Edmonton Opera will celebrate 2020’s Alberta Culture Days by presenting events that are free and accessible to all ages, as usual, but this year with special considerations for audience health and safety.
Andrea Hill (Hansel) Robert Clark (The Witch) and Lida Szkwarek (Gretel) in Edmonton Opera’s Hansel and Gretel. Photo: Nanc Price
EO is presenting two drive-in concerts outside the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Sept. 19. The evening will feature tenor Robert Clark, soprano Cara McLeod and accompanist Leanne Regehr performing a 45-minute program of the “best of opera, Broadway and more — live from the roof of the Jube!,” according to a press release about the event.
The performance will be transmitted to nearby car radios via FM transmitter, and audience members will remain in their vehicles. There is no entry cost but 120 free tickets—60 vehicles per performance—will be raffled by lottery.
“I keep hearing stories about how much everyone misses live music, and we’re excited to present our first Drive-In Opera concert experience that brings audiences together in a safe way,” said Tim Yakimec, EO’s General Director, in a press release.
Additionally, EO’s Opera Tots! program will go online this year with two episodes premiering Sept. 17 and 24. Mezzo-soprano Catherine Daniel, tenor Clark, and accompanist Regehr will take little ones and parents on a virtual safari tour of composer Camille Saint-Saëns’s famous Carnival of the Animals. Episodes will be free to stream online.
