Upcoming Productions:
Mooch the Magnificent – Composed by Lauren Bernofsky (Runtime: 40 minutes)
Date/Time: March 26, at 7:00 p.m. and March 28 at 12:00 p.m.
Location: W.O. Smith Music School
When the wildest thing in the zoo… is the girl who runs it.
Set in a futuristic zoo where the animals are robots, Mooch the Magnificent follows an orphan named Mooch who convinces the zookeeper to hire her as a mechanic. But Mooch has a mischievous plan to reprogram the robotic animals to behave more like the wild versions they were modeled after.
Packed with humor, this family-friendly opera explores what it means to think for yourself. With a libretto by Scott Russell Sanders and a score by Lauren Bernofsky, Mooch the Magnificent is an experience for audiences of all ages.
About Vanderbilt Opera Theatre
Vanderbilt Opera Theatre | Gayle Shay, director
Vanderbilt University Orchestra | Jennifer McGuire, conductor
Vanderbilt Opera Theatre (VOT) is open by audition to all Vanderbilt students. Under the direction of Gayle Shay and Jennifer McGuire, VOT presents three to four productions each year, including:
- One fully-produced show with orchestra in Ingram.
- One smaller production in a language other than English performed away from Blair.
- One children’s opera produced in the Nashville community. (We have been to W. O. Smith and the Nashville Zoo, among other locations.)
- On an every three years rotation, we have developed VOTLab in which we work with a professional composer and librettist to grow and develop a new piece of lyric theatre. The first round is a workshop. The second round is a fully produced performance.
Repertoire for the fall production is drawn from both the operatic and musical theater canon. All members of the cast participate in backstage production work as assigned by the faculty.
Auditions are held at varying times throughout the year. Please contact Gayle Shay with any questions.