Moreno Valley College Musical Instructor to Perform Onstage

Moreno Valley College music instructor Natalie Mann will play Hanna Glawari in the Independent Opera Company's The Merry Widow. The first of four performances was held Jan. 18 at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 11555 National Blvd., Los Angeles. 90064. Sequential showings included Jan. 19 as well and shows on Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. and Jan. 26 at 4 p.m. The Merry Widow operetta, by Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehar, tells the story of a rich widow and her countrymen's attempt to keep her money in the principality by finding her the right husband. The operetta has enjoyed extraordinary international success since its 1905 premiere in Vienna, with frequent revivals and recordings. "This is my debut in the role but I was drawn to the role of Hanna — the widow — both for the vocal challenges and for the comedic opportunities the role provides," Mann said. "It's a joy to perform the show in English translation, as the audience can be directly engaged." Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door; children 10 and under and students with an ID are $10. A part-time instructor at MVC since the spring of 2013, Mann has performed as a lyric soprano in Europe and Australia. In 2011 she performed in China with the South Shore Orchestra. She is the recipient of a Metropolitan Opera Encouragement Award and released her first commercial CD, "Experience," in November 2013. Mann earned a doctorate in music at Indiana University in vocal performance and a master's degree in creative arts from the University of Wollongong in Australia. On Feb. 16, in San Diego, sponsored by the Community Center For the Arts, Mann will be performing in a concert and then in the fall will travel to Chicago to perform Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs with the South Shore Orchestra.