Anchorage Festival of Music - The Dragon of Wantley

Music: John Frederick Lampe
Libretto: Henry Carey

A baroque burlesque opera.

A monstrous dragon is terrorizing the village of Wantley! The townspeople seek help from the galant Sir Moore who loves all things beer. Will the two sopranos dueling for his affections thwart his ability to defeat the terrible beast?

A parody of serious opera, The Dragon of Wantley (1737) was the most popular English opera (or “anti-opera”) of the eighteenth century. Honoring the burlesque tradition, this production with be staged as theatre “in the round,” with the audience fully immersed and sometimes contributing to the story and action, shattering theatre’s imaginary "fourth wall.”

As librettist Henry Carey described, “It is a Burlesque Opera: And Burlesque cannot be too Iow. Lowness (figuratively speaking) is the Sublimity of Burlesque: If so, this Opera is, consequently, the tip-top Sublime of its Kind.”

Christabel Sosa, Margery
Amanda Boger, Mauxalinda
Greg Gallagher, Moore of Moore Hall
Justin Birchell, Gaffer Gubbins/The Dragon

Mari Hahn, Director
Jonathan Salzedo, harpsichord
AFM Baroque Orchestra
Chorus of Terrified Villagers

Location: UAA Fine Arts Building, Harper Studio

Tickets: Adults $40 | Students/Youth $25
Admission includes non-alcoholic beverage and light snack.

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