Top Ten Fridays: Arias

Arias -- the show-stoppers of opera. Everybody has a favorite. So what's yours?

If it's on this list, vote in this week's poll. If not, post your favorite in our comments section. Here are the contenders:

Bellini, Vincenzo: Act 1 - Cavatina: 'Casta Diva' Work: Norma



Puccini, Giacomo: Act 3, Scene 1 - Aria: 'Nessun Dorma' Work: Turandot



Mascagni,Pietro : Scene 1 - Aria: 'Voi lo sapete, o mamma...' Work: Cavalleria Rusticana


Mozart,Wolfgang Amadeus : Soprano Aria: 'Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen...' Work: The Magic Flute


Mozart,Wolfgang Amadeus : Act I Scene 8 - Aria: 'Non più andrai...' Work: The Marriage of Figaro


Verdi,Giuseppe (Fortunino Francesco) : Dio di Giuda Work: Nabucco



Puccini,Giacomo : Act II Scene 1 - 'Un bel di vedremo...' Work: Madama Butterfly



Verdi,Giuseppe (Fortunino Francesco) : Act III - Aria: 'Addio del passato...' Work: La traviata



Verdi,Giuseppe (Fortunino Francesco) : Act I Scene 1 - Recit: 'Se quel guerrier...' Work: Aida




Bizet,Georges (Alexandre César Léopold) : Act I - Habanera: 'L'amour est un oiseau rebelle...' Work: Carmen



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**Thanks for voting in last week's Top 10 poll for Top 10 Opera Survival Tips! Results were neck and neck with checking for a pulse (33%) just edging out shoot first, store knives, don't date Americans, check the gun and bring snacks, all coming in at 25% of your votes. Course we would never think to change the storyline in real life. That's what makes opera so dramatic!**

Jack Pine Tour Announced

You may never see a poem as lovely as a tree, but you’ll never see a tree more bent, more squat, more grim, more weird and ugly than Jack Pine. He’s small and stunted, his branches twist and turn. In sunlight he looks mad at you, and in moonlight he’s a monster. What can Jack Pine possible be useful for?

Vancouver Opera brings the delightful story of this tenacious and truly remarkable tree to elementary school gymnasiums and community venues across BC in Jack Pine, a brand-new opera commissioned just for children. Sung in English, this magical 45-minute production will transport more than 50,000 young people and their families deep into Canada’s vast forests and will introduce them to the beauty, relevance and sheer fun of opera.

Jack Pine is the story of three children who, with the help of an enthusiastic botanist, discover the secrets of the trees that surround them. Together they explore the myths, legends and fascinating facts of Canada’s forests, and like Jack Pine, learn something about their own potential along the way.

The libretto and music, based on the children’s poem and illustrated book of the same name by Canadian author Christopher Patton, are created by renowned Canadian indie singer-songwriter Veda Hille. Hille’s fresh music and libretto will appeal directly to young audiences’ sense of wonder and humour.

Children will be charmed by the zany energy and full-throated singing of the talented young cast: tenor Adam Fisher (Jackson/Jack Pine), mezzo-soprano Rose-Ellen Nichols (Rebecca/Red Pine), soprano Hiather Darnel-Kadonaga (Piper/Pitch Pine) and baritone Michael MacKinnon (The Botanist/White Pine/The Farmer).

Musical accompaniment is by pianist Andrea Wood and the music director is Kinza Tyrrell. The touring stage manager is Rebecca Craster and the stage director is Amiel Gladstone. The set is designed by Drew Facey, based on original illustrations by Cybele Young. The costumes are designed by John Powell, the Kwak waka wakw First Nation co-designer of the stunning costumes for Vancouver Opera’s acclaimed First Nations-inspired 2007 production of The Magic Flute.


