The Redwood Theatre was packed on a wet Sunday evening for the latest gala from Opera Revue.  This time the theme was circus with guests Kalen Davidson juggling and setting things on fire, Haley Shannon on aerial silks, Ambur Braid doing Ambur things and Walter Bowen Braid jumping through hoops.  The usual gang; Danie Friesen, Alex Hajek and Claire Elise-Harris were of course also clowning it.

The lions and tigers and the panther failed to show up (and Alex mislaid the ten foot Burmese python) but Alex and Danie did manage a near purrfect rendition of the Rossini cat duet to kick things off.  There was lots of circus related stuff of course including a good chunk of Pagliacci (natch) plus “Send in the Clowns”.  Somehow “Nessun Dorma” found it’s way in but I may have slept through that one. The singing was interspersed by some serious knife juggling and some fancy fire eating.  The aerial silks thing was a reminder of when the space was actually used for practice by circus folk.  They’ve cleaned up the broken glass.  Also, in the absence of Pierre Poilievre, Danie smacked Alex in the chops with a pie.

Then there was Ms. Braid doing her thing.  Like sitting on the stage apron and knocking out some of Die Farberin’s music from Die Frau ohne Schatten like you do.  It was to dye for.  Her second appearance went one further.  Instead of singing an aria from an opera most people have never seen she sang one from an opera most people have never heard of; Halévy’s La Juive.  Absolutely fantastic singing, with bonus canine accompaniment, but I’ve been trying, unsuccessfully, to make a circus connection while avoiding any suggestion it’s a potboiler.

But seriously (yeah right) it was a fun evening with some really very good music making and a change up on the extras.  The formula works again!

Photo credit: Ryan Harper