The alliance between Colorado College and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center is striking a musical chord.<\/p>\n
Colorado College Assistant Professor of Music Ryan Ba\u00f1agale has <\/strong>composed the original score for \u201cEnchanted April,\u201d a production opening Thursday, Feb. 9 at the Fine Arts Center. The romantic comedy, based on the novel by Elizabeth von Arnim, is coming to the FAC for the first time, following 500 critically-acclaimed productions worldwide.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this foreshadows the exciting ways that we can think about collaboration and innovation in the arts as we move forward with the CC and FAC alliance,\u201d\u00a0Ba\u00f1agale says.<\/p>\n The music has been scored for a Colorado College student string quartet comprised of Anna Lynn-Palevsky \u201918<\/strong> and\u00a0Naomi Sherman \u201917<\/strong>, violin;\u00a0Emily Fitzgerald \u201920<\/strong>, viola; and\u00a0Cirl Lee \u201917<\/strong>, cello. In addition to the musicians, Max Sarkowsky \u201920<\/strong> and Caleb Cofsky \u201917<\/strong> have been assisting with the recording set-up and process, providing them\u00a0with exposure to professional-level production techniques and\u00a0procedures. The students have been recording in Packard Hall with the assistance of the FAC\u2019s sound designer, Ben Heston.<\/p>\n Ba\u00f1agale notes that there are more than a dozen individual cues, ranging from\u00a010 seconds to\u00a0several minutes in duration. \u00a0Says Ba\u00f1agale of the score, \u201cThe interesting challenge has been how to sonically set the dreary mood of post-World War I London that dominates the first act with the lighter, brighter location of Act Two \u2014 a villa on the Italian coast.<\/p>\n An added benefit of the collaboration was the addition of the language skills of Amy Brooks, Tutt Library\u2019s special collections coordinator and regional performing artist. Brooks, who often works as a dialect coach, met with the cast individually and in groups, helping them hone their upper-class British accents. She also coached three non-Italian-speaking actors for a show in which their characters speak fluent Italian. Says Brooks, \u201cI see this alliance as presenting wonderful possibilities for cross-pollination.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWorking collaboratively with the students, the FAC production team, Amy Brooks, and director Joye Levy has been a\u00a0truly wonderful experience,\u201d adds\u00a0Ba\u00f1agale.<\/p>\n An additional perk of the alliance is that Colorado College students can show up an hour prior to any performance and receive a free ticket (as available) by showing their CC ID.<\/p>\n