In review: Béatrice & Bénédict at MYO

Review

Yesterday I went to hear Metro Youth Opera's production of Berlioz' Béatrice & Bénédict at Daniels Spectrum. I hadn't seen the opera before, and whenever I plan to see a piece for the first time, I rarely look up details like a plot synopsis. I'm one of those people that thinks that opera fans should have the option of enjoying a piece without needing to do homework, and I was pleased that MYO's B&B was clear and entertaining, language barriers (and Shakespeare) aside.

Pocket Concerts and their worthy campaign

Editorial

Toronto's Pocket Concerts has launched a new Kickstarter campaign for the next 30 days, and it's a cause that I think is important to share.

Peter Sellars: all my subtitles were understatements

Interview

Hercules opens on April 5th, at the Canadian Opera Company, and it features a spectacular cast: Eric Owens (Hercules), Alice Coote (Dejanira) and David Daniels (Lichas) headline this special production. Go and see it.

Two tenors > YouTube comments

Humour

Eager for topical conversation, I showed Canadian tenors Christopher Mayell and Isaiah Bell some comments made about one of those videos with one of those "child opera singers" singing Puccini. Specifically, whether or not 9-year old Amira Willighagen was better than 11-year old Jackie Evancho. It got pretty real.

Talking with singers: Andrew Love

Interview

Baritone Andrew Love is singer who recently succeeded in an official crossing-over between opera and musical theatre. He's sung at Calgary Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Saskatoon Opera and l'Opéra de Québec. On top of that, he just finished singing The Bishop and understudying the role of Javert in a run of Cameron Mackintosh's Les Misérables here in Toronto.

More AtG in Banff, 2015

Editorial

Yesterday Against the Grain Theatre announced the cast of A Little Too Cozy, who will spend 5 weeks at The Banff Centre, as part of Open Space: Opera in the 21st Century. This collaboration between AtG, the Banff Centre, and the Canadian Opera Company also includes a workshop and performance of Crush, a new opera by composer James Rolfe and librettist Anna Chatterton.

Mayell's Mid-Atlantic

Humour

Toronto Operetta Theatre opens Cousin From Nowhere on Thursday night, and you can catch tenor Christopher Mayell onstage. He sheds some light on the question we all ask at the oper(ett)a: "Why Mid-Atlantic?"

Talking with singers: Quinn Kelsey

Interview

Baritone Quinn Kelsey was born in Hawai'i, sings roles like Rigoletto and Germont all over the world, and lately he's been riding a donkey. He's getting ready to sing the role of Sancho, alongside the incomparable Italian bass, Ferruccio Furlanetto, in the Canadian Opera Company's upcoming production of Don Quichotte.

Talking with singers: Alice Coote

Interview

British mezzo-soprano Alice Coote was in Toronto until very recently, singing Dejanira in Peter Sellars' production of Hercules at the Canadian Opera Company. Alice is in demand all over the world, known for trouser roles (Octavian, Sesto, Ruggiero, le Prince Charmant), and utterly versatile across the stylistic board.

Elvira

Interview

Everyone, meet Miriam Khalil. She's a Lebanese-Canadian soprano currently based in Toronto, and she'll be singing in Uncle John, as everyone's favourite clingy chick, Elvira.