“In spirit, ‘The Rivals’ harks to Rossini and Donizetti; in sound, it weds Puccini’s generous lyricism to the dancing meters of Bernstein’s ‘Candide,’” wrote The New York Times of this opera, praising it for its “buoyant melodies, supple harmonies and perky rhythms.” Kirke Mechem’s “The Rivals” is a bright and witty comedy full of love, mistaken identities, duels, and misunderstandings in the household of Mrs. Malaprop. In Mechem’s libretto, based on an 18th-century comedy by Sheridan, the action moves from the English town of Bath to Newport, Rhode Island, at the beginning of the 20th century.

James Allbritten, conductor
Stephanie Havey, guest director