Opera Theatre at Ohio State presents Sweets by Kate by composer-in-residence Griffin Candey. The performances are FREE, but online registration is required. Use the links below for each performance you plan to attend; no ticket required.
A Talkback session will be held Saturday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. in Hughes 109. This talkback session will include a panel of Ohio State faculty and students discussing the project and relevance of the work (registration required).
Access the digital opera program before, during or after the performance. No paper programs will be distributed.
Livestream broadcast Friday 8 p.m.
Saturday show and livestream link
A darkly comic opera in two parts. When Elizabeth Brigmann’s father dies suddenly, she decides to return to the small town that shunned her twelve years earlier. Amid the outwardly-cheery glow of 1950s rural America, Elizabeth and her partner, Kate, must square with the lurking disapproval of the town, the teetering success of the family business, and her family's (quite literal) deals with the Devil.
Rating: PG-13 (adult language)
Meet the cast and crew
Directed by Lara Semetko-Brooks
Ed Bak, music director
Malik Khalfani, conductor
Bram Wayman, chorus master
Accompaniment by Chamber Brews
Funding provided by the College of Arts and Sciences
Griffin Candey is an American composer whose works have been praised for their "charming and elaborate complexity" and their "lyricism and emotional depth." A tireless advocate for American opera, Candey currently serves as composer-in-residence with Cleveland Opera Theatre, who premiered his adaptation of Lorca's The House of Bernarda Alba (with librettist Caridad Svich) in February 2019. His previous operas — especially Sweets by Kate — have been performed with theaters and universities across the country, including Boston University's 2017 Fringe Fest, Fort Worth Opera's Frontiers Festival, and at New York's iconic Stonewall Inn. Candey is currently earning his DMA in Composition at the University of Michigan, studying with Dr. Kristin Kuster.
Chamber Brews is a collaborative new-music ensemble bringing unique and interactive programming to audiences through live performance, video series, and recordings. With the support of the Johnstone Fund for New Music, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and our community, Chamber Brews continues to create programs celebrating diverse musical voices by regularly commissioning works, seeking out distinct performance venues, and discovering new musical partners in Columbus, Ohio.
Joining Chamber Brews in this production of Sweets by Kate will be violinist Devin Copfer, co-founder and director of Chamber Brews (Ohio State, BM and BA in Arts Management 2014), violinist Elizabeth Mandić-Nowac (Ohio State, BM and BME 2015; Manhattan School of Music, MM 2019), violist Emily Way (Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, BM 2013; Ohio State, post-baccalaureate licensure in Music Education, 2018), and cellist Sam Johnson, program developer with Chamber Brews (University of Texas–Austin, BM 2013; Ohio State, MM 2015, DMA 2020).
Ohio State’s highest priority is the health and well-being of our community. Masks are required indoors, regardless of vaccination status. All events are subject to change.
