Students, faculty, staff and alumni from Loyola University New Orleans are quenching their thirst—for opera and all things supernatural—as part of the New Orleans Opera Association’s production of Heinrich Marschner’s 19th century masterpiece, “The Vampire.”
The opera is set for Friday, Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 13 at 2:30 p.m. at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts. Loyola alumni Casey Candebat ’09 and Jacob Penick ’12 will sing major roles, with tenor Candebat as George Dibdin and baritone Penick as Robert Green. Loyola voice professor Tyler Smith will star in the role of James Gadshill.
Students, alumni and staff singing in the chorus include:
- Junior Sean Rose, baritone;
- Seniors Marlee Jensen and Karina Valle, sopranos; Brindley McWhorter, mezzo-soprano; and Kameron Lopreore, tenor;
- Music graduate students Maggie Probst and Veronica Sharkey, mezzo-sopranos; and Annie Halbert, soprano;
- Alumni and former students Julie Condy ’80, Brigid Higgins ’93 and Blythe Reed, sopranos; Givonna Joseph ’80, mezzo-soprano; Aaron Ambeau, Rahim Mandal ’13, Matthew McCann and Taylor Miller ’09, baritones; and Jeremy Orgeron ’00, bass; and
- Loyola Law Development Coordinator Bart Folse ’79, tenor.
“The Vampire” created a sensation at its 1828 premiere and greatly influenced composers and authors of the Romantic era. Based on a ghost story by Lord Byron, the opera sits musically and dramatically between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” and Richard Wagner’s “Flying Dutchman.” Although the New Orleans Opera’s adaptation of the “The Vampire” is set in contemporary New Orleans, musical numbers are in German, and dialogue in English.
Students receive a 10 percent discount on advance ticket purchase, excluding box seats. A 50 percent discount is available to any student who purchases tickets at the box office within 30 minutes of the performance. A valid student ID is required for both discounts. Information and tickets are available online or by calling 504-529-3000.