Bachelorette parties — the limos laden with drunken damsels whooping it up in wine country, the wet T-shirt competitions in Las Vegas bars — are by no means unique to the United States. Pre-nuptial traditions are a thing in almost every country in the world. People do it a little differently depending on where you go, though.
The Scots like to “tar and feather” a girl the night before her wedding, by slathering her with various sticky substances and feathers and then parading her around town. The Germans smash plates and kidnap the bride-to-be. Ladies get to drive around naked 24 hours before they tie the knot in Argentina. Meanwhile, women in central China invite their close female relatives over for a good cry.
And then there’s the soon-to-be-weds of Serbia, who, judging by a contemporary chamber opera by composer Ana Sokolovic, like nothing more than to get together and sing on a girl’s wedding night. Sokolovic’s Svadba-Wedding, created for six female performers singing without instrumental accompaniment looks at a group of young women as they convene to celebrate — and mourn — the impending espousal of one of their number.
The work is being produced as part of San Francisco Opera’s new SF Opera Lab program from Saturday, Apr. 2 through Sunday, Apr. 10 under the direction of Michael Cavanagh, Dáirine Ní Mheadhra and John Hess, and stars Jacqueline Woodley as Milica, the lucky bachelorette.
