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(03/25/14 8:24pm)
On Friday, March 21, the College’s Department of Music presented its second performance of Henry Purcell’s opera, “Dido and Aeneas,” in the Black Box Theatre in Kendall Hall.
The cast was composed of members of TCNJ’s Lyric Theater and Orchestra, and the opera was directed by Professor Lars Woodul and conducted by Professor Michel Galante.
The tragic story portrays love gone awry in ancient times. Dido, Queen of Carthage, falls in love with Trojan Prince Aeneas. Although they plan to marry, their happiness is shattered when the evil Sorceress tricks Aeneas into believing the god Mercury is demanding him to leave Dido and sail back to Italy. Dido is left alone and dies of a broken heart.
The talented cast of Dido and Aeneas consisted of 15 students, all of whom were skilled vocalists. The opera displayed their impressive ranges, as well as their ability to harmonize altogether. On alternate nights, the roles were shared between different cast members. Those who performed as a lead on one night became a member of the chorus for the next show. This allowed for the entire cast’s talents to be shown — and all members rightly deserved their moments in the spotlight.
Another impressive aspect of the performance was the inclusion of a live orchestra.
Despite the small size of the venue, the musicians did not overpower the voices, but rather embraced and accented them. Each moment flowed perfectly into the next, with no uncomfortable or abrupt endings. This was the meticulous work of the orchestra, which set the pace for the entire show.
The opera’s stage crew created beautiful scenery that set the atmosphere of the show. The stage was decorated with columns and stonework, creating the illusion of actually taking place in ancient times. The backdrop was composed of four panels that rotated between scenes to display different locations, including Dido’s palace, the Sorceress’s lair and Prince Aeneas’s ship. Perfected lighting and cues accented each setting as well.
With every aspect of the show meticulously finished, the performance was well received by the audience.
“I was extremely impressed by the cast, orchestra and stage. I didn’t know that TCNJ had so many students skilled in opera! I am definitely glad that I came,” freshman English and special education dual major Caitlin Randik said.
“Dido and Aeneas” reflected the traditional aspects of the ancient cities, from the setting and costumes to the beautiful opera music. The talented performers, orchestra and crew certainly made the night a huge success.
(02/25/14 5:05pm)
On Saturday, Feb. 22, All College Theatre performed two showings of “An Evening of Shorts,” which consisted of four short plays that were performed by individual casts.
Three of the shows were student-written, and all four were student-directed.
The impressive variety of emotions and themes within the four works kept the audience intrigued throughout the entire show.
The first play, “Henry’s Dead,” was written and directed by Garrett Verdone, a junior marketing major.
The show portrayed the unfolding of a pseudo love triangle between characters Chris (played by Matt Steuerer), Sam (Ryan Farmer-Smith) and Kris (Jenna Burke), amusingly triggered by the death of Chris’s cat, Henry.
The comedy provided a lighthearted and funny atmosphere, opening the show with a positive ambiance.
“Smitten,” written by Anna Stillaman and Mark Matthews, was directed by graduate student John Eldis.
The story follows the witty lovers Nichola (Emily Brady) and Peter (Jake Burbage), who make ironic and deadly discoveries about one other.
The intensity of this short kept the audience on the edge of their seats for the first half of the show, and the unexpected plot twist was hilariously clever.
Freshman journalism major Jonathan Edmondson wrote and directed “Crestfallen,” an intriguing short showcasing the powers of perception and passion.
Viola (Rachael Scott) is an amateur actress caught up in her own world. Her daughter, Grey (Rachel Friedman), enlists the help from Greg (Keith Mellea), Anastasia (Nina Shulgach) and Dr. Lockwell (Michael Krakower) to bring her mother back to reality.
Edmondson’s short portrays that sometimes ignorance is bliss, but when reality sets in the consequences can be severe.
The final short within the show, titled “Dear Grief,” was written and directed by junior English and secondary education dual major Blaire Deziel.
The thought-provoking short followed a therapist (Carly DaSilva) as she handled patients in varying stages of grief: Anger (Fred Stange), Bargaining (Hillary Siegel), Depression (Courtney Johnson) and Acceptance (Cindy Walker).
The actors’ emotional performances absorbed the audience, many of whom were tearing up by the end of the short.
