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... choral music, cassical solo vocal performance
The Barber Of Seville
:: Rossini's comic favourite The Barber of Seville recounts the story of
Count Almaviva's seduction of the charming Rosina, a prisoner in the home of her elderly guardian who intends to marry her himself. To gain access to Rosina, Almaviva hires the services of Figaro, the
irrepressible barber who spends as much time scheming as he does shaving. A comedy of mischievous mayhem and delightful absurdities, The Barber of Seville is eternally popular for its frothy charm and
irresistible melodies. Making their COC debuts, Albanian mezzo-soprano Enkelejda Shkosa is the beguiling Rosina and Macedonian tenor Blagoj Nacoski is Almaviva. Russian baritone Rodion Pogossov
makes his Canadian debut as Figaro, while American baritone Patrick Carfizzi and Turkish bass Burak Bilgili return to the COC as Dr. Bartolo and Don Basilio, respectively.
May 2, 8, 10, 13, 16, 21, 23 Four Seasons Centre For The Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. (At University Ave.) | Tickets: $60 – $275 (specially priced $20
tickets for young people under the age of 30) Phone: 416 363-8231 or online by clicking here Box office open from 11 AM - 7 PM
Pelléas et Mélisande
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The COC's 2007/08 season concludes with a revival of Debussy's masterpiece Pelléas et Mélisande. Price Golaud discovers the
mysterious Mélisande lost in the forest near his castle. Enchanted, he marries her and brings her to his home. There she is drawn to Pélleas, Golaud's half-brother, and in time the two fall dangerously in
love. Debussy's only opera is a perfect synthesis of poetry and hauntingly beautiful music. Seen earlier this season in TheMarriage of Figaro, soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian and
baritone Russell Braun return to sing the titles roles. Bass-baritone Pavlo Hunka is Golaud, Pélleas' half-brother and Mélisande's husband. Director Nicholas Muni returns after directing Faust in 2007.
May 6, 9, 11, 14, 17, 20, 22, 24 Four Seasons Centre For The Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. (At University Ave.) | Tickets: $60 – $275 (specially priced
$20 tickets for young people under the age of 30) Phone: 416 363-8231 or online by clicking here Box office open from 11 AM - 7 PM
Free Concert Series
:: The insanely popular Free Concert Series returns for it's second season at the
3rd floor Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, which allows for breath-taking views through floor to ceiling glass windows of University Avenue as a backdrop. Includes concerts, performances and presentations by
young artists, Canadian and international opera stars and COC staff. This is an exciting opportunity for Torontonians to experience the artistic excellence and cultural diversity of the city in
the beautiful new Four Seasons Centre For The Performing Arts. All concerts are free to the public. "Brown bag" lunches are welcome for the noon performances.
For a complete listing of concert dates and performances for May please click here
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Acclaimed Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman will sing the role of Elettra in the company's spring production of Mozart's Idomeneo. This marks Ms. Brueggergosman's first performance in a Mozart
opera and her debut with Canada's premier baroque theatre company. First performed in 1781, Idomeneo
is an opera seria characterized by the heroic emotion and drama ever present in the music and text. The opera tells the story of Idomeneo, the king of Crete, who returns victorious from war with Troy and encounters a storm that threatens his fleet. In return for safe passage, he vows to Neptune, the god of the sea, to sacrifice the first person he sees upon reaching safety ashore. This turns out to be his son, Idamante. As the King tries to escape from his debt, conflicts arise.
The stellar cast includes the American male soprano Michael Maniaci in the role of Idamante, soprano Peggy Kriha Dye as Ilia, bass-baritone Olivier Laquerre as Arbace, Croatian tenor Kresimir
Spicer as Idomeneo, in his Canadian and Opera Atelier debut, bass-baritone Curtis Sullivan as Neptune, with Artists of Atelier Ballet.
April 27, 29 May 1, 2, 3
Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge St. (opposite the Eaton Centre @ Queen St.) | Tickets: $30 - $165 Phone: TicketMaster at (416) 872-5555, or order on-line by clicking here
Josef Haydn: The Creation
:: Haydn's incredibly descriptive masterpiece, The Creation, is infused with
emotional impact as the genesis of the world is sung into being. From chaos through raging storms to the calls of creatures, the love of Adam and Eve, and the angelic choir, each day of the creation of the
world is celebrated in song. First performed in 1799, the public success of The Creation was immediate and long lasting, rivaling the success of Handel's Messiah. The composition also had a
profoundly personal effect on the composer who said: "Never had I been so devout as when I was composing The Creation. Everyday I fell to my knees and prayed to God to give me strength for my
work." Under the direction of Noel Edison, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir expresses the full spectrum of emotion, along with soprano Sookhyung Park, tenor Lawrence Wiliford, baritone Peter
McGillivray, and the Festival Orchestra.
May 2
@ 8:00 PM Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge Street | Tickets: $30 - $65 Phone: 416 598-0422 ext. 24 or online please click here
Canadian Opera Company: A Hip-Hopera
:: The Canadian Opera Company celebrates the world premiere of a new work from
the Urban Series, a hip-hopera, as part of the Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. The program, Opera Meets Hip-Hop,
is a cutting-edge collaboration between the COC and The Royal Conservatory of Music which ignites the love affair between two musical worlds: hip-hop and opera. Soprano Teiya Kasahara and baritone Justin
Welsh are joined by the RCM's DJ lil Jaz and DJ T.R.A.C.K.S. to compose an original piece – a hip-hopera. Steering clear of operatic voices over a hip-hop base line, these young artists fuse two art forms to
create a completely modern and artistic statement.
Wed. May 7
@ 5:30 PM Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. (corner of Queen and University Ave.) | Admission: FREE
Concert and Events-at-a-glance calendar click here
::
Experience The Met's 2008 Season broadcasting live in HD from New York on the big screen at Alliance Cinemas in The
Beaches.
Schedule:
Puccini's LA BOHEME (Italian) May 3 at 1:30PM Encore Performance
Donizetti's LA FILLE du REGIMENT (French) May 10 at 1:30 PM Encore Performance
Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office or on MovieTickets.com by cxlicking on the date above
For more information
and ticket pricing please call 416-699-1327 during theatre business hours. (Mon - Thu after 6:00pm; Friday after 4:00pm; Sat & Sun after 1:00pm)
