Independent Opera Company presents Cossack Beyond the Danube

Independent Opera Company concludes its tenth season with Cossack Beyond the Danube, a classic Ukrainian opera by Hulak-Artemovsky. This opera is not well known to non-Ukrainian speaking audiences, and yet it's been a constant hit in both Russia and Ukraine ever since it premiered in Saint Petersburg in 1863. The opera tells the story of the challenging fate of the Ukrainian people and their eternal quest for freedom. These important and relevant topics are set to delightful folk-inspired music and feature stories of earthy, full-of-life people told through humorous dialogue. The opera will be performed in Ukrainian with new English dialogue.

Cast. Principals: Ivan Karas, a Zaporozhian Cossack - Michal Connor Odarka, his wife - Chelsea Obermeier Oksana, an orphan maiden, raised by Karas and Odarka - Rae Shrum, Britta Sterling (cover) Andriy, a young Zaporozhian Cossack - Egan Carroll Sultan - Ken Simms Selikh-Aha, a Turkish lord - Matheon Park Ibrahim-Ali, an Imam (Turkish official) - Eli Katz Hassan, Turkish servant - Liza Barskaya Chorus: Britta Sterling, Amanda Mello, Kyrian Corona, Janice Batzdorff, Matheon Park, Kristin Mcginnis, Misha Barsky, Eli Katz, Jamie Sanderson