Boston Conservatory at Berklee Presents L’Etoile

The Center Stage performance of Emmanuel Chabrier’s opéra bouffe will be conducted by Andrew Bisantz, with stage direction by Nathan Troup.

By
Tori Donahue
October 16, 2023
Three tier birthday cake with candles, with a half purple half gray overlay/

Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s fall Center Stage performance season will continue with a performance of Emmanuel Chabrier’s rarely staged 1877 opéra bouffe L’Etoile. The opera will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater on November 8, November 9, and November 11 at 7:30 p.m., with an afternoon performance on November 12 at 2:00 p.m.

Through a wacky plot and inventive music, L’Etoile follows King Ouf’s adventures as he finds someone to execute for his birthday. L’Etoile has been considered one of the great works in the tradition of opéra bouffe, and was deemed a masterpiece by Igor Stravinsky. Performed by Boston Conservatory at Berklee students in French with English supertitles, the performance will be conducted by Associate Professor Andrew Bisantz, with stage direction by Associate Professor Nathan Troup.

“I first encountered Chabrier’s delightful opéra bouffe over 20 years ago as an assistant conductor at Glimmerglass Opera and was immediately struck by the originality and craft of the score; I always remembered the production with great affection,” said Bisantz. “As we were choosing repertoire for this season, I was excited to learn L’Etoile was on the short list, and I enthusiastically encouraged us to consider it. Most opera-goers will have never heard of this work before, and I can’t wait for our amazing students to delight audiences with their performances and introduce them to this underserved masterwork. L’Etoile is far more musically sophisticated than many of its operetta brethren, and I’m honored to be making my Boston Conservatory opera debut with this fantastic work!”

L’Etoile will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater, located at 31 Hemenway Street in Boston, Massachusetts, at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 8, Thursday, November 9, and Saturday, November 11, and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 12. Tickets for L’Etoile are $25 to $30 for regular seating; $18.75 to $22.50 for seniors, non-Berklee students, and WGBH members; and $12.50 to $15 for Conservatory alumni. View additional events in Boston Conservatory’s fall Center Stage season.