Apri I showers Music
Apri I showers Music Theatre By Sarah B. Hood Last month I hinted at the wealth · of music theatre that was heading our way for April. Now the floodgates are fully open and we're being showered with openings, many of them notable Canadiai:i projects. An in~itation to ask the question How db Canadian operas ever get to the stage in the first place? To judge by this month's calendar, there are as many ways as there are composers. WAYNE STRONGMAN IS ONE PERSON WHO . DOESN'T SIT AROUND waitingfor new operas to fall from the sky. Since 1'977 he has been working through his company, Tapestry, to seek out and nurture new Canadian music theatre works. It was Tapestry that commissioned and developed the charmingly enigmatic puzzlepiece called Nigredo Hotel a few years back. Nie Gotham and Ann-Marie MacDonald's newmusic opera took place in a fictional location somewhere between despair·and reawakening, and evoked an ul1for~ttable performance from Shari · Saunders. Tapestry was also behind Theresa Tova's gripping and heart-stirring musical journey of two young Jewish women fleeing the.Holocaust. Still the Night has had se~eral successful runs, including one in New York. Tapestry also commissioned Elsewhereless by Rodney Sharman and . Atom Egoyan. r~~~ r ::CE:~rr; Music THEATRE SPOTLIGHT LEO, THE ROYAL CADET HAD QUITE ANOTHER KIND OF BIRTH. A land. Leo, the Royal Cadet runs May 2 to 6 at the St. Lawrence Centre and May 10 to 12 at Kingston's Grand Theatre. IF YOU, LIKE ME, ARE DEVELOPING AN ADDIC TION to the neat, comfortable little Artword Theatre, you'll be pleased to know that Charlie light-hearted Chiarelli, the storyteller/musician operetta who has scored such a hit with Now the about a his autobiographical Cu 'Fu? over company is . Kingston,_ the past few years, has created a premiering the Ontario follciw-up show, called long-awaited cadet who Mangiacake!, which opens at new opera Iron travels to Artword on April 5. Cu'Fu? told Road, a fight for the . of Chiarelli' s Sicilian childhood bilingual · , · Empire in in Hamilton; Mangiacake! (English and South follows hini on a trip back to Cantonese) tale Africa, the Italy with his family. When I of a young show, by caught up with hini during a woman, Lai Eric Shaw as Leo the Royal Cadet in Oscar - rehearsal break at Artword, he Gwan, who front of RMC in Kingston Telgmann described the music in the show disguises herself and George as an assortment of "traditional as a boy to search for her lost and Charles Cameron, saw over scings and original blues songs father in the terrible period of the 1, 700 performances in Canada witfi Sicilian lyrics." making of the Canadian railroad and the U.S. between 1889 and "There's not as much song system, constructed largely 1925. When a flood destroyed the in this as in C~'Fu?," he points through the labour of Chine_se sets, costumes and orchestral . out. "They're a lighter kind of workers. parts, Leo retired for many years. support to the text." H0wever, he Iron Road's Juno-winning Now, .through the auspices of says, "These songs are.like a composer Chan Ka Nin met . Toronto Operetta Theatre, he's shovel that goes deeper into the librettist Mark Brownell through making a comeback both in heart of Sicily." Mangiacake! one of Tapestry's Composer Toronto and in Kingston. In this attempts to answer the question Librettist Laboratories in 1995; case, the score was painstakingly that is central to those who grew these week-long programs are "re-imagined" by composer John . up in transplanted families, 'Who designed to break the barrier of Greer, while the libretto was am I?' Or, as Chiarelli asks solitude. Composers and writers brushed up by dramaturge himself in the course of the play, meet, and sometimes form Virginia Reh. She found the "Am I accepted in Italy because enduring creative partnerships. content surprisingly contempo- I'm Italian, or because they're Without this kind of artistic rary, with a strong-minded proto- . hungry for someone who can sing midwifery, few Canadian operas feminisrcharacter, social and blues lyrics without an accent?" · would ever see the light of day. cultural satires, and a song in Mangiacake! runs until April 29 Iron Road runs from April which the Zulu warriors dream of and, if it is received even half so 20 tQ 28 at the Elgin Theatre. self-determination in their own continued on page 44 THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF Musical Encounters Mila Filatova, Artistic Director and_Producer Terence Shawn baritone, Michael Sawarna tenor Charlene Donovan mezzo-soprano Mila Filatova piano : Vocal music.by Schumann, Williams, Donizetti, Rossini, Bizet and other composers! . . Wednesday, April 18, 2001at7:30 pm The Stone Church, 45 Davenport Rd. (E. of Bay) TICKETS: / Students & Seniors at the door To reserve, call 416-604-1557 22 wholenote APRIL 1, 2001 - MAY 7, 2001 The Columbus Centre Presents Spring Opera Workshop for singers May 22 to Junt; 8, ·2001 Faculty Adolfo De Santos Goffredo Ricci Sabatino Vacca Grant Wenaus Guest Lecturer Prof. James Craig Master Classes Ermanno Mauro Auditions by appointment call: 1-905-476-9994 for more information