Vancouver Opera in Schools is the largest touring program of its kind in Canada. It its 36 years, it has enthralled more than 1.5 million elementary school children and their families in communities throughout BC and in Alberta, Washington State and Ottawa. Partial Dates for the 2009-2010 tour:

Fall 2009
Date Time Venue City
14-Sep 2:00 Granview Elementary Vancouver
16-Sep 1:00 Tsi deldel school Chilanko Forks
17-Sep 1:00 Sacred Heart School Prince George
18-Sep 1:15 Glenview Elementary Prince George
23-Sep 10:30 Tahayghen Elementary Masset
24-Sep 9:15 Sk'aadgaa Naay Elementary Skidegate
24-Sep 1:15 Port Clements Elementary Port Clements
25-Sep 1:15 Agnes L. Mathers Elementary Sandspit
25-Sep 7:00 Haida Cultural Centre Skidegate
27-Sep tba Haida Cultural Centre Skidegate
30-Sep 9:30 Kispiox Elementary-Junior School Hazelton
1-Oct 10:45 Grassy Plains Elementary Grassy Plains
2-Oct 9:30 David Hoy Elementary Ft. St. James
9-Oct 10:30 Simon Cunningham Elementary Surrey
13-Oct 9:30 Corpus Christi School Vancouver
13-Oct 1:30 Walton Elementary Coquitlam
14-Oct 1:30 Creeekside Elementary Surrey
15-Oct 9:30 Porter St Coquitlam
16-Oct 9:40 Diefenbaker Elementary Richmond
19-Oct 1:15 Anmore Elementary Anmore
21-Oct 9:30 St. Joseph's Vancouver
21-Oct 1:15 Rose-des-Vents Vancouver
23-Oct 9:30 Drama Educators 2009 Conference Vancouver
26-Oct 11:00 Annieville Elementary Delta
27-Oct 9:30 Brookside Elementary Surrey
27-Oct 1:15 TE Scott Elementary Surrey
28-Oct 1:30 L'Ecole Bilingue Elementary Vancouver
29-Oct 1:15 Halfmoon Bay Community School Halfmoon Bay
3-Nov 10:30 Blakeburn Elementary Port Coquitlam
3-Nov 1:30 Central Elementary Port Coquitlam
5-Nov 1:00 York House School Vancouver
6-Nov 9:30 Harbour View Elementary Coquitlam
6-Nov 1:15 Parkland Elementary Coquitlam
12-Nov 9:30 Immaculate Conception Vancouver
17-Nov 9:30 Queen Elizabeth Elementary Vancouver
26-Nov 1:30 Eagle View Elementary Victoria
27-Nov 9:30 Macaulay Elementary Victoria
27-Nov 1:15 Victoria West Elementary Victoria
28-Nov 1:00 Theatre One Nanaimo
29-Nov 2:00 Academy of Music Vancouver

Spring 2010
Date Time Venue City
7-Apr 1:15 Star of the Sea Surrey
9-Apr 10:30 Mary Hill Elementary Port Coquitlam
11-Apr 2:00 Kaleidoscope Theatre Victoria
16-Apr 10:10 Mulgrave School West Vancouver

Bookings are still happening, so if your school or community is interested, contact Patrick LeBlanc at 604-682-2871 x 4835 for details or email him at pleblanc@vancouveropera.ca

You can find out more about Jack Pine by visiting our website or clicking on the Jack Pine topics link on the right side of this blog.

Operamania 101: Fava beans and a nice chianti

Not every movie gets its very own opera music. In fact almost all of the movies that use opera have been chosen from famous repertoires. That is why when you hear a piece of opera in a film, it is instantly recognizable even if you can't quite put your finger on the name or the composer on hand.

Then again, not every movie has a character as memorable as Hannibal "I'm having an old friend for dinner" Lecter.

Vide cor meum was especially composed for this 1991 Ridley Scott movie. Composers Patrick Cassidy and Hans Zimmer's inspiration for this piece was based on the sonnet "A ciascun' alma presa" from chapter 3 of Dante's La vita nuova.



This original piece of music played during the outdoor opera scene in Florence Italy, where Lecter, Inspector Pazzi (played by Giancarlo Giannini) and his wife Allegra were all enjoying a night out. A lovely aria building up to a tense confrontational scene where Lecter "politely" flirts with Allegra. Shoot, you do NOT want to go up against Hannibal the Cannibal. And we all remember what happened to Pazzi in that movie.

