When someone utters the word ‘karaoke,’ he or she might be met with pain-induced cringes. It’s not hard to picture a dark corner of a bowling alley with a luminescent television screen projecting the lyrics to ‘Don’t Stop Believing.’  

Drowning out the screeching sounds of Journey, Syracuse has found a way to bring some sophistication to the art of karaoke.

The Syracuse Opera Company will host Syracuse Opera Karaoke Night this Friday at 10 p.m. at the Opus Restaurant and Lounge on 218 Walton St. downtown. The company has been hosting the event for the past two years.

The karaoke night was the brainchild of Syracuse Opera music director Douglas Kinney Frost. There are three karaoke nights during the year, usually before Syracuse Opera puts on a show. The performance on Friday will work as a promoter for the company’s performance of ‘The Mikado,’ said Gabbi Traub, a senior vocal performance major at Syracuse University and member of the Syracuse Opera Chorus.

Kinney Frost approached Opus owner Kristina Griffith with the idea, and the event was born.

‘I thought it would be good for the city and good for downtown,’ Griffith said.

The first time Traub came to a karaoke night, she was too nervous to sing. She said she battles with stage fright every now and then, even as a performance major. But with the relaxed atmosphere, her nerves instantly calmed down, she said.

‘I felt really grown-up going there,’ Traub said. ‘Chilling, sipping a glass of wine and hearing everyone sing these opera arias. It was really low-key.’

No longer are there tone-deaf disc jockeys defiling the work of professional musicians. A piano player, usually Frost, plays whichever song is on the sheet music in front of him or her. Many performers bring their own scores to look at. A small stage is situated next to the bar, where performers come up one-by-one to show their stuff.

The company’s karaoke night differs from a run-of-the-mill karaoke set because of the intimacy, said Lisa Sasser, Syracuse Opera’s director of communications. Usually 15 to 20 people perform on a good night, she said, which leads to small audiences.

However, the intimate setting does not mean the singers have to be cool and collected. Even though it’s opera, singers can still have fun. Traub said a group of her friends got up on stage after a few too many glasses of wine.

‘The song is called ‘The Riff Song,’ and it’s about a man rounding up his troops and saying, ‘Oh, we’re going to steal gold and be manly.’ It was hilarious,’ she said. ‘It wasn’t in the right key for them, and they had already had something to drink.’

If legato lines and German words are not in the average singer’s repertoire, there are also some musical theater staples to chant. One of the more popular songs for the karaoke night is ‘On My Own’ from ‘Les Miserables,’ Sasser said. Traub’s first song was ‘All I Ask Of You’ from ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’

Griffith said Opus patrons always get a kick out of the impromptu performances. Since Opus is not the typical karaoke setting, some customers are surprised when someone starts belting out Carmen’s ‘Habanera.’

At first, the unknowing audience members in the restaurant seem a little nervous, Traub said. Patrons look a little lost and start giggling, and then an uncomfortable silence takes over for a few minutes, she said.

‘After the initial shock, they tend to sit and enjoy it as part of their dinner experience,’ she said.

Though opera may be foreign to many, it shouldn’t turn people off to singing it, Sasser said. There is no judgment of fellow performers; the goal is to enjoy the night.

Even though she still gets nervous before a performance, no one should be intimidated, Traub said. The fact that she is relaxed during the night is what keeps her coming back every year.

‘You can go up and do whatever you want,’ she said. ‘It’s a very welcoming atmosphere. It gives me a performance opportunity, and it gives you the opportunity to hear more classical music in a casual setting.’

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Published on October 6, 2010 at 12:00 pm