‘Holy Grail’ of operas, ‘Aida’ set to thrill audiences at the Schuster

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Much work has gone into making sure performances of “Aida” thrill the audiences at the Schuster Performing Arts Center in downtown Dayton this weekend.

I was allowed an exclusive behind-the-scenes sneak peek of the classic opera by Giuseppe Verdi during Wednesday’s dress rehearsal, which was open to the public.

Considered by many, including director Kathleen Clawson as the “Holy Grail” of operas because of its grandeur, “Aida” is a passionate story of a love triangle involving an Ethiopian slave, Aida, being held in captivity in Egypt during the time of the ancient Pharaohs.

The cast and supporting crew is huge — more than 200 — and features the talent of the entire Dayton Performing Arts Alliance Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet — as well as 13 airmen from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and two live horses.

The opera is performed in Italian with English subtitles. Seats are still available for both Friday's 8 p.m. and Sunday's 3 p.m. performances at Ticket Center Stage, 937-228-3630 or online at www.daytonperfomingarts.org. One hour prior to both performances, University of Dayton music professor Sam Dorf will discuss the opera.

In the meantime, check out my exclusive video.

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