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Volume 14 - Issue 4 - December 2008

Giuseppe Macina,

Giuseppe Macina, Artistic Director Adolfo De Santis, Music Directo2009 'TORONT0-1season I PERA tBizetl R~PER1:°01~~jlwww.toronto-opera.comBickford Centre777 Bloor St. W.at Ctirt§Y!~ fillbwayTickets "La Cenerentola"Student & Senior Available at Uof Ttix Feb. 11, 14, 20, 25, 28 at 7:30 p.m.from Jan. 5, 2009Feb. 22 at 2:00 p.m.www.uofttix.ca (416) 978-8849TOil ONTOOffllETTI\TiorGuillermo Silva-MarinGeneral DirectorThe Best of Viennese Operetta,Comedy, Romance andUnforgettable Melodies!Ask for special discount tickets-· a Holiday treat for the wholefamily!The BirdSe }erDer Vogel dndl rby Carl ZellerDerek Bate, conductorGuillermo Silva-Marin, stage directorAllison Angelo, Miriam Khalil,Keith Klassen, James Mclennandee. 26, 27, 31 & jan. 2, 3 at 8 pmdee. 28 & jan. 4 at 2 mSt. LAWRENCE CENTRE ~g~ ARTS416-366-7723 1-800-708-6754www.torontooperetta.comwww.stlc.com011 Operaby Christopher HaileIt used to be that there were fairly slow periods in Toronto's operacalendar-but not any more. From December 2008 to January 2009,there are five fully staged operas, including two Canadian works,plus a high-profile concert version of a perennial favourite. The periodkicks off on December 5 with the world premiere of "Pandora'sLocker" with music and libretto by Dean Burry, composer of"The Brothers Grimm", which holds the record as the most-performedCanadian opera ever written. The work, commissioned bythe Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music, waswritten specifically for a high school audience. Inspired by theGreek myth of Pandora's Box in which Pandora's curiosity leads tothe unleashing of all the world's evils, the work reveals the manyelements of people's lives they seek to keep locked up, but whichdemand release. Themes such as gender issues, sexuality and gunviolence, and a musical ensemble including modern "urban musicscratch electronica" place the Pandora myth within a contemporaryhigh school setting. Brian Current, a composer himself, conductsand Jennifer Parr directs. Performances at Mazzoleni Hall are onDecember 5, 11 and 13 and admission is free . There is a fourth performanceat the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Four SeasonsCentre on December 10 at noon. For more information visitwww .rcmusic.ca.As has now become a welcome tradition, a production by the TorontoOperetta Theatre sees out the old year and sees in the new.This year the work is "The Bird Seller" ("Der Vogelhandler") byCarl Zeller from 1891, last presented by the TOT in 1992. In NorthAmerica this may not be the best-known of Viennese operettas, butin Central Europe it is standard repertory. Anyone who has ElizabethSchwarzkopf's famous EMI recording of operetta arias will befamiliar with two of the work's greatest hits, "Schenk man sichRosen in Tirol" and "lch bin die Christel von der Post". The showstars James McLennan in the title role with Allison Angelo, KeithKlassen and Miriam Khalil. Derek Bate conducts and Guillermo Silva-Marindirects. "The Bird Seller" runs from December 26, 2008to January 4, 2009, with a special New Year's Eve Gala. See www.torontooperetta.com for more.In January, for the first time in its annual Mozart Festival, theToronto Symphony Orchestra is presenting an entire Mozart operain concert. The opera is "The Magic Flute" conducted by BernardLabadie and directed by Graham Cozzubbo with Bill Richardson asNarrator. It features Benjamin Butterfield as Tamino, Karina Gauvinas Pamina, Joshua Hopkins as Papageno, Aline Kutan as theQueen of the Night and Gary Relyea as Sarastro. The work will besung in German with English surtitles on January 22 and 24.• II_. · the @.!!.1J!f post' .. --~Violins, violas, cellos, and bowsComplete line of strings and accessoriesExpert repairs and rehairsCanada's largest stock of string musicFast mail order service@.,_.rwww.thesoundpost.cominfo@thesoundpost.com93 Grenville St., Toronto MSS 184tel 416.971.6990 fax 416.597.992324 WWW. THEWHOLENOTE.COM DECEMBER 1 2008 - FEBR UARY 7 2009

