Mariah Coan on cast of Bemidji State University Opera Theatre production

A student from Goodridge was on the cast for Bemidji State University Opera Theatre’s 2017 production, “Speed Dating Tonight!” a comic opera in one act, which opened a four-show run on March 3.

Mariah Coan, a freshman majoring in music education, daughter of Robert and Deanna, played Dater 7: Pat the Bassoonist in “Speed Dating Tonight!”

“Speed Dating Tonight!” presented a unique experience for opera-goers, as it was structured to give production companies a broad variety of date scenes that can be selected based on available cast. In addition, those scenes can be adjusted to fit different voices and rearranged to appear in different orders during the show. As a result, BSU’s performance of “Speed Dating Tonight!” was unique, differing in style and content from any of the opera’s previous performances, and from any performance that other companies might produce in the future.

“Speed Dating Tonight!” ran March 3-5 in the Main Theatre of BSU’s Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex. 

About “Speed Dating Tonight!”

“Speed Dating Tonight!” was first performed in 2013 as a commissioned piece for the Brevard Music Center’s Janiec Opera in Brevard, N.C. The opera, which is specifically crafted to support small, intimate performances, apprentice programs, university opera and musical theatre groups, includes parts for as many as 30 singers with flexible roles that can be adapted to fit a varying number of singers with different voice types or genders. Since its 2013 North Carolina premiere, “Speed Dating Tonight!” has been performed nearly 50 times, with some performances leading into an actual speed-dating session.

Bemidji State University’s 48th annual Madrigal Dinners

Mariah Coan also participated in Bemidji State University’s 2016 Madrigal Dinners, an annual musical dinner production by the university’s Department of Music. The Madrigal Dinners, presented by students representing a variety of majors across campus, recreated a yuletide feast in an Elizabethan Renaissance-era castle, complete with the king and his royal court, beggars and the King’s Players, who perform the masque.

Coan was a waiter in the production, which was held in December.

Bemidji State University’s Madrigal Dinners have become a northern Minnesota yuletide tradition since they were first performed in 1968 under the direction of Dr. Paul Brandvik, professor emeritus of music. The tradition has spread, and madrigal dinners are now performed by various groups across the country.

Mariah stays active at BSU by attending classes to obtain a degree in music education. Along with her theatrical performances, she also participated in the BSU Pep Band, playing for football, volleyball and hockey games.

Bemidji State University, located in northern Minnesota’s lake district, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. A member of the colleges and universities of Minnesota State, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and 11 graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. Bemidji State has an enrollment of more than 5,100 students and a faculty and staff of more than 550. University signature themes include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and global and multi-cultural understanding.