The UTSA Lyric Theatre presents: “Ladies’ Night: An evening of opera-style works featuring women’s voices” by the UTSA Department of Music. It premiered to the public last night via YouTube with a pre-recorded, one-act live performance. The production was recorded on February 27, 2021 at Woodland Theatre in front of a socially distanced audience. “Ladies’ Night” consists of three performances: “The Worst One Ever,” composed by Gary Belshaw, “A Picnic Cantata,” composed by Paul Bowles and “Captain Lovelock” composed by John Duke. 

The first performance, titled “The Worst One Ever,” starred Bree Belle as Stephanie, Autumn Riley as Jennifer and Kaylee Rios as Jessica. The premise of the performance is based off of three ladies in college who are facing certain obstacles in their lives. Stephanie is struggling with her patience while waiting for a grade that she needs an A on to be posted. She desperately wants the approval of her mother. Meanwhile, Jennifer is having issues with her boyfriend, who she feels is completely emotionally incompetent. She vocally expresses frustration toward her boyfriend, Jason. Jessica is angry with her father because he refuses to let her go on a trip with her friends. She complains about being treated like a child. The ladies eventually get their way toward the end of the number. 

The second performance, titled “A Picnic Cantata,” featured four ladies played by Eva Alpar, Greta Glasscock, Madeline Gutierrez and Bella Perea. The story follows them as they enjoy a happy day filled with food and good conversation. As the day progresses, however, there is a rising issue that must be resolved at the end. The ladies go on to display witty humor along with an excitement that flows into the audience. 

The last performance, titled “Captain Lovelock,” shows Andrea Tovar as Terentia, Ava Upshaw as Pernille, Shirlyn Davenport as Leanora, Maggie Wolfe as Laurentia and Casey Winkleman as Kirsten. The number chronicles the life of Terentia, who is a widow that is excited about the prospect of marriage. The word gets around that she is looking for her love match, but unfortunately, the ones closest to her betray her. The number goes on to represent forgiveness and joy amongst loved ones. 

If you would like to view Ladies’ Night, you can find it on the UTSA Music Youtube channel.