Ethan Lenhart of Williamstown to Perform in Crane Opera Ensemble and Orchestra Production

POTSDAM, NY — The award-winning Crane Opera Ensemble and Orchestra at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music is set to present an uproarious double-bill, bringing together Giacomo Puccini’s comic opera in one act, “Gianni Schicchi,” combined with the modern sequel, “Buoso’s Ghost,” by contemporary composer Michael Ching, from Nov. 16 to 18.

The cast and orchestra includes Ethan Lenhart of Williamstown, who will be playing the role of the Magistrate’s guard.

The production will open with an educational outreach performance for area schools, which will be offered at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16. Two evening performances will be offered, at 7:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, Nov. 17 and 18, in the Sara M. Snell Music Theater.

Set during the 15th century in Florence, Italy, “Gianni Schicchi” is about the death of the rich Florentine, Buoso Donati. After his death, his greedy relatives hear a rumor that Buoso left his entire fortune to an order of Friars instead of them. This rumor causes the family to make a desperate search for Buoso’s last will and testament, only to discover that they have been disinherited.

The family then asks Gianni Schicchi to help them change the will, but the sly Schicchi turns their scheme against them. The performance will be sung in Italian with English supertitles.

The hilarious sequel, “Buoso’s Ghost,” was written by Michael Ching for Opera Memphis in 1997. The contemporary sequel begins with the final bars of “Gianni Schicchi” and follows Schicchi as he tries to discover the circumstances of Buoso’s death.

The performance will be sung in English with supertitles.

Tickets for the Crane Opera Ensemble production of “Gianni Schicchi” and “Buoso’s Ghost” are $15 for the general public and $10 for SUNY Potsdam faculty, staff and students. To purchase tickets, contact the Community Performance Series Box Office, located in the lobby of SUNY Potsdam’s Performing Arts Center, by calling (315) 267-2277 or visiting http://www.cpspotsdam.org.

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