Pastoral opera to be performed outdoors
Cal Lutheran to present 'The Tender Land' May 8-9
"The Tender Land" will be presented on the lawn of the historic Pederson Ranch House.
(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – April 17, 2015) California Lutheran University students will perform a pastoral opera on the lawn of the historic Pederson Ranch House in May.
Aaron Copland’s “The Tender Land” with a libretto written by Erik Johns will be presented under the stars at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9.
Set against the backdrop of a Midwestern farm in the 1930s, this coming-of-age tale follows a young woman as she prepares for her graduation from high school. On the cusp of adulthood, Laurie must choose between taking a path defined by the expectations of her family or indulging her heart’s desire to seek “all those roads beyond that line above the earth and ’neath the sky.” It’s a timely story as graduation season approaches.
The performance features students from Cal Lutheran’s vocal music program and University Orchestra. Annika Dybevik, a theater arts major from Issaquah, Wash., will sing the role of Laurie. Megan McDonald, a music major from Moorpark, will portray Ma. Daniel Geeting will conduct and Heidi Valencia Vas will direct.
Pederson Ranch House is located at 3201 Regent Ave. on the Thousand Oaks campus.
Admission is free but tickets are required. To obtain tickets, visit CalLutheran.edu/music. For more information, call the Music Department at 805-493-3306.