The Marriage of Figaro Is Only A Month Away!

Get your tickets today for the best seats to Mozart’s funny and endearing opera. The music is beautiful and the story is deleriously fun: Figaro and Susanna are engaged to be married, but Figaro’s boss, the Count, is after the bride, while Figaro himself is being chased by a older woman. Meanwhile, a young man is in love with the Countess who is suspicious of the Count's wandering eye. And that’s not the half of it!



A beautiful production with classic sets and a stellar all-Canadian cast. Come see this Mozart classic.

Tickets start at $29. Call the VO box office at 604-683-0222 or buy online here.

Photo by Monte Greenshields courtesy of The Banff Centre

Save The Dates: The Marriage of Figaro

Opera Speaks @ VPL – “What’s so great about Mozart?”
Thursday, April 15, 7:00 – 9:00pm
Alice MacKay Room, Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch

VO’s music director Jonathan Darlington investigates the magic and mystery behind the genius of W.A. Mozart. Explore his life and his music. This will be an engrossing fun-filled evening of music and stories.


Film screening: In Search of Mozart
Thursday, April 8, 2010. Doors: 6:30pm. Guest Speaker: 7:10pm
Vancity Film Centre, 1181 Seymour Street, Vancouver
Regular admission: $10/$8 senior or student (includes $2 Vancity Film Centre membership). With membership: $8/$6 senior or student

The Vancity Theatre and VO present a special screening of In Search of Mozart, the first-ever major feature-length documentary on Mozart’s life. Directed by Phil Grabsky, In Search of Mozart was made to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth in January 2006.

Seating is limited. This special event continues a series of co-presentations between Vancouver Opera and the Vancity Theatre.

Classical Life After The Olympics

VO's Director of Marketing, Doug Tuck, was interviewed for the Vancouver Sun:

“The Cultural Olympiad brought heightened awareness of the arts, both locally and internationally. The eyes of the world were upon us, but more importantly, our eyes were on ourselves. We looked into the mirror, and saw a very culturally sophisticated city.”

Click here to read David Gordon Duke's round-up on Vancouver's classical music scene during the Cultural Olympics.

Watch Those Hands

Meet Ariel Barnes, the Principal Cellist in the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. Doing what he does best, he will be wowing audience and critics at the Jeunesses Musicales Ontario's Twilight Series concert on April 7 in Toronto.

Accompanied by Bryan Wagorn on piano, the musicians will be performing De Falla's Suite Popular Espanola, Bartok's Roumanian Folk Dances, Canadian composer's Milton Barnes's La Rosa Variations and Schumann's Fünf Stück im Volkston, Op. 102, A minor.

The Twilight Series has been successful in introducing classical and chamber music to newbies in a non-intimidating setting, or as they call it, a "casual smart" setting.

If you're in the Toronto area April 7, here are the deets:

Arts & Letter Club
14 Elm Street (northwest of Yonge & Dundas)
Cocktails 5pm | Concert 6pm
Tickets: $25 (includes taxes and one beverage)
Contact: 416 536 8649 or vgoymour@jmcanada.ca

For more information, click here.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

VO's Golden Anniversary In Montecristo

Vancouver Opera's Golden Anniversary Gala is featured in the Spring 2010 issue of Montecristo Magazine.



Pick up your copy on newstands today!

Dr. Guttman Knows His Voices

Photo credit: Peter Zhu

Dr. Irving Guttman, "father of opera in Western Canada" and Founding Director of Vancouver Opera is interviewed in today's Epoch Times.

Dr. Guttman was all aglow with praise for the vocal soloists in Shen Yun Performing Arts:

“I thought [the soloists] did very well. It's a different sound than the Western sound, but they're strong voices and beautiful voices. They were telling a sort of story and you could feel it in their interpretation.”

He should know: Dr. Guttman is legendary for having the best ear in the business. If he's telling friends to check out a singer or a particular show, you know that recommendation is golden.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Cultural Sector Could Shine

An open letter written by Yulanda Faris and printed in today's Vancouver Sun:

As we celebrate the incredible achievements of participants in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, let us also remember the outstanding offerings of the Cultural Olympiad. For two months, our stages were ablaze with great productions that delighted and enriched audiences. It was proved that, given seed money and the opportunity, our arts organizations will excel and shine.

