CSULB<\/p>\n
The enduring partnership between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte remains one of opera\u2019s greatest creative alliances, resulting in three masterworks written in just four years.<\/p>\n
Next week, the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSULB will begin an ambitious, multi-year retrospective exploring that collaboration through a fresh and theatrical lens with \u201cCherubino\u2019s Rise and Fall, Part I.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rather than presenting the trio of operas \u2014 \u201cLe nozze di Figaro,\u201d \u201cDon Giovanni,\u201d and \u201cCos\u00ec fan tutte\u201d \u2014 as standalone works, the conservatory\u2019s opera program will weave them into a two-part pastiche, linking their characters and themes in unexpected ways.<\/p>\n
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In honor of her late husband\u2019s love of music, Regena Cole pledged $16.4 million in 2008 from the Bob Cole Trust to the CSULB music department. The gift, which was the single largest donation in CSULB history, established the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music seen here in Long Beach on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Cole, alleges she was coerced into making a $25 million donation to music education at Cal State Long Beach by a former 49er Foundation official and others has settled her lawsuit against the university. (Photo by Brittany M. Solo, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n
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In honor of her late husband\u2019s love of music, Regena Cole pledged $16.4 million in 2008 from the Bob Cole Trust to the CSULB music department. The gift, which was the single largest donation in CSULB history, established the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music seen here in Long Beach on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Cole, alleges she was coerced into making a $25 million donation to music education at Cal State Long Beach by a former 49er Foundation official and others has settled her lawsuit against the university. (Photo by Brittany M. Solo, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n
Expand<\/a><\/p>\n At the center is Cherubino, the lovelorn page from \u201cMarriage of Figaro,\u201d whose youthful impulsiveness has captured theatrical imaginations for nearly two and a half centuries.<\/p>\n Part I, kicking off April 10 through April 12, will launch the journey with a fully staged production performed with live orchestra.<\/p>\n As both a musical showcase and a piece of inventive storytelling, the production hopes to highlight the depth of student talent while embracing the theatrical elasticity of Mozart and Da Ponte\u2019s works.<\/p>\n The project will conclude next season, promising a long-view exploration that mirrors the scope of the original collaboration itself.<\/p>\n Performances will take place Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 12 at 2 p.m.<\/p>\n Tickets are priced at $28.75, $18.75, and free for select attendees, making this an accessible entry point into some of opera\u2019s most beloved repertoire.<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t make it in person, Bob Cole Conservatory of Music concerts are now being broadcast on 22 West Radio, a student-run multimedia radio station and video production company at CSULB.<\/p>\n When there\u2019s no specific concert to broadcast, music from the conservatory can be heard on rotation.<\/p>\n Tune in to listen at 22westmedia.com<\/a>, and check out the Bob Cole Conservatory website for more information about attending the opera at shorturl.at\/hK7dG<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018Charlotte\u2019s Web\u2019<\/p>\n Few stories have captured the imaginations of both children and adults quite like \u201cCharlotte\u2019s Web,\u201d E. B. White\u2019s tale of friendship, sacrifice, and care.<\/p>\n The Long Beach Shakespeare Company will bring this classic to life in a radio-style stage adaptation next week, transforming the familiar barnyard story into an intimate, imagination-driven theatrical experience.<\/p>\n We all know the story: it\u2019s about the unlikely bond between Wilbur, a runt pig facing an uncertain fate, and Charlotte, the wise spider who spins words into her web to save him.<\/p>\n \u201cCharlotte\u2019s Web\u201d as a live radio performance hopes to underscore the timelessness of this tale, while highlighting its emotional core.<\/p>\n Framed within the company\u2019s \u201cSeason of Legends,\u201d this radio version of E.B. White\u2019s most famous work offers a refreshing, and refreshingly small, perspective on what it means to be legendary.<\/p>\n No crowns or conquests here: just \u2018some pig,\u2019 a spider, and self-sacrificial love.<\/p>\n