A classic 20th-century opera, amini-Mozart festival, and a surprisingcrop of musicals are themain features of the music theatrescene in Toronto this month. Thehighlight of the month finds IsabelBayrakdarian, once a member ofthe Opera in Concert chorus, starringas Blanche de la Force inOpera in Concert's performanceof Poulenc's Les Dialogues desCarmelites (1957) on November19. Robert Cooper directs, Alisond'Amato is the music director andpianist, and Iain Scott will give apre-concert talk. Bayrakdarian performsthe role on stage next yearin a production by Robert Carsenfor Lyric Opera Chicago in Februaryand March 2007.Celebrations of Mozart's 250thbirthday continue apace with animpromptu mini-Mozart festival inSouthern Ontario this month. Notonly does the COC production ofCasi fan tutte continue until November5, but two more Mozartoperas join the list.Opera York presents two performancesof The Marriage of Figaroconducted and directed by Geoff rey Butler. Among the confirmedcast are Lucia Cesaroni asSusanna, Adrianna Albu asCherubino and Matthew Zadowand Mirela Tafaj as the Count andCountess Almaviva. The first performancetakes place on November16 at the Markham Theatre forPerforming Arts, the second onNovember 18 at the new Zeidlerand Schmitt-designed St. ElizabethPerforming Arts Centre inVaughan. For information visitwww.operayork. com.At about the same time , OperaAtelier begins its 2006-07 seasonwith a revival of its much-lovedproduction of The Magic Flute, runningNovember 17-26. The castincludes Colin Ainsworth as Tamino,Peggy Kriha-Dye as Pamina,Olivier Laquerre as Papageno,Carla Huhtanen as Papagena, CurtisSullivan as Sarastro and PenelopeRandall-Davis making herCanadian debut as the Queen ofthe Night, a role she performedrecently in Sydney and Venice. Asusual Marshall Pynkoski directsand Jeannette Zingg choreographs.David Fallis conducts the TafelmusikBaroque Orchestra. For furtherinformation visit www.operaatelier. com.On OPERAby Christopher HaileMany scholars have pointed tothe German "Singspiel" along withthe Italian "opera buffa" as ancestorsof 19th-century operetta. Toenjoy a work from the pinnacle ofoperetta's Golden Age, one needlook no further than JohannStrauss's Die Fledermaus sung inEnglish by the Opera Division ofthe University of Toronto Facultyof Music. Sandra Horst, chorusmasterfor the COC, will conductand Michael Albano will direct. Performancestake place at the MacMillan Theatre November 9-12.Moving from operetta to musicals,in November Toronto willfind itself in a position it has notbeen in for more than a decade.Due to some strange confluence inthe stars, five professionally stagedmusicals will be playing in townsimultaneously.Continuing until December 31is Wicked (2003) by StephenSchwartz on a return engagementhere after selling out its run in2005. As you may know, themusical is based on GregoryMaguire's 1995 novel of the samename about the friendship in preDorothy Oz of Glinda the GoodWitch and Elphaba (as Maguirenames her), who becomes theWicked Witch of the West. Thepoint of the prequel is to subvertour received views of these characters,especially as presented inthe classic film, and indeed to questionthe way histories are writtencertainlymore ambitious themesthan some Broadway musicals havehad of late. The cast includesShoshana Bean as Elphaba andMegan Hilty as Glinda and playsat the Canon Theatre.Joining Wicked November ! December 3 is an earlier StephenSchwartz musical called Pippin(1972) about the coming of age ofCharlemagne's eldest son. Theproduction stars Micky Dolenz ofMonkees fame as Charlemagne,and Joshua Park as Pippin andplays at the Royal Alexandra Theatre.Meanwhile at the Princess ofWales Theatre the Kander and Ebbclassic Chicago drops in for a shortstay November 21-December 3.Further information about all threeof these shows can be gathered atwww.mirvish.com.The other two musicals play atsmaller venues. One is the worldpremiere of The Story of My Life,a celebration of a lifelong friendship,with music and lyricsby Neil Bartram and abook by Brian Hill. ThisCanStage production starringBrent Carver and JeffreyKuhn runs November1-December 9 at theBerkeley Street Theatre.The other is the Canadianpremiere of Seussical-AMusical, music byStephen Flaherty and lyricsby Lynn Ahrens, inwhich the Cat in the Hatleads us through the sto-NAOMI'S ROAD: This photo features,ries of various characters from left to right: Sam Chung as Stephen,created by beloved chi!