Are you searching for love? Well, maybe not, but if you are looking for a chance to see other people fall in love, you might be interested in Simpson College’s rendition of “Speed Dating Tonight!” by Michael Ching.

Nov. 15-18, Simpson Productions will host three showings of “Speed Dating Tonight!” at the Blank Performing Arts Center (BPAC). According to Simpson Productions, “This one-act opera explores the human desire for connection. We will meet many different characters, some bold, some shy, some ready to start a relationship, and some just recovering.”

The opera takes place at Moe’s, a pianist bar hosting a speed dating event to attract customers and provide people an opportunity to find love. The show features exaggerated characters from all walks of life. Damon Stevens, music director and pianist for the show, said the composer drew inspiration from American life, creating characters one might see in a bar.

Lyza Cue, a senior vocal performance major, plays multiple characters in the show, including Kaylee, the event coordinator. Cue said the characters’ different personalities clash at times and also go together very well.

“There’s this guy who has a single wide trailer. He lives there with his mom and he ends up talking about his single wide trailer and scoring a date with a model,” Cue said.

The opera is a mix of comedy and exploration of deeper subjects.

“I think at the end of the day, the show is about the fact that you can’t really judge a book by its cover, even though speed dating is such a superficial thing,” Cue said. “It’s kind of exploring all of the awkward intricacies of dating as a whole because the show is very awkward, which is what makes it funny.”

Ann Woldt, stage director, said Simpson Productions chose to produce this opera because of its flexibility. The show can be set up for any size of cast, which is crucial for a small school like Simpson. The cast comprises nine people with a wide range of majors, from vocal performance to computer science.

This opera has 95 songs to choose from, and each production chooses 25 of those songs to include. Most of the songs are not gendered or limited to one vocal type. The composer, an Iowa local from Ames, Michael Ching, then transposes the songs in the preferred keys of each actor. Ching also attended one of the show’s rehearsals and worked with students personally.

Both Woldt and Stevens enjoyed working with a new group of talented students and helping them develop their skills and musical abilities.

Hunter Weppler, a junior computer science major, plays the bartender, Quinn, and a few other roles. Weppler sings in the choir and was asked by the directors to join the cast, so he decided why not? He hopes audience members can connect with at least one of the characters and relate to the situations of the show.

“I think what I’m most excited about is people being able to get invested in a couple of these characters,” Weppler said. “I think people are going to enjoy it because it’s a mixture of both a drama and a comedy at the same time, and there’s a little bit of everything for everyone.”

Cue said she didn’t like the opera or know much about it before auditioning, but she fell in love with how “absolutely goofy and also just human” the show is. With the many song combination possibilities, you will never see this specific show again. With just one, hour long act, and no intermission, the show is a fun sprint that doesn’t take up a full evening.

Stevens said he hopes students don’t let the term opera scare them or prevent them from trying new things.

“Opera has such a stuffy reputation, right? It’s considered often you have to be overeducated to enjoy it. And it’s in a foreign language, and it’s kind of elitist,” Stevens said. “Speed dating is none of that. It’s in English, it’s set in contemporary times, it’s about your next-door neighbor. Heck, it could be about you, so it’s very approachable.”

To buy tickets, students and staff can go to Simpson’s website, navigate to the theater program’s website, look under performances and follow a link to buy tickets. Tickets will also be sold at the box office in BPAC the week of the show from noon to 5 p.m. Anyone can reserve tickets or buy them the day of the show as well.

Cue’s advice is just to go.

“You’re gonna have a good time. You might laugh, you might cry,” Cue said. “You’re gonna feel really awkward in the best way possible.”