Since Hannibal, Vide cor meum has been used during the 2002 Oscars for the lifetime achievement awards given to producer Dino de Laurentiis and also for another Ridley Scott movie, Kingdom of Heaven. The aria also showed up as the bonus track on soprano Sarah Brightman's album, Symphony: Live in Vienna.

The piece only exists as an aria. There is no actual opera, as seen in the movie. That's too bad because how the opera was staged and how the venue was set up in the movie, looked absolutely stunning and haunting.

If Cassidy and Zimmer ever wanted to quit their day jobs, it may not be a bad idea to finish what they started. I'm sure opera fans the world over would be queueing up to watch a complete opera of La vita nuova. And while they're at it, opera-goers can furtively keep an eye out for Sir Anthony Hopkins (as himself, not as Hannibal) should he be walking amongst them. Cuz wouldn't that just trip you out?

Just putting it out there.

~ Ling Chan, Assistant to Managing Director

Oh Canada!

A special double feature Trivia This Week in Honour of Canada Day! Guess the singers (all Canadian) and win tickets to Norma, our opening show of our Golden Anniversary season!

1. Soprano b. 1938, debuted as Mimi (La Boheme) at the Toronto Opera Festival. She made a film of Salome in 1974, had a 30 year career at the Met Opera. A Grammy award winner for Lulu (1981) and La Traviata (1984).

2. Contralto b. 1930, who dropped out of school at age 13 to help support her family. She became known for her Mahler performances and her great stamina, as was highly regarded for her Lieder. She chaired the Canada Council from 1983 – 1988, and was made Companion of the Order of Canada in 1967.

3. Tenor b. 1926, a powerful heldentenor, he had a voice that could match the demands of Wagnerian opera, although his personal philosophy gave him reservations about Wagner’s characters at times. He appeared at the Met for over 20 seasons, and was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1968.

4. Tenor b. 1956, who won the CBC Talent Festival in 1979. Two of his signature roles were made into DVDs – Met productions of Fidelio and Tristan und Isolde. He won the Birgit Nilsson Prize in 1988, made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1999, and promoted to Officer in 2000.

5. Mezzo-soprano b. 1943 who made her Met debut in 1968 in the small role of Page in Rigoletto. Other Met roles include Mercedes (Carmen), Hansel (Hansel und Gretel), Kabanicha (Kata Kabanova), and Kostelnicka (Jenufa), to name but a few. In 1991 she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 2001, she was awarded the Order of British Columbia.

6. Bass-baritone (1920-1985) who was part of the Bel Canto Trio with Mario Lanza and Frances Yeend in 1947-48. He debuted at the Met in 1951. During his Met career he appeared in Ed Sullivan’s TV show opposite Maria Callas (an abridged version of Tosca). A paralyzed vocal cord ended his career prematurely in 1967.

7. Tenor (1878-1959) who debuted in 1912 in Padua, calling himself Edoardo di Giovanni. Debuted at the Met in 1922, remaining there for 13 years, last performing in 1935, when he became general manager of the Met Opera, holding the position for 15 years.

8. Tenor (1906-1974) who debuted at Paris Opera in 1930, continued his career in France until outbreak of war. He debuted at the Met in 1940, remained with the company for 10 years. Nicknamed “Monsieur Lohengrin” when he sang his 1st major Wagnerian role when he returned to Pairs in 1947. His son Andre was also an opera singer who enjoyed a successful career in both Europe and North America.

9. Bass-baritone b. 1960 particularly renowned for his interpretation of Mozart roles, he debuted at the Met in 1998. In addition, he has been active in contemporary opera. He has created a number of roles, including Doctor Oppenheimer in the world premiere of John Adams’ opera Doctor Atomic at the San Francisco Opera in 2005.

