Photo courtesy of Elijah Conley.
UTampa’s ensemble theater group, OPUS, proves its adaptability time and again, showcasing precision, harmony, and choreography in its fall performance.
By Andrew Miller
TAMPA, Fla. — Show choir has long been a staple of mainstream media, with classics like Pitch Perfect and Glee reminding audiences just how much we love musicals.
OPUS is the University of Tampa’s version of a show choir.
On Oct. 26, OPUS held its fall concert in the Ferman Center for the Arts Charlene Gordon Performance Gallery, marking the group’s 15th consecutive fall show and its second in the Gallery.
As defined by the class’s professor and pianist, Tara Schwartzbaugh, OPUS is not exactly a show choir but a “pop ensemble.”
The group features 18 students — most of them musical theatre majors — who test their ability to create a show within a short rehearsal period.
It might sound simple, but in truth, these students juggle learning harmonies, memorizing blocking, and mastering elaborate choreography, with just two short rehearsals a week.
Sarah Wyner, a senior musical theatre major and longtime member of the group, has served as OPUS’s lead choreographer for five semesters. With her anticipated graduation in December, she reflected on the hard work and fun she’s shared with her fellow performers, though it hasn’t come without its challenges.
“It was a majority of new people in the class this semester,” Wyner said. “So they had to adapt to how fast OPUS moves.”
One of those newer students was sophomore musical theatre major Sophia Hazleton, who just completed her first semester with the group. She described the experience as a challenge, but worth it nonetheless.
“I was really pushed to improve myself as a musician, actress, and dancer to get into OPUS,” Hazleton said. “Which then made me continue to push and challenge myself further once I was in.”
This hard work culminated in Sunday’s performance, OPUS: And the Nominees Are, a show themed around musicals that were nominated for, but didn’t win, the Tony Award for Best Musical.
The setlist featured numbers from Something Rotten!, Urinetown, Bright Star, and Chicago, including the iconic “Cell Block Tango.” Wyner offered insight into how the group decides on each song.
“We pitch songs to our teacher that match the theme,” Wyner said. “She even suggests numbers we might not know, like the “He Did It” number we just performed.”
Schwartzbaugh has been leading the class since 2011 and has the process down to a routine. She continues to do it because of the intense learning curve it provides for students, and the reward of seeing them bring everything together.
“Watching the students take our vision from idea to full show is why I teach music,” Schwartzbaugh said. “It all comes together with our band and our great audience!”
On top of the constantly changing syllabus, new themes, and a fresh group of students each semester, the class faced a last-minute venue change, moving the show to the Gallery instead of its usual home, the Falk Theater.
But despite the issues, Wyner proves that it is all still very much worth it.
“OPUS is extremely worth the turnaround,” Wyner said. “It’s a great performance opportunity and a chance to sing your dream roles with your friends!”
With technical issues forcing a last-minute move from the Falk Theater, the students had only days to adjust. Yet OPUS thrives under pressure — their adaptability and talent make the performance seamless, leaving the audience none the wiser.