The 'Quiet Luxury' of haute-contre Cyrille Dubois
In review: La belle Hélène
ReviewLast night I went to see opening night of the Glenn Gould School's production of Offenbach's La belle Hélène.
The Introvert's Opera
Op-edopera is a fantastic industry in which to be an introvert. Those flashy singers are a small proportion of the team of people it takes to put up an opera. Assuming people fit into two broad groups, extroverts and introverts, I'd put most of the coaches, stage managers, designers, and orchestra musicians into the latter group.
In review: Tap:Ex Tables Turned, or Go See This Show
ReviewLast night was the first of two performances of Tapestry's 2nd annual Tap:Ex (Tapestry Explorations/Experimentations), this time the program is Tables Turned, featuring the music of Montréal-based composer and turn table artist Nicole Lizée, with percussionist Ben Reimer and the spectacular soprano Carla Huhtanen.
A Sneak Peek at the Barber of Seville
InterviewRehearsals for the COC's Barber of Seville started a few days ago, and I had the chance to sit in on the concept discussion, led by director (and founder of Els Comediants) Joan Font and associate director Tanya Kane-Parry. They showed off some costume and set designs, discussed the Commedia dell'arte, and spoke about this story's web of fascinating characters.
Does a Good Artistic Director Read Music?
Op-edDo musically untrained artistic directors add to the problem of alienation between opera and its audiences? Or are opera companies right to leave arts administration to those who make it their day job, and leave the art to the artists?
Chatting with Canada's Opera Biggies
EditorialExciting news, everyone! Late next week, I'll be sitting down to chat with a panel of folks who certainly know their opera. The topic? Regietheater productions, the role of the opera director, and how their innovative (and often wacky) ideas can propel opera forward.
Michelle Telford, Creating Custom Surtitles for Opera Today
EditorialThis is a guest post by Michelle Telford, custom surtitlist with Saskatoon Opera. "Seeing is for suckers, and sleep is for the weak." - Michelle.
Talking Louise with Leslie Ann Bradley
InterviewCanadian soprano Leslie Ann Bradley is currently in Toronto to sing the title role in Charpentier's Louise, for VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert's upcoming performance on March 29th. Leslie Ann had some great things to say about the opera, singing the role of Louise, and what kind of story it tells about women at the turn of the 20th century. Photo: Lisa-Marie Mazzucco.
The Case for Nomadic Opera
Op-edI'm always an advocate of up-close theatre, but the need for large-scale, overwhelming productions of Verdi, Wagner, and the likes, is legitimate. But what would happen if Canada's larger opera companies took a portion of their productions out of their main stage?
Less Really Is More
Op-edYesterday I was listening to a journalist speak about her work. A journalist is meant to tell a story, and although it's impossible for any writer to be entirely unbiased, too much emotional involvement doesn't really help to get the job done. She learned quickly, she said, that she's much better at telling these true stories if she steps back from her own personal feelings on the topic.