Program Description

Session One (Graduate) and Session Two (Undergraduate) Course Description: 10-20 Students will be selected by to come to Germany and perform as instrumentalists, vocal soloists, choristers, dancers, repetiteurs, and understudies in main-stage productions of „Der Vogelhändler,” „Hello Dolly „ and “Brundibar,” associated with the Middle-Saxony Opera House in Freiberg. Students will also have an opportunity to perform in the Rehearsals will begin during the week of May 21st.  The course includes 60 hours of Conversational German. Students will start their course on May 21st in the first session and continue through until July 3rd.  Extra concerts and student opera performances cast by enrollment will be arranged as time permits.

Students may have the opportunities to participate in extra concerts, and may have time to take personal excursions and activities to other area cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Berlin to see music theater productions.  Students will be responsible for all airfare, and food costs and extra transportation costs incurred while living in Freiberg outside of the fees paid to JMU. Students will be required to stay until the final performances of the works they are cast in, which may extend beyond the official end of the course, by arrangement with the director. This will have an extra housing charge to pay for accommodation.

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Students enrolled will have the following opportunities:
Roles Available:
1. Hello Dolly 
Ermengarde (Double Cast)
Ernestina (Double Cast)
Ambrose (Single Cast)
3 to 5 Chorus Positions

2. Vogelhändler
Professor Würmchen
Professor Süfle
5 to 7 Chorus Positions

3. Brundibar
A brief history and synopisis of the plot can be found at http://holocaustmusic.ort.org/places/theresienstadt/brundibar/

And one of several productions to view can be found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgFUqh2ZDd8

All roles available:
Little Joe
Annette, his sister
Burndibár, an organ grinder
Ice Cream Man
Baker
Milkman
Policeman
Sparrow
Cat
Dog Fido
Windows, choir
Schoolchildren, choir
Adults

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Students will also have an opportunity to perform in student productions which will be chosen at a later date. Extra concerts and student opera performances cast by enrollment will be arranged as time permits.

The two works we are casting as student productions are:

1. Bizet’s One-Act Opera, Dr. Miracle
Laurette, soprano
Véronique, mezzo-soprano
Capitaine Silvio/Pasquin/Docteur Miracle, tenor
Le Podestat, baritone          

2. Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas
Dido, mezzosoprano or soprano
Belinda, soprano
Aeneas, baritone
Sorceress, mezzosoprano or bass
First witch, Soprano
Second witch, soprano or mezzosoprano
Second woman, soprano
A spirit, mezzosoprano or soprano or baritone
A sailor, tenor
Chorus (English madrigal group)