Canadian tenor Owen McCausland is coming to us from Adelaide, Australia where he is performing the role of the Fisherman in Adelaide Festival‘s production of Stravinsky‘s The Nightingale and Other Fables March 1-6 (tickets and info here).
In demand with opera companies and symphonies across North America, Owen has made many notable appearances including First Jew in the Canadian Opera Company‘s production of Salome, Don Ottavio in Pacific Opera Victoria‘s Don Giovanni, both Roderigo in Otello and Trin in La fanciulla del west with Cleveland Orchestra, Tamino in Vancouver Opera‘s Die Zauberflöte, and in the world premiere of Frehner’s LEX with Soundstreams. Next up, Owen will return to Cleveland Orchestra as First Priest and Second Armoured Man in their upcoming production of Die Zauberflöte (tickets and info here).
From all the way across the globe we were able to grab a few minutes with Owen to chat about his experiences Down Under; including the best place to grab some fresh sushi, where to meet some kangaroos, and how to explore the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Read on to find out more.
Adelaide, South Australia.
How long are you working on contract?
I’m here for 5 weeks of summer working with the Adelaide Festival where we are putting together Robert Lepage’s production of Stravinsky’s The Nightingale and Other Fables.
What’s the opera house like?
The Adelaide Festival Centre is an angular 2000 seat proscenium theatre sitting right on the River Torrens on the north side of the Adelaide central business district. It is the home of many major arts institutions here including the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, State Opera of South Australia and The Australian Ballet.
Where is the most peaceful place in the city?
Adelaide has a neat squarish park that surrounds the whole downtown area which creates large green spaces in every direction. There are tons of urban parks and gardens all around but the most peaceful I’ve found is the Adelaide Himeji Garden. Incredibly groomed traditional Japanese garden with a picturesque tea house and uniquely diverse plant species. I think I have only just scratched the surface though as there is a lot to explore.
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Best coffee or tea?
Great spot close to our hotel called Deja Brew Specialty Coffee. Although I’ve had a lot of great coffee here in Adelaide from some excellent baristas who live up to the hype.
Coolest bar or restaurant you’ve been to?
I love sushi especially where seafood is fresh and abundant. So far all of the sushi I have had has been really tasty, but the standout is a restaurant called Soshobo. Food is delicious and flavourful, vibe and service very much on point, and cool to watch chefs assemble plates right in front of you.
An activity you have done that is unique to the area?
A group from our production team and cast went to the Cleland Wildlife Park. Probably my favourite thing so far for sure. We got to feed kangaroos and different species of wallabies, we saw wombats, Tasmanian devils, emus, Australian pelicans, dingoes – and I got to pet a koala. It was awesome.
Is there something unexpected that happens locally that you discovered?
The Adelaide Fringe Festival is a massive operation with daily events going on throughout the whole city. Circus, theatre, burlesque, and magic shows all over and buskers on every corner. The city closes off major streets so bars and restaurants can operate right out in the street. There is a huge food festival that is part of Fringe called Gluttony that spans over multiple large cordoned-off park areas so you can indulge in drinks and food outside while taking in a show or just hanging out.
How did you find your accommodation?
We are put up by the festival at the Adina Apartment Hotel Adelaide Treasury. It’s a beautiful historic treasury building right next to the Adelaide Town Hall which puts us right in the city centre. Well-equipped apartments and very close to the Adelaide Central Market which has everything you could possibly need to make nice meals in our kitchens.
What’s the most important thing you think of when it comes to finding accommodation as a singer?
A quality firm mattress with some decent pillow choices. Restful sleep is probably the most crucial part of keeping your voice in shape and not getting overly stressed with the demands of live performance.
Have you had a chance to explore some galleries or museums?
Haven’t quite had the time to hit up any galleries or museums yet, but I did go in and explore the Adelaide Town Hall. A lot more cultural heritage here than I was aware of and cool to see odd pieces of local history – like life-size cut-outs of The Beatles standing and waving on the balcony from exactly where they stood and waved when they came here.
Is there anything else you’d recommend?
The beaches in South Australia are stunning and the weather is incredibly hot and dry in the summer. I’ve gone on cooler days so as not to melt, which has been a nice way to explore the ocean ecosystem here. Hoping to spend some more time exploring the coast and Kangaroo Island before I leave in March.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OWEN MCCAUSLAND
VISIT HIS WEBSITE
© Antoine Saito
Chaakapesh with Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Akinisie Siuvuarapik, Narrator
Kent Nagano, Conductor
© Chris Hutchinson
COC Don Quichotte 2014
Anita Rachvelishvili as Dulcinée
Owen McCausland as Don Juan
© Michael Cooper
COC La clemenza di Tito 2013
Owen McCausland as Tito
ⒸPeter Bennetts
Adelaide Festival Centre
Stravinsky‘s
The Nightingale and Other Fables
Adelaide Festival
March 1 – 6
DIRECTOR Robert Lepage
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Sybille Wilson
CONDUCTOR Alejo Pérez
SET DESIGNER Carl Fillion
COSTUME, WIG, MAKEUP DESIGNER Mara Gottler
PUPPET DESIGNER Michael Curry
LIGHTING DESIGNER Etienne Boucher
PUPPET CHOREOGRAPHER Martin Genest
THE NIGHTINGALE
NIGHTINGALE Yuliia Zasimova
FISHERMAN Owen McCausland
EMPEROR Taras Berezhansky
DEATH Meredith Arwady
COOK Yuliya Pogrebnyak
CHAMBERLAIN Nabil Suliman
BONZE Jud Arthur
ENOVY Robert Macfarlane
ENOVY Pelham Andrews
ENOVY Norbert Hohl
The FOX
Andrew Goodwin
Owen McCausland
Taras Berezhansky
Nabil Suliman
THE TWO POEMS OF KONSTANTIN BALMONT
Yuliya Pogrebnyak
PRIBAOUTKI AND BERCEUSES DU CHAT
Meredith Arwady (contralto)
ADELAIDE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
STATE OPERA SOUTH AUSTRALIA CHORUS
The world’s greatest directors can breathe new life into beloved classics. Few can do so like Robert Lepage.
Returning to Adelaide Festival for the first time since 2018, the internationally acclaimed Canadian auteur brings his brilliant imagination and a lush aesthetic to Igor Stravinsky’s The Nightingale and Other Fables.
The Nightingale, Stravinsky’s first opera, was written between 1908-13 during the composer’s Russian period, at the same time as he was working on some of his greatest masterpieces, such as The Firebird and The Rite of Spring. Inspired by a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, this captivating work is blended with Russian fables and musical influences from Asia, Europe and early jazz from America.
Stories unfurl through acrobatic shadow play and Taiwanese hand puppets, before moving on to the ancient art of Vietnamese water puppetry for the spectacular telling of The Nightingale.
These stunning visual elements are the perfect complement to Stravinsky’s music, brought to life by a superb cast of singers from Ukraine, the United States, Canada and Australia, the State Opera South Australia Chorus and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. It’s a true feast for the senses.
With exquisite music, beautiful puppetry and captivating stories, The Nightingale and Other Fables combines the best of Stravinsky and the imagination of Lepage in a program that will delight audiences of all ages.
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