Category Archives: Opera

MYSTERY MURDER MADNESS for Mother’s Day with Robert Lepage’s Bluebeard / Erwartung

When the advertising screams out “MYSTERY MURDER MADNESS” you know it’s going to be a dark afternoon at the Four Seasons Centre even if it’s Mother’s Day.  But Dr Freud would approve the use of upper case. The operas are … Continue reading

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10 Questions for Alex Fallis

Alex Fallis is a Toronto native who has been a part of the Canadian professional theatre for over thirty years. He is an actor, director, singer and teacher. As a performer and director, he has experience in opera, musical theatre, … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Music and musicology, Opera | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Closer to the Barber

I had another look at the Canadian Opera Company’s production of The Barber of Seville, this time up close (aka my subscription seats which are in the front of the orchestra). It’s an interpretation full of clever touches. The sensibility … Continue reading

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10 Questions for Stu and Jess

The time is short.  Stu &Jess Productions will be presenting Ravel’s wonderful L’Heure Espagnole in Montreal the weekend of May 7-9. Stu and Jess are Stuart Martin and Jessica Derventzis. Conductor and pianist Stuart Martin received his Bachelors of Music at University … Continue reading

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A Musical, The Importance of Being

I’ve just seen & heard the Toronto Operetta Theatre’s production of Earnest, The Importance of Being, a recent adaptation of Wilde’s play of (almost) the same name.  It was premiered in 2008 by TOT, music by Victor Davies and book … Continue reading

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Reviews | 4 Comments

Towards a new theatre vocabulary: Lepage, Cavalia and the legitimacy of aerials

It’s aerial week in Toronto: Robert Lepage’s pair of brief operas (Bluebeard’s Castle / Erwartung) for the Canadian Opera Company open May 6th at the Four Seasons Centre, including moments when you can’t tell which way is up Robert Lepage’s Needles … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Art, Architecture & Design, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays | 5 Comments

Barber @ RBA: voice trumps schtick

Today’s noon-hour presentation at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre was a teaser, sampling Act I of the upcoming Ensemble Studio performance of Rossini’s Barber of Seville.  These concerts are usually less than an hour including announcements, but today’s was a very … Continue reading

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Fearless Metro Youth Opera Béatrice et Bénédict

We live in a funny time. On the one hand it’s the era of director’s theatre, when operas can be a departure point for elaborate adventures so extreme that the composer’s work becomes mere background music for interpretations of the … Continue reading

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Ten Questions for Wendy Nielsen

Wendy Nielsen is one of the most influential people in Canada’s opera community. After an international career as a soprano that has included starring appearances at the Metropolitan Opera, Nielsen went on to create a private voice studio. Nielsen is … Continue reading

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“Location location location”

The saying goes like this: “‘There are three things that matter in property: location, location, location.’” It’s also true in theatre. I have a subscription to the Canadian Opera Company, a pair of seats in the second row. When I … Continue reading

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Psychology and perception | 2 Comments