10. Baritone (1925-2000) known as “Mr. Rigoletto”, he made his professional debut in 1954 with the Opera Guild of Montreal. He won the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air in 1955, and debuted at NYC Opera in 1955. He sang his last Rigoletto in Montreal in 1991. In 1987, he sang opposite his son Gino at the Met, notable for being the first ever of a father-son in the same opera at the Met.

Post answers as comments. First one with the correct answers wins!

Tuesday Trivia: Yankee Doodle Dandy

In anticipation of our cousin's down South and their birthday this Saturday, we offer you an "all American" quiz.

Match the places to the clues:


1. Leonard Bernstein was born here
2. Home of the Glimmerglass Opera
3. Setting of the final act of Manon Lescaut
4. John Adams was born here
5. One of two settings for Un Ballo in Maschera
6. Jessye Norman was born here
7. Leontyne Price was born here
8. Carlisle Floyd was born here
9. The War Memorial Opera House is in this city
10. Setting of La Fanciulla del West

a) New Orleans, Louisiana
b) Latta, South Carolina
c) Lawrence, Massachusetts
d) Worcester, Massachusetts
e) Sierra Madre Mountains, California
f) Augusta, Georgia
g) San Francisco, California
h) Laurel, Mississippi
i) Cooperstown, New York
j) Boston, Massachusetts

Post your answers as comments. First one with the most correct wins. Last week's winner is James Plett! (James, contact Ling @ lchan@vancouveropera.ca to get your prize).

This week's prize is two tickets to that all-American game - baseball! We've got two tickets to the Vancouver Canadians at beautiful Nat Bailey stadium for the first person to answer correctly.

BOV: Robot Rabbit Opera

One of my favorite all-time bizarre opera videos features 100 wi-fi enabled "smart rabbits" engaged in a new age opera. I like it so much, I'm trying to get one for the VO offices.




Want to see more of our favorite videos? Join us on Youtube!


~Christopher Libby, Managing Director

Top Ten Fridays: Opera Survival Tips

It’s Hard out Here for an Opera Character. The life span of a lead character in an opera makes a mayfly look like an immortal. Perpetually Hobbesian in nature, opera characters lives are nasty, loud, and short. As a gesture of humanity the Vancouver Opera staff has developed a list of Survival Tips for our friends of the operatic nature in the hopes that they may one day loose the bonds of their librettist and make it to curtain call.






1. Shoot First (Lensky) 25%

2. Properly store cutlery in the kitchen. (Scarpia) 25%

3. Don’t date Americans (Cio Cio San) 25%

4. Go to bed earlier and cut down on the champagne (Violetta) 16%

5. Always check that the gun is really firing blanks before standing in front of it (Cavaradossi) 25%

6. Don’t leave home without sufficient snacks and Gatorade (Manon Lescaut) 25%

7. Confirm that there are enough life jackets and life boats before boarding (Peter Grimes) 16%

8. Join PETA. No hunting. (Siegfried) 16%

9. Check for a pulse (Romeo) 33%

10. No haggling over price (Lulu) 8%

Vote for your favorites on the sidebar poll and tune in next week for more Top Ten Fun! For last week's results on the Top Ten Haunted Opera Houses, check here for the suspiciously supernatural voting results.

PS: Feel free to add your own advice in the comments section!

Visiting our Southern Neighbours

I am recently back from five days in San Miguel de Allende, where I helped judge a vocal competition for young Mexican singers. The competition, Cantantes Camino al Estrella (Singers on the Road to Stardom), sponsored by Opera de San Miguel, is the brainchild of Joseph McClain. Joe was the stage director for our recent Salome production as well as earlier productions of Cavalleria rusticana/I Pagliaci and the Girl of the Golden West. He has lived full-time in San Miguel for six years.


Opera de San Miguel has a vision for operatic productions in the historic, monumental settings of the city itself, having already presented a semi-staged concert version of Carmen in the Plaza de Toros which was attended by 4500 “San Miguelenses.”



