Category Archives: Opera

TOT Pirates

Posted on January 1, 2017 by barczablog

I said a festive goodbye to 2016 with the help of the last Pirates of Penzance of the year from Toronto Operetta Theatre (TOT). They’re taking a well-deserved break for the holiday (and Happy New Year to you too), before … Continue reading →

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Naomi’s Road leads to Toronto

Posted on November 17, 2016 by barczablog

Tonight I saw Naomi’s Road, an opera with libretto by Ann Hodges & music composed by Ramona Luengen, based on a novel by Joy Kogawa, to open Tapestry Opera’s 2016-17 season. Tapestry Artistic Director explained before the show’s presentation at … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | 1 Comment

The truth about James Bond

Posted on November 13, 2016 by barczablog

I saw the premiere performance of James Bond: A Convenient Lie (Opera in Pasticcio), a collaboration between Malfi Productions and Manosinistra Lyric Workshops.  I don’t know either group, only that I shared a press release on this blog a little while … Continue reading →

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Ayre: An Evening of Osvaldo Golijov

Posted on November 11, 2016 by barczablog

When the organizational wizards of Against the Grain Theatre decided to present Ayre: An Evening of Osvaldo Golijov beginning November 10th I doubt that anyone recognized the significance of the date.  Had the American electorate made their expected repudiation of … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Reviews | 1 Comment

Ayre: counter-discursive affirmations

Posted on November 10, 2016 by barczablog

I needed that. Ayre, the piece I saw/heard just now in its noon-hour incarnation at the Canadian Opera Company’s free concert series, will be presented tonight in a fuller version by Against the Grain Theatre , but I doubt they’ll … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera | 1 Comment

Farewell Norma

Posted on November 6, 2016 by barczablog

I had another look at the Canadian Opera Company’s Norma tonight, the closing performance of their fall season. It was both a chance to get a closer look as well as to see a slightly different cast. Elza van den … Continue reading →

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COC Centre Stage 2016

Posted on November 4, 2016 by barczablog

Tonight was the annual Centre Stage event at the Four Seasons Centre, a combination of competition and gala celebration.  It was wonderful seeing so many familiar & famous faces in an audience including Stephen Lord, Gunta Dreifelds, Bruce Ubukata and … Continue reading →

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Naomi’s Road: an opera about a shameful moment in Canada’s history

Posted on November 1, 2016 by barczablog

Michael Mori, Artistic director of Tapestry Opera posted the following on Facebook (the press release follows immediately below): When we started planning Naomi’s Road, a show deals with the shameful treatment of Japanese-Canadians during WWII, it was well before Trump’s … Continue reading →

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All But Gone

Posted on October 29, 2016 by barczablog

When you’re ushered into the chapel for a wedding, sometimes they ask you “bride or groom?” That’s to identify where you should sit. I was thinking of that quaint custom as I came into the Berkeley Street theatre tonight for … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Leave a comment

That other Aeneas and Dido story

Posted on October 25, 2016 by barczablog

It was a funny coincidence. When I ran into David Fallis the other day –an encounter I mentioned in my recent review of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas—I showed him a DVD I was returning to the library, the Fura del … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Reviews | 1 Comment