INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Opera Lite

Three stars

Indianapolis Opera; The Jazz Kitchen; Feb. 27.

Call it opera de-light during 5:30-7 p.m. happy hour socializing while nibbling on The Jazz Kitchen’s delectable cuisine. In the most unlikely venue (from the general public’s point of view) for opera, the program by IO’s men’s chorus proved the corner of 54th and College is indeed the perfect crossover meeting place. Spoofing takes more talent than straight presentation, and turning opera into a barbershop quartet mode emphatically begs the question, why not? Indeed, why not equally a jazz opera? It’s been done with rock. Host David Allee’s welcome followed IO Executive Director John Pickett’s patter and provided the best laugh of the evening with his assumption that everyone present spanned only ages 21-35.