Ohio Light Opera

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The Ohio Light Opera was founded as a cultural and educational endeavor at the College of Wooster in 1979 and has been owned and operated since its inception by the College of Wooster. It grew out of the Kent State Light Opera, which was founded by James Stuart, formerly of the American Savoyards. When the Kent group ended, it was soon transferred to Wooster, with Stuart continuing as its guiding force. It performs the entire Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire, but also regularly revives rarely performed American, British, and continental operettas of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Educationally, the company offers young, talented vocalists and instrumentalists the opportunity to perform in a professional setting. In the course of 28 summer seasons, the company has produced approximately eighty different operettas.

The company's performing season usually starts in mid-June and ends in mid-August. The company generally performs seven or eight different works in repertory in the course of a nine-week season that attracts approximately 22,000 patrons annually. Performances usually take place in the Freelander Theatre on the College of Wooster’s campus in Wooster, Ohio.

Richard Morris of The Schubert Institute (UK)[1] travelled to Ohio to see the company's production of Das Dreimäderlhaus in 2002. He reported,

"This is not a local ‘operatic’ society churning out an annual production... but a serious attempt to preserve an authentic operetta tradition.... The new translation made it very easy to keep up with the complicated comings and goings of the plot. There was excellent singing throughout, especially from Hannerl (Julie Wright) and Schober (Brian Woods), and the scene with the Tschöll’s (Ben Smith and Yvonne Douthat) one big number "That’s how it goes" (i.e. "Geh, Alte, schau") worked especially well. Lucia Grisi (Robin Bricker), a part that is a caricature (the Italian ‘prima donna’), was exactly as she should have been. This act has a big finale, with Schubert, who has just lost Hannerl to Schober, breaking down whilst singing Ungeduld, which was magnificent, leaving a buzz in the audience. Overall, this was a very enjoyable performance, and well worth the hassle of a long journey to attend." [2]

The company has produced numerous recordings, usually recorded live in performance. Beside four Gilbert and Sullivan recordings, it has recorded Victor Herbert's Naughty Marietta and Rudolf Friml's The Vagabond King, as well as lesser known works like Eileen, Sweethearts, The Red Mill, Veronique, Countess Maritza, Robin Hood, The Bayadere, Autumn Maneuvers, and Der Zigeunerprimas. Some of these recordings are CD premieres, although some are described as "complete," when in fact, significant cuts are made. Reviewers have commented on the unevenness of Ohio Light Opera's casts, and sometimes on the American accents used in English works, but some of the recordings have received favorable review from Fanfare and other music magazines.