Russian State Opera brings ‘Tosca’ to Lied

The Russian State Opera will perform Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Lied Center.

The story is set in Rome during the Napoleonic Era and follows the famous singer Floria Tosca, who is in love with painter Mario Cavaradossi. Demands, sham executions, real executions and tragedy fill the opera.

The Yekaterinburg Opera and Ballet House — components that make up The Russian State Opera — opened in 1912. The touring company includes 12 opera singers, 26 choir and 45 orchestra members, and 10 production staff members.

Genaro Mendez, assistant professor in Kansas University’s voice program, will speak at a critic’s corner 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Lied Center conference room.

Tickets are available at the Lied Center, 864-ARTS; Murphy Hall, 864-3982; SUA office, 864-SHOW; any TicketMaster outlet, (785) 234-4545 and (816) 931-3330; and online at tickets.com and ticketmaster.com.

Teens invited to enter national lyric contest

Lawrence and area high school teenagers have the opportunity to enter a national songwriting contest.

The USA Weekend-John Lennon Songwriting Contest for Teens invites high school students in grades 7-12 and 13 years or older to submit original song lyrics to this national contest for a chance to win cool prizes and be published in USA Weekend Magazine.

The Journal-World will have its own local songwriting contest in conjunction with the national contest. The best entries in the local contest will have their songs published. Prizes will be awarded. The Journal-World will enter its teens’ entries in the national contest.

The deadline for all entries is Feb. 14.

Students 18-and-under can send their entries to teens@ljworld.com, or you may drop off or mail entries to: Journal-World Teen Advisory Board, News Center, 645 N.H., Lawrence 66044.

Don’t forget your name and phone number.