Amadeus: The Lives of Mozart and Salieri

Casey Crough
Staff Reporter

Want to enjoy a night of tragedy and drama? Or just escape reality for a few hours?

Amadeus, which is currently running at Alumni Hall until this Saturday, March 7th, is sure to impress students and the community with incredible talent, and present the tragic story of how jealousy can engulf and conquer the actions of a human being.

Amadeus is a tragedy written in 1979 by Peter Shaffer, which is based on the lives of the composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri.

Students may be familiar with the film that was released in 1984, but should be weary of the differences between the play and the film.

Julia Williams ’11, who is the stage manager of the production, offers this insight on the show.

“This production offers a great story, and although it may not be historically accurate, it shows a story of how Salieri grapples with jealousy and the love of God, and how far someone can go with love and hate,” said Williams.

In addition to an awe-inspiring night of theatre, students will get the chance to see incredible costumes and experience some of the music of the era, Williams commented.

Gene Fouche, the director of this production, has been involved with theatre and directing for over 30 years, and has been a professor at McDaniel for about two years.

“Students should always take any opportunity to see theatre,” said Fouche.

Fouche commented that Amadeus is a classic and contemporary piece of theatre, and that although there have been challenges for the actors in the larger roles, the actors have done a phenomenal job.

This McDaniel production stars Andrew Tucker ’10, Andy Fleming ’10 and Sidney Thro ’11, and has an extremely talented cast of supporting actors.

Andrew Tucker ’10, who mostly recently played Prince Charming in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” plays the role of Salieri and is on the stage for the entirety of the show, portrays the jealous composer who supposedly murdered Mozart.

“Students should see this production since it is grand, intense, and thrilling; I think it will definitely reach them emotionally since there are emotions everyone feels, ” said Tucker.

Andy Fleming ’10, who plays the role of the crude but genius Mozart, thinks that students should see this production since it is an interesting show, and that it is not a story that people know.

As the sole female lead, Sidney Thro, who most recently played the role of Snow White in “Snow White and The Seven Dwarves,” feels that she has a lot to live up to.

“I feel there is a little bit of pressure to prove myself (as a female actor),” commented Thro.

“The story is really well written, and seeing a live show is so much better since it is a cool experience to watch theatre,” added Thro.

The actors of this production have only been rehearsing for five weeks, and have culminated a fantastic performance that is sure to impress.

Tickets for students are $5.00; seniors and adults are $7.00.

Students who want to see the production can buy tickets at the box office in Alumni Hall prior to the production, but should be aware that seating is limited to about 200 seats.