My Undying Love: An Amusement

The American Chamber Opera is proud to present the premiere of composer/librettist Melissa Shiflett's My Undying Love: An Amusement, a one-hour comic fantasy.  The cast, whose credits include New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and Los Angeles Opera, includes Rachel Arky (the Milkmaid), Sean Fallen (the Goatherd), Lianne Gennaco (the Girl), Seth Gilman (the Bear), Michelle Seipel (the Witch/Mother), and Kannan Vasudevan (the Robin).  Musicians are Elizabeth Rodgers, piano; Gary Dranch, clarinet; and Courtney Kaita, cello.  Stage director is Andrew Joffe; Musical directors are Shiflett and Rodgers.  The production has costumes by Matthew Pedersen, whose credits include the Metropolitan Opera and Steppenwolf Theatre, and set design by Justin Tolbert, who has designed for the Arthur Miller Society.

My Undying Love: An Amusement is just that - an amusement, with plenty of action.  Tempers flair between a mother and daughter, who then begins her elaborate fantasy play with her mother cast as The Witch.  All kinds of undying love between the characters take place throughout the story, and the opera closes with the mother and daughter striking a truce, which feels both poignant and joyful.

Performances June 21-23 (Friday & Saturday at 8 PM; Sunday at 2 PM) at University Settlement, 184 Eldridge St.  Tickets $25; $18 for students & seniors.  Reservations at 347.448.6039.