UC's CCM Studio Opera Series Presents 'Bright Eyed Joy!' Nov. 4-5

CCM’s Studio Opera Series presents

Bright-Eyed Joy!

, a free cabaret of songs by

Ricky Ian Gordon

, which opens at

8 p.m.

on

Friday, Nov. 4

and continues through

Saturday, Nov. 5

in the

Cohen Family Studio Theater

.

As one of the county’s most popular and respected composers of art song, Ricky Ian Gordon is a living legend.

Bright-Eyed Joy!

features his recently composed songs as well as arias from Gordon’s two acclaimed operas,

Grapes of Wrath

and

Morning Star

.

The songs tell relatable stories of survival, inspiration and hope. Gordon has been actively collaborating with the CCM students in this production, and he personally hand-selected the program’s songs for each individual singer.

This will be the second instance in which CCM opera students have performed Gordon’s music. In December 2012, students had the rare opportunity to perform in a workshop of Gordon’s

Morning Star

, as part of the

Opera Fusion: New Works

initiative with the Cincinnati Opera.

Morning Star

later premiered at Cincinnati Opera in June 2015.

Oussama Zahr of

Opera News

praised Gordon for his diverse and “distinctive style — one that seems effortlessly to combine Broadway clarity, art-song melodies and jazzy flourishes with a sophisticated approach to harmony.”

Zahr wrote

that Gordon’s

Grapes of Wrath

, based on John Steinbeck’s novel of the same name, “has many of the qualities you'd expect from an acclaimed opera in a tonal palette — abundant melody, shining orchestrations — but it is Gordon's lyrical exuberance that stands out as uniquely his own.”

The audience can expect nothing less from

Bright-Eyed Joy!

, which opens at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4 and continues through Saturday, Nov. 5. Admission is free, but tickets are required. They often sell out quickly, so visit our

guide to Studio Series tickets

for tips and tricks to secure your seats.

CCM students will have an additional opportunity to work with Gordon later this month in the next installment of Opera Fusion: New Works. The 10-day workshop culminates in a free performance of excerpts from the composer’s newest opera,

Intimate Apparel

at

7:30 p.m.

on

Nov. 14

at the

Cincinnati Club

located at

 30 Garfield Place, Downtown.

Program

Once I Was
Morning Star
Poor Girl’s Ruination/The Dream Keeper
Hallie Ann
Souvenir
Afternoon on a Hill
Otherwise
Resume/Wail/Frustration
To the Maid of Orleans
The Spring and the Fall
I Seen Snow
Being Small
Home of the Brave
Bound to Be
Kid in the Park
When Sue Wears Red
Joy
New Moon

Cast List

TJ Capobianco

Eric Heatley

Chandler Johnson

DeRon McDaniel

Briana Moynihan

Fotina Naumenko

Gabriella Sam

Paulina Villarreal

Accompanists

Maria Fuller

John Combs

Performance Times

8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4

8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5

Location

Cohen Family Studio Theater, CCM Village

University of Cincinnati

Admission

Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Oct. 31. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

____

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor & Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Opera Department Sponsor: Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Rosenthal

Opera Production Sponsor: Genevieve Smith