- Sung Chung as Father (from the originaldren's author Dr. Seuss cast; this role is now sung by baritone(1909-91). The show Gene Wu), Gina Oh as Mother andplays at the Lorraine Kim- Jessica Cheung as Naomi.sa Theatre for Young People from brother and her aunt are removedNovember 16-December 31. from their Vancouver home andAlso, anyone who plans to be placed in a Japanese internmentin the Ottawa area November 4-5 camp where they discover whator 11-12 will have a chance to see sustains them through the harshanacclaimed production presented ness they encounter. The work hasby Vancouver Opera. Naomi's already been received by audiencRoad (2005) is an opera for young- es in 140 schools and communityer audiences by Ramona Luengen venues in BC, Alberta and Washtoa libretto by Ann Hodges based ington State. Fully staged, withon Joy Kogawa's retelling for pianoaccompaniment,itwillbeperyoungpeople of her award-win- formed at the Canadian War Muningnovel Obasan. During World seum in Ottawa (1-800-555-5621War II, nine-year-old Naomi, her or 819-776-7014).presentsHEP"MITO RillSCHR!STMASVESPERSDecember 8 & 9, 2006 at 8 pmSingers, violins, cornetti, sackbuts, theorbos andkeyboards arranged around the balconies and stage ofTrinity-St. Paul's Centre, recreating the joyful celebrationof Christmas Vespers as it might have been heard underthe direction of Michael Praetorius in 17th-centuryGermany - this lavish Toronto Consort Yuletide offeringhas become a beloved Toronto tradition. In the spirit ofcelebration, the audience will join with the assembledmusical forces in singing.favourite Christmas carols.A Christmas concert like no other!((')owww .torontoconsort.org Sun"!°!!
TOK ONTOOl'EIIBrntliGuillermo Silva-MarinGeneral Director7r-.Special GuestJean Stilwellsponsored byJulian Wachner, ConductorGuilrermo Silva-Marin, Stage DirectorElizabeth Asselstine, Lighting Designerwith Peter Mccutcheon, Carla Huhtanenand Ian FunkDec. 27, 29, 30, 31*, 2006Jan. 5 & 6, 2007at 8:00 pmJan. 3 & 7, 2007 at 2:00 pm*Ask about our New Year's Eve Gala.~m akes a [;reat [; ift!$ Scotiabank JANE MALLETT THEATREMedia sponsor:Deutsche ~ Presse~ .......... ... · · "' "1-800-708-6754~....................... -..... ~··416-366-7723www.stlc.com~- 2006 - 2007 SEASONr..., ~,._. The Joy of Mozart!f'2006-2007Opera CoursesandOpera TourswithIain ScottLucia Cesaroni asSusannamrc: ~IK(IK(~~CQtor r~CQ~IK(OUnder the Artistic Direction ofGeoffrey ButlerFull productionwith the Opera York Orchestra and ChoirNov. 16 - Markham Theatre, MARKHAMNov. 18 - St. Elizabeth Theatre, VAUGHANVerdi's La Traviata ·March 1 & 3, 20078 pm· TICKETS SUBSCRIPTION PRICE TICKETS Call Opera York at 905-763-7853email:info@operayork.comwww.operayork.comGroup rates availableOPERA FOR EVERYONE!3 & 4 WEEK COURSESAll courses are held on Tuesdays 2.30 -4.30 and 7.00 - 9.00at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club 141 St George StreetVerdi's Fathers & DaughtersOpera 102 - Other forms of operaDueling Divas - Great SopranosHow to run an opera companyWEEKEND SEMINARS10 - 4 each day includes lunchThe Legends of Faust in OperaAt the Arts and Letters ClubDie MeistersingerAt the Rosedale Golf ClubTOURSMontreal LakmeNew York Die MeistersingerVerdi's ItalyWagner's Italy28 Nov.-12 Dec.9 - 30 January, 20076 - 27 February13 March - 3 April20 - 21 January, 200724 - 25 February9 -11 February2 -5 March13 - 25 April12-27JuneOVEMBER - D ECEMBER 7 20 WWW . THE W HOLE NOH. COM 2 9