Music Theatre Listings ···Ballet Creole. Ravel Musicians & dancers interpret contemporary African & Caribbean works. May 3-5. Premiere Dance Theatre, 207 Queens Guay West. 416-973-4000. -,(sr .& matinee). ···Ca~ad 'ian Opera Company. Britten: Billy Budd. Russell Braun, Nigel Robson, Jeffrey Wells and other performers;. Richard Bradshaw, conductor. Pre-performance Opera Chat, 45 minutes prior to each performance. April .6. 11, 14, 19: 8:00; April 17: 7:00; April 8: 2:00. Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Front St. East. 416-872-2262. -5, $J5- (young person). ···Canadian Opera Company. Mozart: ldomeneo. Michael Schade, Emma · Selway, Elzbieta Szmytka, Isabelle Vernet, Michael Colvin, performers; Nicolae · Moldo~eanu ,' conductor. April 7, 12, 18,20: 8:00; April 10: 7:00; April 22: 2:00. Pre-performance Opera Chat 45 minutes ptior to each performance. Hummingbi.rd Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Front St. East. 416-872-2262. -5, - (young person). ···CBC Radio One 99.1 FM. Roundup at the Gould. Celebrating )he high school musical. Wexford Collegiate performing arts students; All The King's Voices; Bill Richardson, host. April 1: 2:00. Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front St. West. 205-5555. ,$.10. ···Crow's Theatre. Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Written by John Cameron Mitchell; music by Stephen Trask; Jim Millan, director; Moe Berg, music director; ~tarr ing Ted Dykstra & Selina Martin. April 17· 19 (previews); opens April 20 for indefinite run. Venue TBA. 416-504,5962. -. ···Etobicoke Musical Productions. Damn Yankees. April 27,28, May 4,5, 11, J 2: 8:00; April 29 & May. 6: 2:00. Burnhamthorpe Auditorium, 500 The East Mall. 416-248-0410. . ···Hamilton Theatre Inc. Pippin· A Musical Comedy. April 5,6 & 7: 8:00; April 1: 2:00. Studio Theatre, 140 MacNab St. North, Hamilton. 905-522· 3032. . ···Living Arts Centre Mississauga. Beethoven lives Upstairs. April 1: 2:00. 4141 Living Arts Drive. 905-306· 6000. .50. ···Living Arts Centre Mississauga. Showboat. Book & lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; music by Jerome Kern. April 6 & 7: 8:00. Hammerson Hall, 4141 Living Arts Drive. 905:306-6000. -. ···Mirvish Productions. The lion King. Stage musical of Disney's 1994 animated feature. To September 30. Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King St. West'. 416-872-1212. to 5. ···Newtonbrook Secondary School. Cabaret. Evening of singing & · surprises. Performers _from TDSB. May 1,2 & 3: 8:00. 155 Hilda Ave. 416· 780-1890. . ···OMO Da.nce Company. Pictures from Home: a Canadian Experience. Multi-media work of photography, live music, dance & lighting. Robert Bruce, composer; Brad Trenaman, lighting; Hers.chel Stroyman, photography; Debbie Wilson, choreographer/artistic director. April 19,20 & 21: 8:00. Betty Oliphant Theatre, 404 Jarvis St. 416· 516-5262. , (dance profession· als & group rate), (sr/children). Opening night proceeds to The True Davidson Meals on Wheels, east York Inc. ···Opera in Concert. Handel: Ariodante. ·Kimberly Barber, Jackalyn Short, Barbara Hannigan, Daniel Lichti, Allyson McHardy, performers; Gary T.hor Wedow, conductor. April 1: 2:30. Jane Mallett Theatre, 27 Front St. East. 416-366-7723. ,. Canadian and Metropolitan Star Baritone Only Toronto Appearance This Season!!!!! • August 11, 2001 • The Stone Church www.tryptych.org • • \••···········~················1 ~ Stephen ·· • : s ·ondheim : · • Workshop • .: August 11 - 27, 2001 :1 ' -Auditions: April 23 and 24, 2001 • • • Please call(416) 763-5066 or • • email info@tryptych.org • •• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ···Opera Mississauga. Donizetti: Lucia di lammermoor. Dwight Bennett, general & artistic director. May 4,8, 10 & 12: 8:00. Hammerson Hall, 4141 Living Arts Drive. 905-306-6000. · , -(sr/st). • ···Opera Ontario. leMr: The Merry Widow. Eilana Lappalainen, Theodore Baerg, Kurt Lehmann & other performers; Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. April 28, May 3 & 5: 8:00 at Hamilton Place, 1 Summers Lane. 905-526-6556. May 1 ~: 8:00 at The Sat Sun Wed Fri Sat Sun May 12 May 13 May 16 May 18 May 19 May 20 Centre in the Square, Kitchener. 519- 578-1570. to $ 79. ···Oshawa Little Theatre. A funny Thing Happened On The Way To The forum. Book by Bert Shevelove & Larry Gelbart; music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. April 19,20,21,26,27,28,29, May 3,4,5, 10, 11, 12: 8:00; April 22: 2:00. 62 Russett Ave., Oshawa. 905-723· 0282. . ···Pantages Theatre. Cabaret. Starring Andrea McArdle & Jon tickets@al exa nd ersi ngers. com THE LEAH POSLUNS THEATRE 4588 Bathurst Street f yt: ~PER~ & ,r:E~S 0~;:E A dedication to the centennial of Giuseppe Verdi's death Highlights from La Traviata and Rigoletto Mila Filatova, Artistic Director and Producer In collaboration with Centuries Opera Association Chorus Monday, April 30, 2001 at 7:30 pm Wednesday, May 2, 2001 at 7:30 pm The Stone Church, 45 Davenport Rd. (E. of Bay) TICKETS: / Students & Seniors at the door To reserve, call 416-604-1557 o 'ILBERT & SULLIVAN'S The Gondoliers at David and Mary Thomson Collegiate 240 Lawrence Ave. E, Scarborough Fridays, April 20 & 27 at 8:00 pm Saturdays, April 21 & 28 at 8:00 pm Sundays, April 22 & 29 at 2:00 pm Tickets: ; Seniors/Students 905-839-3411 Group discounts are available Presented by The Scarborough Gilbert & Sullivan Society APRIL 1, 2001 - MAY 7, 2001 wholenote 23
