The Alamo City Opera's first event of their season is this weekend and you might be surprised at it. The surprise is in how little it sounds like a regular opera.
"It is a really fun concept for an opera. The opera unfolds a night in Joe's Bar where they have a weekly speed-dating event."
Music Director Kristin Roach seems to really be having fun with it.
"Each of the characters in this show comes forward and introduces themselves to somebody sitting across the table from them."
After a few minutes a bell is rung and the players move to a new table to meet somebody else. That interaction is sung of course, and yes--there is live music.
"They'll be accompanied by a professional combo. I'll be conducting the show from the piano and we've got a rhythm section and some wind players that provide the orchestra. And you can also meet the cast afterwards, and if you come to the Sunday performance the composer Michael Ching will be there. He's written three new numbers, especially for this show."
Roach says that among new operas, this is the most popular one out there.
"I challenge anybody to find another opera that was presented forty times within the first three years."
The music for the cast of twenty-two players was created to match each character.
"So we've got a guy who's a triathlete, and his music sounds like he's going to the gym. We've got a girl who's a single mom, and so hers is kinda like a Saturday morning with the radio on. Pretty much if you name a music style, you'll find it in one of the characters in the show. There's a little bit of everything."
They're performing at the Buena Vista Theater on UTSA's downtown campus.
"It's a beautiful theater and the opera is taking place completely on the stage, so you'll get to see the orchestra as well."
Speed Dating Tonight is Saturday at 8, Sunday afternoon at 2:30.
Find more on Speed Dating Tonight here.
