Adam Hendrickson knew his time had come, but he refused to be called a coward. He grasped a stone statue's hand with no fear while fog surrounded him and red lights from hell's flames engulfed his soul. About 1,400 people watched as Hendrickson's soul was set ablaze, only to see the senior voice performance major bow before them during curtain call.
Hendrickson played the lead role in Mozart's famous opera "Don Giovanni" when it was performed in John R. Emens Auditorium on Friday and Sunday.
Hendrickson said besides the preparation to sing, act and learn phrases in other languages, he had to find some ego to play the world famous lover.
"I felt extremely honored to play the lead role," he said. "I've worked long and hard to be here, so now I feel on one half humble and one half proud."
The production, directed by assistant professor of voice Joseph Levitt, consisted of about 90 students, including sound engineers, cast members and orchestra members.
Preparation began in the beginning of October, once the opera was chosen, Levitt said.
"A number of factors go into choosing an opera in a college environment," he said. "The ability to play it, the ability to cast it and the ability to perform it."
Graduate voice performance student Marci Wagnon played Donna Anna, one of Don Giovanni's intended love interests, for both Friday and Sunday performances. She said the rehearsal process was very long but compensating.
"There were multiple portions of the rehearsal," she said. "From learning the music, the notes, the words and rhythms, and then [making] it come to life through movement."
Bohuslav Rattay, director of the Ball State University Symphony Orchestra, said the orchestra met challenges from accommodating singers' voices, to the arrangement of the instrumental parts.
"Every note is exposed," he said. "[Mozart] wrote it in a way that every instrument is a solo instrument by itself, including the voices and the orchestra, and if it's not played properly and with the exactness, then it doesn't fit in."
However, despite the difficulties, Rattay said he enjoyed having directed the pit orchestra for the opera.
"Opera is a lot of fun," he said. "You have this large ensemble and you get to direct from 80 to 90 people, so it is a thrill, especially with Don Giovanni, one of Mozart's best operas."
About 50 people from Brookston, Ind., attended the opera to see Adam Hendrickson perform. Ken Hendrickson, the performer's father, invited numerous Brookston groups to the Ball State production.
"It's such a great feeling to be sent from a town with warm feelings and lots of good lucks and have it pay off, having them come to experience what I do now," Adam Hendrickson said.
Ken Hendrickson said he was very impressed by the overall production.
"I don't know much about opera," he said. "So now I am experiencing it through Adam. Ball State [did] a great job in a manner that [the production] is entertaining."
Kalah Heilman came from Toledo, Ohio, to see the performance. She said it was impressive to see an undergraduate student act as the lead role of a complex opera, she also had the opportunity to learn more about Mozart's operas.
"Don Giovanni was very well done and very interesting," she said. "My school is doing the Magic Flute, and there are different similarities between the two operas."
Rebecca Newcomer said she came from Anderson, Ind., to see Wagnon perform, who is her instructor.
"I liked the simplicity of the set," she said. "So the characters stood out. I think the orchestra was also simple, which is good. Everything was beautifully balanced."
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