The University of Iowa Martha-Ellen Tye Opera Theater will perform Trouble in Tahiti by Leonard Bernstein and Amelia Goes to the Ball by Giancarlo Menotti at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 1 and 2, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3, in the Englert Theatre in downtown Iowa City.

Laura Johnson, visiting professor in the UI School of Music, will direct.

Set amid a seemingly idyllic 1950s suburban backdrop, Trouble in Tahiti depicts a day in the life of Sam and Dinah, an unhappy couple who long for the American dream. Bernstein speaks straight to the heart in this one-act masterpiece, with a jazzy and uniquely American score.

In Giancarlo Menotti’s one act opera buffa Amelia Goes to the Ball, comedy erupts when the young socialite Amelia, her husband, and her lover are caught in a triangle of mayhem. Amid a series of farcical events, Amelia remains focused on her sole objective: to go to the ball. Amelia Goes to the Ball is a comic delight set against the tuneful, vivacious music of Menotti.

Johnson freelances as a director and teacher of opera and theater. Her work embraces classical and contemporary repertoire in traditional and nontraditional productions, which have earned awards and received critical acclaim. Her versatility has allowed her to direct in a variety of venues from professional companies to conservatory training programs, as well as liberal arts programs in colleges and universities across the United States.

Tickets for Trouble in Tahiti and Amelia Goes to the Ball are $20 ($15 for senior citizen, $10 for youth, and $5 for UI student with a valid UI ID) and are on sale at the Englert Theatre box office, which is open noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 319-688-2653. Tickets may be purchased on the Englert Theatre website.

The School of Music is part of the Division of Performing Arts in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. For accommodations at the concert contact the School of Music at 319-335-1603. For a UI arts calendar and details about upcoming events visit the new Arts Iowa website.