WT Opera to Stage Mozart Masterpiece ‘Don Giovanni’

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - West Texas A&M University Opera will stage a stripped-down production of one of the world's most beloved operas.

"Don Giovanni" will be staged at 7:30 p.m. March 26 to 28 and 1 p.m. March 28 in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall on WT's Canyon campus. Tickets are $30 for premium seating, $15 for general seating and free for WT students, faculty and staff with a Buff Gold Card. Reserve tickets at cur8.com/22281/project/133323.

A tale packed with lies and licentiousness, "Don Giovanni" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart originally was staged in 1787. Retelling the story of the legendary lover Don Juan, including his numerous conquests and eventual fall from grace, Mozart crafts a tale filled with both humor and tragedy.

"Don Giovanni is not the greatest guy," said Dr. Sarah Beckham-Turner, WT Opera director and assistant professor of voice in the School of Music in WT's Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities. "He's charming, sure, but he is a womanizer and a murderer."

Her student performers immediately clocked the man's game, too.

"I was blown away by the depth with which the students described their characters and their relationships with one another when we first read through the script," Beckham-Turner said. "One of the actors referred to Don Giovanni as 'a delusional, narcissistic predator'-nailed it!"

Beckham-Turner will stage the production with no props, all the better to put the spotlight on the music and the characters.

"I wanted the performers to be challenged to create their characters without the use of props, using the music and the libretto to create their characters," Beckham-Turner said. "The music and the text are so incredible that you don't need a sword or any other prop to tell the story. This opera truly is a masterpiece."

Also adding to the atmosphere are performers from WT Dance, choreographed by Edward Truitt, professor of dance.

Cast members for the March 26 and March 28 evening performances are Kelton Harbison, senior music major from Amarillo, as Don Giovanni; J.P. Galib, a graduate music student from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, as Leporello; Abigail Hite, a graduate music student from Nashville, as Donna Anna; Brooklynn King, a senior music major from Pearland, as Donna Elvira; Paige Preston, a graduate music student from Amarillo, as Zerlina; and Elliott Lewis, a junior music education major from College Station, as Masetto.

Cast members for the March 27 and March 28 afternoon performances are Kyler Hilton, a senior music major from Amarillo, as Don Giovanni; Korbin Cole, a junior music education major from Pampa, as Leporello; Erin Hinds, a senior music education major from Amarillo, as Donna Anna; Deborah Weiss, a graduate music student from Plainview, as Donna Elvira; and Grayson Wesbrooks, a sophomore music education major from Canyon, as Masetto. Sarah Estes, a senior music major from Turpin, Oklahoma, will play Zerlina for the March 28 afternoon performance alone.

Cast members in all shows include Oscar Hample, a graduate music student from Wasilla, Alaska, as Commendatore; and Mitchell Lon Hernandez, a 2022 WT alumnus from Canyon, as Don Ottavio. Chorus members and cover performers will include Anya Brown, a freshman music major from Quinlan; Cadence Brown, a freshman music major from Canyon; C.J. Hernandez, a freshman music education major from Amarillo; Draik Hickok, a graduate music student from Alvin; Kelvin Hollerman, guest performer; Emilia Park, a junior music major from Plano; and Raul Zuniga, a senior music major from Amarillo.

Conductor is Jonathan King of Opera Memphis. Guest music directors are Mila Henry, an opera and musical theatre conductor from New York, and Sara Chiesa, vocal coach and pianist from Carnegie Mellon University. Stage combat is choreographed by Angelica Pantoja, a 2025 WT alumna from Lubbock.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign, which is now winding down, has raised more than $175 million.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

Photo: Kyler Hilton, a senior music major from Amarillo, stars in March 27 and 28 performances of "Don Giovanni" from West Texas A&M University Opera.

-WT-