The competition was held in the charming, intimate Teatro Angela Peralta which seats about 450. Joe had earlier auditioned 130 singers in Mexico City, choosing 11 finalists for the competition: two tenors, two baritones, one bass, five sopranos and one mezzo. Our “star” judge was Gilda Cruz Romo, Mexico’s most important soprano of the last fifty years (I worked with her once, a couple of decades ago, in a production of Andrea Chenier). John Bills, a 25-year veteran of the Met chorus, and John Goodwin, music director of the New York Choral Society, and I rounded out the “jurado.”



We chose soprano Linda Gutierrez as the first place winner, followed by tenor José Chu and sopranos Alejandra Sandoval, and Alba Ramos. All of these young winners have great potential and I look forward top following their progress. And who knows – one of these days one of them may wind up on the QET stage!

I fell in love with San Miguel and plan to return – more than once, I hope. I will spare you my travelogue but be certain I could go on for hours about the beauty of the place and its special feeling and unique attractiveness, not to mention the food!

~ Jim Wright, General Director

Operamania 101: Your New Best Friend

I would imagine that most actors would like from their body of work to be known to movie-goers as one definitive character. A character they so embodied and was so convincing, we can't think of any other actor who would've done a better job portraying that character. Perhaps some actors would luck out and be known as 2 or more defining roles.

When I think of all American boy-next-door actor, Matt Damon, I think of Jason Bourne of Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatum. But what also comes to mind is the smaller non-blockbuster movie that Damon was so convincing in: The Talented Mr Ripley. Matt Damon was Tom Ripley, just as Jude Law, in my eyes, will always be Dickie Greenleaf. This drama was a taut, on the edge of your seat thriller; so much so that I couldn't decide if I wanted Tom Ripley to get caught or to get away with his crime.

When Tom meets Dickie, the contrast between them couldn't be more different. Beside the fact that the two were from completely different social classes, Tom was a classical music and opera buff, while Dickie lived for jazz. And because of the privileges that Dickie has at his feet, Tom became obsessed with Dickie; first wanting to be his very best friend in the world, then wanting to literally be him. (hello, male version of Single White Female?)


Dickie and Tom. Friends til the end.

When Tom accidentally/on purpose kills Dickie, he then starts to assume Dickie's identity and lives Dickie's life of lavishness.

While in Rome, Tom watches an operatic performance of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin.


Watching the emotional duel scene of Eugene Onegin

When it came to the pistol duel between Onegin and his best friend Lenski, Tom started to weep because he drew parallels from the story unfolding right in front of him onstage, to him having just killed his best friend.



Click here for Lenski's aria from Act 2, Scene 2 that was portrayed in the movie:

Of course he was not sorry enough for what he did, nor did he want to give up his new lifestyle, as Tom continued desperately to play out the rest of the cat and mouse game in the movie.

The Talented Mr Ripley serves as a cautionary tale of "how well do you REALLY know your new best friend?" And also what can happen if you get stuck on a row boat, in the middle of the ocean and piss off said friend.

~ Ling Chan, Assistant to Managing Director

Tuesday Trivia: Never Bring A Knife To A Gunfight

So to follow up on our previous Tuesday Trivia: Deadpool, here's a quiz where you have to figure out if they were shot, stabbed, hung, chopped, shanked, poisoned or zapped at the end.

Go for it Quincy.....anybody remember Jack Klugman?


1. Siegfried (Fafner)
2. Eugene Onegin (Lensky)
3. Madama Butterfly (Madama Butterfly)
4. Dialogue of the Carmelites (Blanche)
5. Tosca (Mario)
6. Faust (Valentin)
7. Peter Grimes (Peter Grimes)
8. Gotterdammerung (Siegfried)
9. Lucia di Lammermoor (Edgardo)
10. Romeo et Juliette (Romeo)

a) Dagger
b) Firing squad
c) Sword
d) Dueling pistol
e) Poison
f) Guillotine
g) Dueling sword
h) Sinking ship
i) Spear
j) Ceremonial knife


Congrats to vcinbc for winning last week's quiz! Contact Ling and she'll set you up with a prize: Two Tix to Nixon in China.

