‘Three Oranges’ brings fantasy to the MAC stage

A prince, a princess, a witch and ... oranges.

This farcical opera has the makings of a classic Disney princess movie, while unfolding a random plot a la absurdist theater.

On Friday at the Musical Arts Center, IU Opera Theater will present Sergei Prokofiev’s “The Love for Three Oranges,” which is based on a commedia dell’arte (a style of comedy where the plot is based on improvisation) fable by Carlo Gozzi.

Maria Levy, executive administrator of the IU Opera/Ballet Theater, said the show will feature set designer C. David Higgins’ playing card-themed scenery from IU Opera Theater’s 2000 performance of “Oranges.”

Not only does the set exhibit cartoonish unreality, but the nature of the opera itself does too.

“It was written in the absurdist movement,” said Jonathan Matthews, who plays the Prince. “It is a lot like some television shows like ‘The Simpsons’ or ‘Family Guy,’ where seemingly random stuff happens, but not enough that it is distracting from the plot.”

“Oranges” begins with a struggle between the chorus members about what sort of theater to see, which escalates into a story of a prince who is dying of melancholy. Only laughing can cure the Prince’s illness, and everyone thinks he is doomed.

When a scheming witch, named Fata Morgana, accidentally falls, the Prince finally laughs. Fata Morgana becomes enraged at being thwarted, and curses the Prince. She makes him fall in love with three oranges, and from there, the plot is full of surprises.

Stage Director Nicholas Muni said surprise is one of the most important aspects of the show, followed by unconventional opera music and chorus.

The 20th century-style music of “Oranges” was initially difficult for many of the performers to master, Matthews said.

“The composer is not thinking melodically,” Matthews said. “In simple terms, it is not singable, in that you won’t come out of this show singing anybody’s tunes.”

However non-melodic the rest of the opera is, there are still some melodic parts, such as the love duet, Matthews said.

“The most beautiful music is in Act III, when the Prince meets the princess who was inside the third orange,” Matthews said. “We sing about my adventure of finding and rescuing her and her standard fairy tale dream of having her ‘Prince Charming’ come and save her.”

Breaking another standard opera convention, the chorus in this opera borrows some characteristics of Greek theater choruses and drives the story.

“The chorus is literally a central character with its very own strand of the story,” Muni said. “The story tracks them through their arguments of what sort of theater they all want to see, and in the end they fall in love with this new category of theater.”

“The Love for Three Oranges” will be streamed live on the IU Music Live! Web site at www.music.indiana.edu/iumusiclive/. Many have questioned whether or not this will affect the audience turnout at the MAC.

Muni said streaming live video will be beneficial rather than a distraction from live opera audiences.

“I think this live video feed parallels the 1930s movement when the MET played live audio on the radio,” he said. “People feared that it would decrease live audience turnout, when in reality, it excited more people to come and see it live.”

Whether the audience is at the MAC or in front of computer screens, Muni said the speed and variety of this work will hold the audience’s attention.

“One aspect that I enjoy is how the tone of the piece shifts from farcical to evil to dramatic to romantic to absurd,” Muni said. “It never lets you settle into any one direction. It keeps the audience on its toes.”

With hopes of enticing a younger generation, Levy said this short, action-packed show is also family friendly.

“Most people, especially families, don’t get a chance to see an opera, especially now that the economy is doing so poorly,” Levy said. “I hope that people can come to the show, forget everything and just laugh.”