Feb. 17, 2026
Contact Judy Myers at jmyers@smumn.edu
LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Viterbo University music department will present the poignant one-act opera Strawberry Fields at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27 and Saturday, Feb. 28 in the Fine Arts Center Nola Starling Recital Hall.
Set in the Strawberry Fields John Lennon memorial section of Central Park on a nice autumn afternoon, a respectable but slightly confused elderly woman sits down on a bench, imagining she is seated at the opera. The story explores the blurred lines between reality and memory as the interactions between the elderly woman at the center of the plot and the other characters reveal truths about connection, care, and human dignity.
“It’s a heartwarming story and the characters will resonate with everyone who attends the opera,” said Judy Myers, the director of the production. “It focuses on the universal condition of aging and how our senior population as well as their children deal with it.”
Strawberry Fields is a contemporary opera with brilliant and beautiful music that compliments the text and forwards the character development, Myers said. A lot of action is packed into the opera’s 40-minute run time.
This Viterbo production of Strawberry Fields stars students Georgia Galvan, Tom Hartl, Lucas Wienken, Skye Hermsen, and David Dewey. Myers is joined on the production team by music director Dan Johnson-Wilmot, pianist Mary Ellen Haupert, guest costume designer Joe Anderson, production manager Jason Underferth, and stage manager Brayden Nguyen.
“The music is complex and the students are rising to the challenge,” Myers said. “They’ve been eager collaborators and are excited to share their performance of this piece.”
Strawberry Fields is recommended for ages 13 and older for thoughtful, emotional subject matter dealing with aging and memory that is best appreciated by older youth and adults.
Music is by Michael Torke and libretto by A.R. Gurney. The Viterbo music department is part of the university’s Conservatory for the Performing Arts.
Viterbo nursing faculty member Jessica Stoeffler will speak about dementia as an introduction to the performance.
Tickets are $16 for general admission seating, plus a $3 convenience fee and $1 facility fee per ticket. All orders will include a 5.5% sales tax. For more information or to order tickets, contact the Viterbo box office at 608-796-3100 or visit www.viterbo.edu/tickets.