Musical duo appear together again in Mom’s Weekend opera production

Actors performing "The Merry Wives of Windsor" on stage.
Clare Sullivan and Bogdan Theo Mynka star as Anne Page and Fenton in Otto Nicolai's opera, "The Merry Wives of Windsor."

Otto Nicolai’s opera, “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” based on Shakespeare’s play, will appear on the Bryan Hall stage during Mom’s Weekend with comedy, romance and a little fantasy.

Anne Page is in love with young Fenton but her parents have other ideas, each supporting a different suitor, including Dr. Cajus, an arrogant French gentleman, and Mister Slender, a shy nobleman.  Anne and Fenton are played by two graduating seniors, Clare Sullivan and Bogdan Theo Mynka, who will each receive Bachelor of Music degrees in Vocal Performance. They have played a variety of roles in the opera and musical theatre program at WSU over the years. Most recently they appeared together in “Young Frankenstein” with Sullivan as Inga and Theo Mynka as Igor. They also starred as Cinderella and Jack in Sondheim’s “Into the Woods.”

Last summer, both participated in vocal programs in Europe. Sullivan studied with Si Parla, Si Canta in Urbania, Italy. Theo Mynka participated in the Boston Conservatory Opera Intensive in Valencia, Spain. This summer he will be performing in the Franco American Vocal Academy Opera Program in Austria.

They will both be pursuing Master of Music degrees in performance in the future. Theo Mynka has been accepted to University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign with a full assistantship, where he will work in the Lyric Theatre with Nathan and Julie Gunn.

This annual School of Music production is directed by Julie Anne Wieck and accompanied by the WSU Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Danh Pham. Performances will be Friday, April 12 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 13 at 2:00 p.m.

Tickets will be available in the lobby of Kimbrough Music Building on April 10–12 from 10:00–2:00 p.m. or at the door in Bryan Hall an hour and a half before each performance.  The cost is $10 for students and senior citizens and $15 for general admission.

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