UK Talents Featured in Bluegrass Opera Premiere of Long-lost Operetta

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 9, 2015) — The Bluegrass Opera will take to the stage next weekend at the Lexington Opera House to present the world premiere of "Illyria," a long-lost operetta that marries William Shakespeare's classic comedy "Twelfth Night" with music in the rich, entertaining style of Gilbert and Sullivan. The production features the talents of several members of the University of Kentucky community.

Composed in 1933 by William Theodore Diebels, professor of music at Washington University in St. Louis, with a libretto by his son-in-law, English professor Maurice Hartmann, "Illyria" calls for a cast of more than 25 and an orchestra of more than 35. It was originally scheduled to be premiered in summer stock in the 1930s, but the production never materialized due to events during the Great Depression.

The Bluegrass Opera's production, designed by Bill Barto and directed by UK School of Music alumnus Lorne Dechtenberg, will mark the first time the work has ever been performed.

"We're incredibly honored and excited to bring 'Illyria' to the stage for the first time," said Dechtenberg, who has held the baton at The Bluegrass Opera since its inception in 2008. "This will be our largest and most complex production ever, and it wouldn't be possible without the incredible cast and crew who have come together to make it happen. Not only is this production a dream-come-true for generations of the Diebels-Hartmann family, it's also a funny, memorable, and all-around great show that we feel deserves to be seen and enjoyed more, and we're hopeful that the exposure we give it will help lead to more performances."

Diebels (1875-1940) was an accomplished organist, composer and conductor who emigrated to the U.S. from Holland around the turn of the 20th century. In addition to teaching, he was recognized for his work as music director of the Cathedral of St. Louis. 

Hartmann (1906-1978) was married to Diebels' daughter, Helen, and was a specialist in Elizabethan verse (he wrote his Ph.D. dissertation on the work of Edmund Spenser, a 16th century English poet laureate and contemporary of Shakespeare). While not a musician himself, Hartmann shared Diebels' strong sense of faith; his contributions to his church and community were such that he was awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal by Pope Paul VI in 1971.

Family of the composer and librettist will be in attendance at The Bluegrass Opera production.

The cast of "Illyria" includes such Central Kentucky theatre fixtures as Rachel Lee Rogers; Bill Barto, former president and director of Studio Players; and Eric Seale, former artistic director of Actors Guild of Lexington.

The production also includes a number of veterans from The Bluegrass Opera, such as Alice Jones, who originated the lead role of Claire in "Face Value" in 2011 and directed "A Tree on the Plains" the following year, and Jim Smith, who has appeared in 11 of the company's productions, as well as rising stars Caleb Leonard, who played the title role in "Kelpie," and Elizabeth Maines, who created the title role in "Lady Windermere's Fan".

UK is also well represented in the production — most notably by alumni Gordon Earl Thomas and Dena Sullivan-Smith, fresh off a recent appearance at New York's National Opera Center, as well as theatre student Tucker Keel and Michael Bratcher, of UK HealthCare Information Technology.

The Bluegrass Opera is a nonprofit performing arts company that specializes in the performance of new and under-recognized musical stage works and that is dedicated to training the next generation of American theatre artists. Founded in 2008, it is the only professional company of its kind in the country.

"Illyria" will be presented 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 16 and 17, at the Lexington Opera House. General admission tickets are $30, and $15 for students with a valid ID. For tickets, visit The Bluegrass Opera website, www.bluegrassopera.org, or call at 859-940-9379.

The UK School of Music and UK Department of Theatre and Dance are housed at UK College of Fine Arts, which is also home to the university's School of Art and Visual Studies and Arts Administration Program.

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu