26 show is sold out. However, if reserved seats are not filled the night of the show, guests will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.
For reservations, visit www.thebardstown.com. The Bard’s Town is located at 1801 Bardstown Road.