Tag Archives: coc

The COC’s 2014/15 season announced

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Russell Braun as Don Giovanni - Photo Credit Javier del Real

Russell Braun as Don Giovanni – Photo Credit Javier del Real

Yesterday evening saw the announcement of the line up for the COC’s 2014/15 season.  The usual rather prosaic press conference was replaced with a glitzy reception and main stage show featuring Brent Bambury of the COC interviewing Alexander Neef, Johannes Debus and others plus piano accompanied performances by Simone Osborne, Russel Braun, Robert Gleadow, Charlotte Burrage and Aviva Fortunata.

There were few surprises, in itself no surprise given the number of official and unofficial “leaks” this time around.  There are three productions new to Toronto, all COC copros, and three revivals so it’s an “all COC” season with no rentals or other imports.  Here’s what’s coming up:

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An interview with Sir Thomas Allen

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Sir Thomas Allen, noted baritone and Chancellor of Durham University, is in town rehearsing Don Alfonso in the COC’s new production of CosÌ fan tutte.  Yesterday evening, between rehearsals, he was kind enough to spend half an hour answering some questions.  We talked about his career, about his role as Chancellor of Durham University and about the new production of Così.  I’ve detailed some of the highlights below as well as embedding the full interview as a four part audio file at the end.

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Upcoming shows

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totFirst up is Toronto Operetta Theatre’s annual holiday offering.  This year it’s Lehar’s Land of Smiles and the cast includes Adam Fischer, Curtis Sullivan, Ernesto Ramirez and Lara Ciekiewicz.  Guillermo Silva-Marin directs and Derek Bate conducts.  There are eight performances between December 27th and January 5th including a gala performance and dinner/dance on New Year’s Eve.  Venue is the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts and tickets are available here.

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Prima Donna

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So I got my hands on the DVD documentary about Rufus Wainwright and the genesis of Prima Donna.  There’s not all that much of the music on the disk but there’s enough to get a general impression.  There’s also plenty of material for helping one judge where Wainwright is coming from and how he might approach a second opera.

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Alexander’s big gay Canadian opera

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hadrian_antinousSo today’s Globe and Mail carries the news that the Canadian Opera Company has commissioned its first new work since 1999.  A piece based on the life of the emperor Hadrian will headline the company’s 2018 season.  Now Hadrian may be best known for a chunk of masonry in the north of England but he’s also almost as well known for deifying his lover Antinous.  Since the music and book for the new work are to be by Rufus Wainwright and Daniel McIvor I think we can safely say that that side of things will feature more prominently than fortification construction.  Continue reading →

Centre Stage

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Last night saw the latest evolution of the COC’s Ensemble Studio competition; a competition for cash prizes functioning as well as final auditions for next year’s Ensemble Studio.  This year, for the first time, it was packaged as Centre Stage; a gala event featuring a cocktail reception and black tie dinner as well as the competition itself.  Added to that, the singers got to perform with the COC orchestra under Johannes Debus on the main stage rather than in the RBA with piano accompaniment.

Finalists with Rufus Wainwright

Finalists with Rufus Wainwright

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Ensemble Studio candidates announced

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rufus_goingtoatownThe competitors for the Ensemble Studio competition to be held on November 26th have been announced.  They are: soprano Karine Boucher (Quebec City, QC); mezzo-soprano Emma Char (Kitchener, Ont.); mezzo-soprano Francesca Corrado (Vancouver, B.C.); tenor Jean-Philippe Fortier-Lazure (Kitchener, Ont.); bass-baritone Nathan Keoughan (Charlottetown, P.E.I.); bass-baritone Iain MacNeil (Brockville, Ont.); tenor Jean-Michel Richer (Montreal, QC); soprano Lara Secord-Haid (Winnipeg, Man.); and mezzo-soprano Rachel Wood (London, Ont.).

As previously announced this year’s competition will be a glitzy gala affair and apparently Rufus Wainwright will MC.

La Bohème again – Rodolfo III

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For my second look at La Bohème at the COC I caught the first night of what is, effectively, the third cast.  This is actually the first cast but with Eric Margiore replacing Dmitri Pittas as the third Rodolfo of the run.  So, how did it compare to Wednesday night’s effort?

Joyce El-Khoury as Musetta - Photo:Michael Cooper

Joyce El-Khoury as Musetta – Photo:Michael Cooper

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