On Feb. 6 and 7, the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts hosted a production of La Perichole by Jacques Offenbach.
Poor young street singers, La Perichole and Piquillo try to get money for their marriage license when the Viceroy turns everything around.
Despite some unexpected setbacks with an injured lead role cast member, the opera received a great response from audience members.
“I thought it was one of the best shows of the season so far,” said Angele Thibodaux, Southeastern student.  “Chase did an amazing job, and I love the newcomers.  Overall it was a fantastic performance.”
Even the critics left the opera happy with what they saw.
“It was a really good opera.  It didn’t really hit the 1850s in some parts, but overall, the actors, the emotion, it was all there,” said Trey Imbornone, a Hammond resident.
Pulling off such a great performance proved much more difficult than anticipated when Joshua Williams, cast as Piquillo, hurt his shoulder during practice and became unable to act out most of the scenes in the opera.  Williams remained on stage, singing his parts, but other cast members assisted in acting out the scenes which involved a lot of movement.
“I think it went great even though we had so many complications with his shoulder, so that was a little bit confusing.  We did it at the very last minute,” said Anastasiia Ped, fiancée to Williams and casted as La Perichole for the Thursday night showing.  “Before we did it all together and now I had to be by myself.  It was difficult, but once you perform you just do it.  You have no choice.”
Ped played La Perichole Thursday night and Alyssa Hernandez played La Perichole Friday night.  Many of the parts were double casted for the two separate nights in order to showcase more talent.
“There are a ton of talented people in the music department and it’s a chance to get everyone on stage and get experience,” said Chase Ledet, who played Don Pedro, the Viceroy of Peru.
For Ledet, figuring out his character was the most difficult aspect of the opera.
“The most difficult thing was characterizing for me.  Being one character that disguises himself as two completely different things and figuring out how he moves when he’s himself and how he moves when he’s disguised as someone else,” said Ledet.  “I established my character always by thinking of characters I know, for instance Kuzco from ‘The Emperors New Groove,’ like a lot of the comic-ness of him I felt my character has as well.  So it’s finding someone I like and then it’s thinking okay I’m the Viceroy and the Viceroy does this.  So I think of scenes off stage that lead to the on stage scenes.”
Other cast members include Stephen Dale who played Don Pedro, Benjamin Vollentine who played Don Gomez, Katherine Smith and Krisitna Temple who were double casted as Anita, Kim Dupre and Analynn Sober who were double casted as Beginella and Morgan Curole and Michelle Guillot who were double casted as Manuelita.
La Perichole was directed by Rachel M. Harris, choreographed by Alison Maraman and set designed by Steve Schepke.  Charles Effler served as musical director.
To view the calendar of upcoming events and performances visit southeastern.edu/music and click on “Calendar of Events and Performances” or call 985-549-2814.