Post your guesses as comments. First one in with the most right wins. This week's prize is two tix to Butterfly next spring.

BOV: Habanera Muppet Style

It's been a while since we've heard from the boys.

Hope this brings a smile to your face this morning...




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Ghost Story from St. Louis

Tom Wright had a chance to go see Opera Theatre of St. Louis' production of The Ghosts of Versailles in steamy Missouri to check out our co-producer's (with Wexford Festival Opera) production. Here's his report.

Standing ovation and enthusiastic applause from the opening night of Ghosts of Versailles. I must say it was a really entertaining evening.

Jim Robinson and his team really stripped down this piece from what the MET did. In fact on the tour of the set with Steven Ryan (OTSL TD) he told us that Jim and his team actually cut a lot of props and “stuff”.

It flowed very well. The projections were very good, subtle and only accentuated the action, never distracting. The separation of the “Ghosts” from the Beaumarchais characters is well done with costumes and make-up.

The simple set is changed by the dancers and chorus. Dancers play a larger role in the production than I had thought. The dancers last night did a wonderful job, really adding to the story telling. The Chorus is vocally not a large part of the show, although they are onstage a lot. The crew is going to be small for this show; there are only a few flying items.

Musically the score has two distinct sounds, going from the eerie ghost like strings/winds to the very lyrical full orchestra music that is heard during the Beaumarchais “Opera”. There is also some recit with harpsichord. Sean Panikkar (he was Almaviva) commented on the fact that our orchestra should do a great job with this piece.

Michael Christie, the young music director of the Phoenix Symphony, did a great job. He really knows the score. He is conducting it in Wexford.

David Agler was there with his board president (Wexford). Wexford and OTSL have entered into an agreement between the two companies to get both companies profiles raised in each others cities. There doing this because both theatres are similar. Also, OTSL is looking to raise its European profile and Wexford its North American profile.

What really impressed me was how easy the story is told and that the world of the “Ghosts” and that of the Beaumarchais opera that is being performed, transitions with ease. There is much humour and equally very touching moments. The “Marie Antoinette” aria in act one is beautiful. He has written it so the soprano needs to be strong from bottom to top. Maria Kanyova is a great actress and deserved the tumultuous applause she received both at the end of the aria and the bows. Canadian James Westman was Beaumarchais. He was fantastic. Solid actor and a beautiful voice.

Kevin Glavin, a great buffo bass, was Louis XV. This role requires a great actor more than a singer, in fact it is too bad there is not more for Kevin to sing because he has such a great voice.

The Figaro, Almaviva, Rosina, Cherubino and Susanna all did a fine job. We should be able to cast this using Canadians but I think we would be happy with any of the artists used in this production.

The tenor who sang Begearss was great, Matthew DiBattista. Again a wonderful actor with a piercing voice, and well-suited to the villain role he played.

All of the other smaller roles can certainly be done by young artists and from the chorus.

I’m excited about presenting this production to our audience. Terry Harper (Production Manager) and I enjoyed the production and feel it will work very well in our “proscenium” theatre. The video will be fantastic because we’ll have great separation (distance) between the two areas of projection. The music will also sound great because we’ll be able to get the entire orchestra in our large pit.

That’s all for now. A very exciting preview of things to come.

~ Tom Wright, Director of Artistic Planning

Top 10 Fridays: Haunted Opera Houses (North American edition)

With such a powerful array of emotions being played out on opera stages, it's not difficult to imagine how some hate to leave the excitement of opera houses, prefering to linger there as long as they could.

But to remain there for all eternity?

This week's Top 10 looks at (reported) Haunted Opera Houses with their ghostly performers continuing to tread the boards in the afterlife and audience apparitions with their phantom applause and laughter long after the lights have gone down and the building is empty.

Take our poll located on the right sidebar and let us know which Haunted Opera House you think is the creepiest.