The Vancouver Opera Association's presentation of Nixon in China, by John Adams, is a prime example. The VOA was given the resources and offered the opportunity; in return, it presented a tour de force and the public responded with glee and accolades. This is one example of the many rich productions in music, dance and theatre that helped to make the Olympics and Paralympics the great success they were. Premier Campbell and cabinet, take note.

~Yulanda Faris

A Nixon In China Thank You

Nixon in China is now behind us, and we turn our immediate attention to Mozart’s exquisite Le Nozze de Figaro. Before moving on, though, I want to thank all those who have emailed and called with their congratulations and comments regarding Nixon in China; I really appreciate hearing from so many folks.

Nixon in China was a very big and ambitious undertaking for Vancouver Opera, and there have been those all along the way who told us the audience wasn’t here in Vancouver for such a work. Well, Vancouver audiences proved that idea wrong! We easily exceeded our single ticket sales goals, culminating in a second Saturday performance sold at 99% of capacity!

I sincerely hope that other opera companies in North America and beyond will use our new production of this important 20th century opera. The work of Michael Cavanagh, Erhard Rom, Harry Frehner, Parvin Mirhady, Sean Nieuwenhuis, Wen Wei Wang, and Andrew Tugwell is really good work and deserves to be seen by a much wider audience.

I can’t get the music of Nixon in China out of my head. Unbidden, a phrase, a few bars, an orchestral accompaniment, will burst forth! I’m happy with that for a few more days, then, as I attend early Figaro rehearsal, Adams will slowly but surely be replaced by Mozart. What a wonderful duo to have crowding my brain.

~ James W. Wright, General Director

The Marriage of Figaro

Sparkling comedy, heart-breaking tenderness and a deliciously twisty plot come together in Vancouver Opera’s The Marriage of Figaro, on stage for five effervescent performances only, April 24 to May 1, 2010 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Bursting with charm, wit and unforgettable melodies, this gorgeous traditional production features an all-Canadian cast, including bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch in the title role and soprano Nikki Einfeld as his bride-to-be, Susanna. “Always beguiling” raves Opera Canada about Mr.Okulitch, while The New York Times praises Ms.Einfeld’s “… seductive passion...melting beauty and purity of tone.” Beloved for its music, plot and comedy, Mozart’s work of timeless genius is placed firmly among the top ten operas ever created, and remains a perfect introduction to opera as well as eternally rewarding for experienced opera-goers.

Opening night is Saturday, April 24, 2010, with subsequent performances Tuesday, April 27, Thursday, April 29, Saturday, May 1, and Tuesday, May 4. All performances take place at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Georgia and Hamilton Streets, Vancouver, B.C. and begin at 7:30pm. Tickets starting at $29 are available exclusively at the Vancouver Opera Ticket Centre, online at www.vancouveropera.ca or by telephone (604-683-0222). See complete ticket information below.

Joining Daniel Okulitch and Nikki Einfeld is Abbotsford-born soprano Rhoslyn Jones in the role of Countess Almaviva. Ms.Jones captivated audiences last year with her emotional and heartfelt Tatyana in VO’s Eugene Onegin. Baritone Aaron St.Clair Nicholson, also from Abbotsford, sings alongside her as Count Almaviva, making full use of his “beautiful comic timing and rich voice” (The Miami Herald). Montreal mezzo-soprano Julie Boulianne, singing Cherubino, is “one to watch,” raves the Globe and Mail, “Her voice has both sweetness and bite, with hints of darker and deeper notes to come.”

Abbotsford-raised mezzo-soprano Megan Latham sings a “warm and earthy” (New York Times) Marcellina, with Vancouver native (and lawyer-turned-singer) Andrew Stewart singing the bass role of Antonio. Bass Thomas Goerz, originally from Kitchener, Ontario and noted for his wide repertoire, sings Dr. Bartolo. Montreal tenor Michel Corbeil does double duty as both Don Basilio and Don Curzio, and Comox-raised Melody Mercredi sings Barbarina.

