The Collegiate Chorale will present George F. Handel’s 1749 oratorio Susanna Feb. 3 in New York.
Handel’s beautiful work Susanna bridges the genres of oratorio and ballad opera. Susanna is based on an apocryphal chapter, the 13th chapter of the biblical "Book of Daniel." It tells the story of a virtuous young women who is falsely accused of sexual promiscuity by two elders who were lusting after her. The prophet Daniel exposes the two elders as liars and vindicates Susanna.
The concert will feature Isabel Leonard as Susanna, Daniela Mack as Susanna's husband Joachim, Javier Abreu and Zachary James as the Elders and Benjamin P. Wenzelberg as the boy-prophet Daniel, with conductor James Bagwell, director Ted Sperling, the Orchestra of St. Luke's and lighting design by Frances Aronson.
The Collegiate Chorale is a group of 150 to 175 singers who comes from all parts of the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut region. Members are from all walks of life and include teenagers, college graduates, lawyers and musicians.
This performance continues the Collegiate Chorale’s 2014-15 season, which opened with the New York city premiere of Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) in December at Carnegie Hall, featuring Eric Idle, Victoria Clark, Marc Kudisch, Lauren Worsham and William Ferguson with conductor/director Ted Sperling and the Orchestra of St. Luke's.
The season concludes with the U.S. premiere of The Road of Promise in May 2015 at Carnegie Hall, featuring Anthony Dean Griffey, Mark Delavan, Philip Cutlip, Lauren Michelle, Megan Marino and Justin Hopkins with conductor/director Ted Sperling and the Orchestra of St. Luke's.
Susanna will premiere Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. at Town Hall in New York City. Visit the Collegiate Chorale website for more information on the performance. To purchase tickets, click here.
