There won’t be any breastplate-wearing, Italian-speaking divas to be found when Western’s music department presents two operas at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the recital hall at the fine arts center.

The evening will showcase music by composers Mozart and Douglas Moore.

Wayne Pope, director of the Opera Theater, said the audience should expect a great show.

“I think it always comes down to watching live people doing live performances,” Pope said. “It’ll make you feel it.”

The show will be performed primarily by music majors of all classes. The performers will dress in 18th-century costumes to give the audience the feel of classical opera.

The first will be Mozart’s “Bastien and Bastienna,” a French play that incorporates dialogue and singing in the plot about two quarreling lovers who are reunited by a magician’s spell.

There will also be two arias by Mozart, “Deh vieni, non tardar” and “Dove sono il I bei momento.” Two arias by Puccini, “Quando m’en voi soletta per la via” and “O mio babbino caro” will also be performed.

The second opera will be Moore’s “Gallantry,” which is a parody of soap operas and grand operas.

Bowling Green senior Matt McDougal said the audience will enjoy the comic relief.

“The soap-opera parody is funny,” he said. “A lot of people expect it to be in another language, but it’s not. It’s easy to relate to.”

“Gallantry” will be presented like a 1950s soap opera, including an announcer doing soap commercials.

“Someone who thinks they do not like opera feels differently after seeing it,” Pope said.

Admission to the operas will be $5 for adults and $3

for students.

Reach Stephanie Toone at [email protected].