In Review: Baby Kintyre

Review

Canadian composer Dean Burry's opera Baby Kintyre is the coolest thing I've heard in a long time. The opera, with the libretto also by Dean, had its first performance in 2009 on six consecutive broadcasts of the CBC's Saturday Afternoon at the Opera. Baby Kintyre is written in the style of a radio serial in five episodes, based on the true story of a mummified baby found in the wall of 29 Kintyre (near Queen and Broadview) in Toronto.

In Review: Love in the Age of AutoCorrect

Review

Last night I went to the opening of Loose TEA Music Theatre‘s new production, Love in the Age of AutoCorrect. It was a double bill of updated takes on Stravinsky’s Mavra and Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne, this time entitled Andrew and Andrea. It was out on the pretty terrace of Atelier Rosemarie Umetsu, with a friendly-looking bar to create a beautiful night of outdoor theatre.

In review: When the Sun Comes Out

Review

Thursday, June 25th, I made my way to the healthily air-conditioned Ernest Balmer Studio, home of Tapestry New Opera to see the Toronto Concert Premiere of Leslie Uyeda's opera When the Sun Comes Out. #WorldPride2014. Originally produced in Vancouver on August 5, 2013 and commissioned by the Queer Arts Festival, _When the Sun Comes Out_ tells the heart-wrenching story of what happens to those unfortunate enough to live where they can't love freely.

In review: Pelléas et Mélisande

Review

Do you like Debussy? Go see this show. Do you like art? Go see this show. Do you like a coherent plotline that's easy to follow and sticks to a linear timeline? Maybe, prepare yourself before seeing this show.

In review: Don Quichotte

Review

Massenet's Don Quichotte has opened at the Canadian Opera Company, the final in the three spring shows of the 2013/14 season. I'm glad I saw it last, since there was something bittersweet about ending a season with comedy and charm. I'll admit I have a strange personal tendency to get annoyed by everyone's favourite bumbling knight; but perhaps I'm coveting Don Quixote's unwavering pursuit of goodness.

In review: Cousin from Nowhere

Review

I went to Toronto Operetta Theatre's Cousin From Nowhere, an English translation of Eduard Künneke's Das Vetter aus Dingsda. Whenever I go and hear TOT shows, I always end up hearing some new music that gets stuck in my head, sung by lovely Canadian talent.

In review: Roberto Devereux

Review

Since the dress rehearsal of the Canadian Opera Company's Roberto Devereux, my Facebook and Twitter feeds have been flipping out about American soprano Sondra Radvanovksy's performance as Queen Elizabeth I. So I was really eager to see it for myself.

In review: Hänsel & Gretel

Review

I went and saw one of my favourite operas last night: Hänsel and Gretel, by Engelbert Humperdinck, based on the creepy Brothers Grimm fairytale. I think it's a show that transports itself well on small and large stages, with small and large orchestras and even pianos. So it was great to see this production by Metro Youth Opera in an intimate space, where we could see subtle moments and get to know the characters more quickly.

In review: Hercules

Review

I went and saw Hercules at the Canadian Opera Company on Tuesday, and it was the jackpot of incredible talent onstage. It's directed by the one-of-a-kind Peter Sellars, conducted by the brilliant Harry Bicket, and Eric Owens and Alice Coote star as the soldier and soldier's wife. Beautiful. And it really was a stunning spectacle, one with an uncomfortably true message.

In review: Ash Roses

Review

Ash Roses is the first CD released by the Canadian Art Song Project (CASP), and it features the music of composer Derek Holman. I'm not personally familiar with Holman's work, but I caught some at the CASP recital in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre a few weeks ago, and I distinctly remember liking it.