January 6, 2021
Dr. Alta Marie Boover, an assistant professor of voice at Oakland University, will present a virtual performance of Bon Appétit — a one-woman operatic scene by Lee Hoiby based on Episode No. 228 of Julia Child’s PBS television show “The French Chef” — at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16 on Zoom.
“My daughter, Vera (8), and I were doing a lot of baking over the past year,” Boover said. “When I thought about doing this show in my own kitchen, I thought it would be fun to do it like a Zoom call — as if Vera and I were in a Zoom tutorial with Julia Child, baking along with her at home. That was really a big point of inspiration.”
The 20-minute performance and “bake along” will feature Dr. Boover as Julia Child as she instructs Alta Boover (as herself) on how to bake “Le Gateau au Chocolate L'Eminence Brûne,” a bittersweet chocolate cake, using a recipe from Child’s first cookbook.
“The show will be Julia (me) instructing me (real me) and my daughter Vera how to bake this French chocolate cake,” Boover said. “We’re encouraging people to bake the cake before Zooming in, and to make a whole festive night of it.”
After the show, Dr. Boover and her daughter will host a “talk back” on Zoom to discuss how they created the virtual performance.
“It's a great little show to watch with your family,” she said. “If you have children and you've wanted to introduce them to classical music or opera or theatre, this is just the thing.”
The performance is free but pre-registration is required. Anyone interested in attending should RSVP to [email protected]. The box office will send out a Zoom link prior to the performance.