TCU Opera will perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni" in traditional Italian.

"Don Giovanni" has been performed worldwide since it was written. It is based on the legend of Don Giovanni (Don Juan in Spanish), a fictional libertine and seducer. 

The TCU Opera Studio will be doing the production in Commedia dell’ Arte, a form of comedy originating in the 16th century that improvises from a base of stock characters and situations.

"This is probably one of the best operas ever written," senior voice major Michael Adams. "'Don Giovanni' is definitely the pinnacle of Mozart's career. Even people who don't know opera know who Don Giovanni is. It's a pretty famous story." 

Adams said he will be playing the lead role in "Don Giovanni."

Rehearsals started in September and there are 23 university students with roles in "Don Giovanni," director of TCU Opera Richard Estes said. 

Adams said that signing over the music in a foreign language without a microphone is what makes opera unique and difficult.

"We intend to be playful in every scene, not just the ones of obvious comic content," Estes said.

When deciding what performances to do for major productions, the TCU Opera Studio wants to produce operas that could be useful to the students who participate in it, Estes said.

"There is a body of operas that are universal and are considered to be masterpieces around the world and have been ever since they were created. Many of these operas are too big for a college to perform, but Mozart's work is performable by college students," music director Mark Metcalf said. 

The production will take place in Ed Landreth Auditorium and run March 1-3. There will be shows at 7 p.m the first two nights and a matinee at 2 p.m Sunday. Tickets are free for university students, faculty and staff with a valid TCU ID.

"We hope every year that we get more students interested in checking out opera and take advantage of this cultural opportunity for students on campus," Estes said. 

For more information, visit http://www.music.tcu.edu/OperaSp13.asp