Join us for Dinner and a Diva on Tuesday, November 15th for highlights from Joplin’s Treemonisha sung by the Capitol Opera Company Singers and a gourmet four-course dinner featuring hors d’oeuvres, salad, choice of entree, and dessert, accompanied by two glasses of wine and coffee/tea, for $75 per person (plus taxes and fees). Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar open at 6:15 p.m., and the dinner and show start promptly at 7:00 p.m.. Make reservations on our website home page.
“Joplin’s opera is the story of Treemonisha, the titular character and a young woman living in a forest between the composer’s hometown of Texarkana, Texas and the Red River of Arkansas. The piece begins with the community beginning their day of work with folk songs. Treemonisha finds herself under a sacred tree in the forest, a direct parallel to the enchanted tree of ‘Die Walkure.’ Conjurers arrive to perform for the community and kidnap Treemonisha at the end of the first act. The magic and superstition of the conjurers throughout the opera are meant to directly contrast with the values of Treemonisha, who is literate and insists on learning and logic. Act two details the rescue of Treemonisha from the conjurers. Remus, Treemonisha’s friend from their neighborhood, disguises himself as the devil and scares away the conjurers. Treemonisha and Remus escape to a nearby plantation, where the workers help guide their way home. The third act begins with a prelude and sees Treemonisha return to her parents. Meanwhile, Remus and Treemonisha have captured two of the conjurers. While the community plans to punish the conjurers, Treemonisha defends them and insists that they must be forgiven. Treemonisha is elected leader of their community.”