Giacomo Puccini's comic opera Gianni Schicchi
Lyrics by Giovacchino Forzano
Stage direction by Mary Martin
Musical direction by Orcenith Smith
Thurs–Sat, Feb. 26–28 • 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 1 • 2 p.m.
Green Center, Kresge Auditorium

When rich old Buoso Donati kicks the bucket, his relatives gather to bury him. Tears flow freely until they realize he’s left the entire family fortune to a monastery. Desperate to reclaim the loot, they enlist the "resourceful" Gianni Schicchi to disguise himself as the dying Donati and dictate a new will to a clueless notary. It’s the perfect plan—until Schicchi begins bequeathing the best of the estate to "his good friend...Gianni Schicchi.” Featuring the legendary aria "O mio babbino caro" ("Oh, my beloved daddy"), this one-hour, one-act farce proves that while crime may not pay, it certainly makes for a hilarious evening at the opera.

Orcenith Smith will conduct the DePauw Orchestra in four performances of Gianni Schicchi (Feb. 26–March 1), directed and produced by fellow music faculty member Mary Martin. DePauw Opera's production, set in 13th-century Florence, will be sung in English. Costumes are by Caroline Good, sets by Duane Skoog and lighting by Joe Novak.