Opera Centenary's "Dido and Aeneas"

Name: Opera Centenary's "Dido and Aeneas"
Start: 2025-04-04T19:30:00-05:00
End: 2025-04-05T19:30:00-05:00
Location: 2911 Centenary Blvd, Shreveport, LA, United States, Louisiana 71104

Schedule

Fri, 04 Apr, 2025 at 07:30 pm to Sat, 05 Apr, 2025 at 07:30 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

2911 Centenary Blvd, Shreveport, LA, United States, Louisiana 71104 | Shreveport, LA

Opera Centenary will be performing "Dido and Aeneas" composed by Henry Purcell on April 4th and 5th at 7:30 P.M. in the Anderson Auditorium.
"Dido and Aeneas" tells the tragic story of Dido, Queen of Carthage, who falls in love with the Trojan hero Aeneas who leaves her to fulfill his own destiny. We explore themes of love, betrayal, deceit, loss, and fate, while also delving into the complexity of relationships and the reasoning behind heartbreaking choices. Performing Baroque opera allows us to use our imagination to reinterpret its elements to connect with today's audiences while still honoring the original style and structure. The stories and music found in Baroque opera continue to hold relevance, reaching modern audiences through its reflection of the human experience.
I truly enjoy incorporating various forms of creative movement and dance into our productions. During the Baroque period, dance was an integral part of opera, not only as entertainment but also as emotional storytelling. It was incredibly rewarding to guide students through this process and help them discover something new!
"Dido and Aeneas" features one of the most hauntingly beautiful arias in opera, Dido's Lament, or "When I am laid in earth." Purcell skillfully incorporates this piece, more arias and duets with rousing and moving chorus pieces. We are excited to perform with a talented small ensemble of instrumentalists, who will join us onstage to contribute to the intimate atmosphere of the production.