Mozart: Abduction from the Seraglio

Olivia Flores Alvarez January 22, 2015 4:00AM

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Mozart’s comic The Abduction from the Seraglio, an opera in concert by the Houston Symphony, follows Belmonte (tenor Paul Appleby) as he tries to rescue his beloved Konstanze (soprano Lauren Snouffer) from a harem. There are lots of twists and turns, but in the end love wins out (no, that’s not a spoiler!). The production marks a series of firsts for director Lloyd Wood. While he’s worked with conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada before, it’s his first time exploring Abduction, first time in Texas and first time working with the Houston Symphony.

The opera is a whirlwind of adventures, missed opportunities and pounding love (hey, it’s an opera). And the production promises to be a whirlwind for Wood and the cast as well. “I arrive in Houston…one week before we start rehearsals,” Wood tells us. He immediately goes to work with the technical team. “I’ve not been to the venue, let alone worked there, so it’s going to be important to get a feel for the space and better understand its audience.” He’ll work with Jim Johnson, the only actor to have a non-signing role in the production. “The singers then arrive on the Monday. We have one day in the studio to work through the piece, and then we’re straight in with the orchestra on the Tuesday and Wednesday. The chorus arrives for a dress rehearsal on the Thursday, and our first performance is on the Friday.” See, a whirlwind.

8 p.m. Friday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, 615 Louisiana. For information, call 713-224-7575 or visit houstonsymphony.org. $25 to $125.
Fri., Jan. 23, 8 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 25, 2:30 p.m., 2015