The meticulous work of the writers, directors, actors and production staff provided an incredible final product for “An Evening of Shorts.”
Their obvious passion for the arts combined with natural talent allowed each short to be performed masterfully.
As director Garrett Verdone explained, “We love theater because theater can make us laugh, it can make us think and it can make us feel.”
The four shorts touched upon all three of these reactions, evidencing the success of the performances.
(01/29/14 4:23am)
At 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, a line began to form out- side of Kendall Hall. Despite the door opening set for 7 p.m. and the frigid temperatures, students chatted excitedly about seeing some of their favorite celebrities in just a few short hours. The stars of MTV’s hit comedy show “Girl Code” are currently touring college campuses nationwide, with the College being one of their most recent stops.
Chris Distefano, Carly Aquilino and Jessimae Peluso were warmly welcomed to campus, and were certainly excited to be there.
“We decided to do a college tour because we felt that campuses would give us the biggest audience, since college students are the average age of our viewers,” DiStefano said.
Life has completely changed for the three, who were individual comedians before joining the cast of “Girl Code,” which is now in its second season.
“We have to wear makeup all day every day — you end up being recognized everywhere you go,” Aquilino said.
The show covers a variety of everyday and sometimes awkward topics that a majority of young adults have either experienced or have questions about. Its combination of advice and humor creates a positive and comfortable environment and makes the show and its stars relatable for college students.
“I love that it’s different than most shows because it’s not scripted,” Aquilino said. “You get to hear our real opinions on so many topics.”
The touring comedy show consists of individual stand-up comedy from each of the three comedians, followed by a question-and-answer session with Aquilino and Peluso.
All of the jokes throughout the night were spot-on, keeping the audience laughing nonstop.
The stars made a point to talk directly to the audience and make the jokes and themes of the show personal to the College, which was well received by students.
“Getting to tour has been my favorite part,” Peluso said. “MTV really embraces us as individuals and encourages us to be individuals. The environment is so comfortable.”
Although the night was en- joyed by the crowd, it was also very important to the three stars, who are grateful for their chance to be on “Girl Code.”
“It’s changed everything for all of us,” Peluso said. “It’s been really amazing, changed my life completely. I’m so thankful.”
Although the show is known for its laughs, its stars hope their audience gets more than amusement out of their candid stories and opinions.
“We want people, especially girls, to realize that all the awkward things they go through in life are completely normal,” Peluso said.
“I hope viewers get a sense of who they are,” DiStefano said. “We try to talk about mistakes we’ve actually made and experiences we’ve gone through. It’s what the show’s about. We want viewers to know that being imperfect is actually perfect.”
(11/06/13 9:05pm)
The tables in the Rathskeller quickly filled for the Student Band Night on Friday, Nov. 1. Hosted by the College Union Board, the event gives students at the College a chance to put their creative efforts under the spotlight and encourages them to follow their passions for music.
Three all-male bands took the stage throughout the course of the night. Each was allotted 45 minutes to play their music, and the time was well-spent. Through an array of cover songs from bands such as The Killers, Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday and more, the audience felt welcomed by the familiarity of the music.
The three bands also introduced many original songs, which were continuously well-received by listeners.
Of the night’s performances, two were by acoustic bands. The first consisted of a guitarist and keyboardist, while the other band only consisted of a guitarist. Both played acoustic covers of popular music, which kept the audience tapping their feet and enjoying the spot-on vocals.
The third band sported two guitarists, a bassist and a drummer, jamming to punk rock in the style of other groups like Blink-182. They also incorporated original songs into their set. During their last song, their enthusiasm got a group of students to their feet, dancing in front of the stage.
Freshman open options major Olivia Higbee joined the stage with the first acoustic band to perform a cover of Paramore’s “Still Into You.”
“I really like Student Band Night,” Higbee said. “It gives students the opportunity and freedom to perform whatever they want, which they don’t usually have. It also gives the audience a chance to relate to performers. These are their peers, not professionals. It’s a great atmosphere.”
CUB’s organizational skills were also a huge factor in the show’s success. The performances were well-prepared and prompt. With the efficient transitions between bands and equipment changes, the audience was never disengaged, and the show was a success.