The 19/20 Vancouver Opera season has recently been announced, and here’s what you can look forward to!
La traviata
Kicking off their season in October is Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata. This will be the fourth stop for a production inspired by the decadent music hall scene of 1920s Paris, shared by five Canadian opera companies. Already performed in Winnipeg, Edmonton and Victoria, La traviata will be heading to Montreal after it’s Vancouver showing. Directed by Alain Gauthier and designed by Christina Poddubiuk, the cast includes Emily Dorn and Andrew Haji. Canadian conductor Yves Abel makes his Vancouver Opera debut. La traviata runs October 17-27, 2019 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville brings in the new year, running February 13-20, 2020. Rossini’s comic masterpiece gets a new staging by Canadian director Ashlie Corcoran making her mainstage Vancouver Opera debut. The creative team also includes set designer Ken MacDonald and Dana Osborne on costumes. Mezzo-soprano Julie Boulianne will sing Rosina alongside tenor Isaiah Bell as Count Almaviva. Leading the Vancouver Orchestra is Canadian conductor Nathan Brock, making his Vancouver Opera debut.
Another Brick in the Wall: The Opera
The highlight of the company’s annual Festival is Another Brick in the Wall: The Opera, based on the music and lyrics of Roger Waters’ The Wall. Composed by Julien Bilodeau, the iconic album is transformed into an operatic drama which premiered at Opéra de Montréal in 2017 and since, has also appeared at Cincinnati Opera. Directed by Dominic Champagne, the production includes eye-popping video projections designed by Johnny Ranger. The Vancouver cast includes Nathan Keoghan as Pink, Caroline Bleau as The Wife and France Bellemare as The Mother. Another Brick in the Wall hits the stage April 23-May 2, 2020.
Così fan tutte
The 19/20 Vancouver Opera season ends with Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Brenna Corner, a former member of the company’s Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist program returns to direct the piece. Conductor Leslie Dala leads the all-Canadian cast: Lucia Cesaroni (Fiordiligi), Beste Kalender (Dorabella), Owen McCausland (Ferrando), Iain MacNeil (Guglielmo), John Fanning (Don Alfonso) and Nathalie Paulin (Despina). Running April 24-May 9, 2020.
For complete VO 19/20 season details click here
Photos courtesy of Vancouver Opera: artwork by Nomi Chi
Angela Bell is Opera Canada’s Digital Media Specialist. She has held digital and PR roles with various businesses including the Walt Disney Company, Sullivan Entertainment and Toronto International Film Festival.
