MSU Opera Theater presents comedic tale of love and understanding

Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera runs November 16, 17, 18 and 20 at Fairchild Theatre

The MSU Opera Theatre brings a lesser-known work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to the stage this fall in a comedic story of love lost and then found again. Staged by MSU Opera Theatre Director and Professor of Voice Melanie Helton, La Finta Giardiniera, “The Secret Gardener Girl” bursts with youthful passion and enthusiasm and features a full student cast in November at Fairchild Theatre on Wednesday the 16th, Thursday the 17th, and Friday the 18th, at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, the 20th at 3 p.m.  

Set in the late 1700s in a provincial Italian town, Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera reveals a tangled but charming and comedic tale of love lost and found again. Each character comes with a hidden past that leads to self-discovery, forgiveness and understanding—themes that Mozart explored musically throughout his life. Mozart wrote the opera when he was 18 during a time when he struggled to find audiences for his operas. The work has withstood the test of time and reveals the composer’s intuitive understanding of human nature and his sophisticated use of orchestration to explore on-stage drama. The result is a lively, accessible opera sung in Italian and subtitled in English for the new or seasoned operagoer. 

Upcoming events in the MSU Opera season are A Celebration of the Beautiful Voice, Sunday, January at 3:00 p.m., generously sponsored by Nancy and Charlie Seebeck; followed by Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff, March of 2023, Wednesday, the 22nd, Friday the24th, and Saturday the 25th at 7 p.m., and Sunday the26th at 3 p.m.; generously sponsored by James and Susan Bonfiglio, Susan Davis, and the Eleanor H. and Harold E. Leichenko Opera Endowment established by Lauren Julius Harris. All MSU Opera Theatre events are held in the Fairchild Theatre, with preview lectures held 45 minutes before the performance. 

Reserved seating tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors (age 60 and older) and $7 for students. Information on this and other concerts, recitals and performances in the 2022-23 Encore! Season can be found at music.msu.edu/events.