DeKALB | The School of Music will hold its Opera Workshop in the Music Building’s Recital Hall at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Oct. 10. This class will focus on the performance aspect of musical theater. It is free and open to the public.

“It is a chance for students to practice the challenges that singers face when they do stage work,” stage director James Tucker said. “The purpose of this program, specifically, is to introduce the audience and the students to composers and lyricists who are working today.”

Tucker said the first workshop starts with musical theater, instead of opera, because it’s more familiar to the students and audience.

“It’s a musical genre that’s closer to us because it’s been composed in the recent past,” he said.

He also explained that many of the participating students have been involved with musical theater in the past.

One of the unique things about this workshop is the content. The scenes being shown are from shows either currently playing in New York or that have opened in the past 12 years.

“It’s very current, fresh, new material. And what excites me the most is that we’re able to showcase some already well-known composers, but we’re also able to explore the work of some newer voices on Broadway.” Tucker said.

There are 12 songs/scenes being showcased from nine different shows. One can look forward to a duet from the wildly popular “Spamalot” and two songs from the Tony Award-winning show, “The Light in the Piazza.”

Tucker said he hopes people are entertained and intrigued.

“I would hope, perhaps, that people who come might get excited about musical theater in general and the newer shows that are playing right now.”

Stacie Wieland is a film critic for the Northern Star.