At nearly the same time, January23 -24, TrypTych presentsthat rarity of rarities-a revivalof a Canadian opera, in this case"A Boiler Room Suite" byQuenten Doolittle to a libretto byRex Deverell that premiered inBanff in 1989. According toTalon books' escription of Deverell's original 1977 play,"Two of life's losers pass anevening huddled for warmth inthe basement of a derelict prairiehotel. Together they act outtheir fantasies, trying to bring 'alittle warmth, a little kindness toeach other's lives."' The operastars Vanessa Grant, DougMacNaughton and Lenard Whit­Nicholas Goldschmidting and is conducted by William Shookhoff and directed by EdwardFranko. The production serves as a fundraiser for Street Haven atthe Crossroads Housing and Social Services for Women. Seewww.tryptych.org for more information.January finishes with two new productions from the COC. Thefirst is Beethoven's "Fidelio" (1806) running January 24-February24, a co-production with !' Opera National du Rhin and StaatstheaterNiirnberg . It features Adrianne Pieczonka in the title role with JonVillars as Florestan and Gidon Saks as Don Pizarro. Perhaps evenmore exciting is the COC's first production of Dvorak's opera"Rusalka" (1901) running January 31 -February 8. The story isbased on the Czech version of the story of "The Little Mermaid" .Julie Makerov stars as the water nymph of the title, Michael Schadeis the Prince with whom she falls in love and Irina Mishura is thewitch who effects the nymph's transformation to a human being forwhich Rusalka must pay a terribleprice. John Keenan conductsand Dmitri Bertman directs .Years ago, Richard Bradshawhad promised Nicholas Goldschmidt,co-founder of theCOC, that the COC would performthe work to celebrate hislOOth birthday. Though bothmasters have passed away, theCOC has not forgotten the promise.©Christopher HoileAttention: Opera SingersDo you have a dream rolethat you want orneed to perform?It is easier than you thin k!More info: www.OperabyRequest.caopercl by requestOirec~or: w.u,am ShookhoffEnjoy the Live Orchestra!A fun, modern adaptation of this classic, family musical!Show Times: Friday, February 20 & 27 at 8 p.m.Saturday, February 21 & 28 at 7 p.m.Sunday, February 22 & March 1 at 2 p.m.AdmissionAdult (Ages 19-64) • Senior (65 years & over)Child/ Student (18 years & under)' KIDS NIGHT OUT! (Fridays, February 20 & 27)Buy one adult/senior ticket and receive one FREEticket for a child/student 18 years and under.'*FAMILY NIGHT! (Saturdays, February 21 & 28)Purchase 2 adult/seniorPLUS 2 child/student tickets for .Ticket Ordering lnfonnationOrder Direct from North Toronto Players:Call (905) 727-2209North Toronto Players, 57 Brookland Ave,Aurora.O N L4G 2H9The City Playhouse:Box Office: (905) 882 -7469THE CIVIC LIGHT OPERA COMPANYTHE MUSICAL!Based on Charles Dickens' timeless classic, A Christmas CarolEVERYONE'S HOL/DA Y FAVOURITE!FAIRVIEW LIBRARY THEATRE35 Fa1rv1ew Mall Dr. , She ard/Don Mills.December 3 to 21Wed. - ?pm/Thurs. to Sat. • Spm/Sun. - 2pm/Dec. 20 - 2 & SpmTICKETS to .50APPRECIATION COURSES2009 CoursesTours & Seminarswithlain ScottBel Canto Techniques Jan. 13 - Feb. 3, 2009Astonishing gymnastic control 4 weeks I 0Maria Callas - an operatic legend Feb. 24 - March 17, 2009Her tragedy, innovations, rivals and her men 4 weeks I 0OPERA TOURS IN 2008 - 2009with New Wave Travel. Itineraries are on website below.Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden (5 operas) 9 nights, April 16 - 25La Traviata, Macbeth - La Ron dine - Die Zauberfliite, La Cenerentola• Post-Option: Prague, Apr. 25-28, Eugene Onegin, Le Nozze di FigaroRoyal Opera and Ballet, Covent Garden 7 nights, May 6 - 14Lohengrin, I1 Trovatore, L'Elisir d'Amore - Les Sylphides, Firebird• Post-Option: Paris, May 13-16, Eugene Onegin, The Makropoulos CaseLa Scala, Milan! Verona! Venice! 8 nights, June 24 - July 2New Zeflirelli Aida - Turandot & Carmen - Giitterdiimmerung• Pre-Option: Turin, 2 nights, June 22 - 24, Adriana LecouvreurWEEKEND SEMINARLohengrin -Angelic Knight in Shining Armour Jan. 24 - 25, 2009At the Rosedale Golf Club 10 - 4 pm daily w. lunches I 0SUMMER WEEKEND COURSEMon. - Fri., July 13 -17, 20093 - 5 pm daily I 0WWW. THEWH O LENOTE.COM 25

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