1. Woodstock Opera House, Woodstock Illinois
There roams the spirit of a beautiful actress nicknamed “Elvira”. She reportedly committed suicide by jumping from the tower of theatre. She makes her presence known by props falling or disappearing off the stage. Or you can check out her favourite spring-loaded seat #113 slowly lowering by itself. 8% of vote


2. Central City Opera House, Colorado
A friendly ghost known as Mike Dougherty, who had drank himself to death. You'll know he's around by the strong waft of alcohol, nudges on the shoulder or hair being touseled from behind. Or catch him as flickering orbs of lights. 4% of vote


3. Orpheum Theatre, Memphis TN
The spirit of a little girl named Mary resides here. And just like a little girl, she giggles and plays pranks. Doors open and close by themselves and the pipe organ is played by unseen hands. Folks there hear small footsteps going up and down the aisles. Mary also has a favourite seat C-5. 6% of vote


4. Springer Opera House, Columbus GA
Edwin Booth, a Shakespearean actor when he was alive, appears suddenly on centre stage, moves stage props and taps people on the shoulder. The spirit, who's portrait still hangs at the opera house, also slams doors and locates missing wardrobe pieces. He was also the brother of John Wilkes Booth. (who you know as Abraham Lincoln's assassin) a supernatural 83% of vote


5. Grand Opera House, Dubuque Iowa
There are an unknown number of ghosts that refuse to leave here. Various encounters include singing from the empty stage, phantom footsteps and unexplained changes in temperature. On the technical front, there are reports of outages, spotlights falling or moving in all directions and lights turning on and off. 3% of vote


6. Canmore Opera House, Canmore AB
Yay, Canada! “Sam”, an older gentlemen ghost is seen wandering around or sitting in third seat of third row where he catches the performances. You may also find objects being misplaced. 3% of vote


7. Fulton Opera House, Lancaster Pennsylvia
The opera house was built partially over foundations of the old Lancaster jail where Conestoga Indians were kept for their own safety, before a mad mob rushed the jail to torture and kill them. Now, they make their presence known by ghostly lights and ghostly screams, phantom applause and the piano playing by itself. 3% of vote


8. Cabot Theatre, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The opera house is reputed to be haunted by the founder Clair Richardson, who makes himself known with flickering lights, moving props, falling exit signs, and most famously driving shows he doesn't like to a halt with technical problems. That might be because he swore the company would only continue, "over my dead body", so they placed his ashes under the stage! The dedicated spotlight on his urn below the stage is checked every night as part of the regular pre-show run down, because if the light goes out...old Clair acts up! 8% of vote


9. Orillia Opera House , Orillia ON
Another Canadian one! Here lives the spirit of actor Glenn Gould and he'll let you know he's around by unexplained piano playing, flushing toilets, cold spots and chilling screams. 3% of vote


10. Washington Opera House, Maysville, Kentucky
Dancer Loretta Stambo reported collapsed onstage from pneumonia and later died. Theatre folk have witnessed a coke bottle exploding all of a sudden in a dressing room. But that's nothing compared to how unnerved people feel looking at the painting of Loretta in the lobby. They swear that the eyes in the painting follow them around. 3% of vote

So next time you're at the opera and the hair on your neck stand up, it may NOT just be from the air con. Cuz everyone knows, once you get bit by the showbiz bug, it's very difficult to give it up.

Check back here next week for the hair-raising results. Spooky.

~ Ling Chan, Assistant to Managing Director

**Thanks for voting in last week's Top 10 poll for Top 10 Opera Fails! I'm sure this comes as no surprise, but the biggest fail is Talkers at the opera, followed closely by Stinkers. Tied at third place were the Ringers/Beepers and Latecomers.**

Salome on CBC June 20

Vancouver Opera's production of Salome, featuring Mlada Khuldoly, Greer Grimsley, John MacMaster, Judith Forst, and Sean Panikkar, will air on CBC’s Saturday Afternoon at the Opera on Saturday June 20, 2009 at 1pm.

You can listen on the radio or tune in on the internet. Just go to http://www.cbc.ca/sato/ for more details.