A group of anxious young people gather in a bar. They're about to take part in a whirlwind game of romantic connection -- a sort of high-stakes musical chairs. Speed Dating is a contemporary opera by the popular American composer Michael Ching. The New Mexico premiere will be performed by students in the University of New Mexico's Opera Theatre program October 21-23 at Keller Hall in Albuquerque.
Leslie Umphrey and Sam Shepperson, co-directors of the UNM Opera Theatre, say that Speed Dating's approachable storyline and flexible production requirements make it ideal for their students and for audiences who might be unfamiliar with opera.