Also appearing are Cloverdale, BC-based soprano Karen Ydenberg and Thunder Bay, Ontario-native mezzo-soprano Barbara Towell.

VO Music Director Jonathan Darlington conducts the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and the Vancouver Opera Chorus (Leslie Dala, Associate Conductor and Chorus Director). The stage director is Chris Alexander.

The Story, in brief

Valet Figaro and lady’s maid Susanna are to be married. But their master, the Count, is enamored of the bride, and Figaro is being eyed by a much older woman. Also, a reckless young man in love with the Countess, who longs for the Count’s embrace. And that’s not the half of it!

Read a full synopsis at www.vancouveropera.ca.

Background

The Marriage of Figaro is based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro, written in 1784. The play was banned in Vienna for its satire of the aristocracy, considered especially serious in the years leading up to the French Revolution. Despite this, the opera became one of Mozart’s most successful and beloved works, with its instantly recognizable overture and unforgettable melodies.

Figaro premiered in 1786 and ran for a total of nine performances, the first two conducted by Mozart himself, seated at the keyboard. The warm reception from the audience on the first night resulted in five numbers being encored. Concerned about the length of the performance, Joseph II (then in charge of the Burgtheater), directed that future performances would allow “no piece for more than a single voice” to be repeated.

Critical reception was warm, too. “One would be subscribing either to the cabal or to tastelessness if one were to maintain that Herr Mozart's music is anything but a masterpiece of art,” praised the Wiener Realzeitung newspaper. “It contains so many beauties, and such a wealth of ideas, as can be drawn only from the source of innate genius.” The Hungarian poet Ferenc Kazinsky was enchanted: “The joy which this music causes is so far removed from all sensuality that one cannot speak of it. Where could words be found that are worthy to describe such joy?”. And after attending, even Joseph Haydn wrote to a friend that heard it in his dreams.

Full Ticket Information

Single tickets starting at $29 (plus handling fee) are available from the Vancouver Opera Ticket Centre, online at www.vancouveropera.ca, or by phone at 604-683-0222. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted.

Groups: For special pricing for groups of ten or more, call 604-683-0222.

Learn More

Opera Speaks @ VPL – a free public forum: “What’s so great about Mozart?”
Thursday, April 15, 7:00 – 9:00pm
Alice MacKay Room, Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch

VO’s music director Jonathan Darlington investigates the magic and mystery behind the genius of W.A. Mozart. Explore his life and his music. This will be an engrossing fun-filled evening of music and stories.


Film screening: In Search of Mozart
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Doors: 6:30pm. Guest Speaker: 7:10pm
Vancity Film Centre, 1181 Seymour Street, Vancouver
Regular admission: $10/$8 senior or student (includes $2 Vancity Film Centre membership).
With membership: $8/$6 senior or student

The Vancity Theatre and VO present a special screening of In Search of Mozart, the first-ever major feature-length documentary on Mozart’s life. Directed by Phil Grabsky, In Search of Mozart was made to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth in January 2006.

Seating is limited. This special event continues a series of co-presentations between Vancouver Opera and the Vancity Theatre.

Putting Nixon In China To Bed

A warm thanks to everyone who came out to the Canadian premiere of Nixon in China!

VO has been overwhelmed by all the support and enthusiasm for our production of John Adams's contemporary opera. We're pleased to have brought it to Vancouver audiences and thrilled that everyone was open to giving modern opera a chance. Just wait to you see what we're cooking up for the world premiere of Lillian Alling!

Here at Vancouver Opera, we've been sleeping, breathing and living Nixon in China since the beginning of this year. It'll be hard to put this production behind us.

But we have photos and many nice comments to help us remember it all: the beautiful people (that means you!) who came out, and the hard work and talent it took to design a brand-spankin' new production (one that will make its way to other opera houses around the world). Remember, you saw it here first!


Fashion at the Opera


Behind the scenes

Eventually, all the catchy Nixon in China numbers that developed into earworms will be but fond memories.

civilization 4 soundtrack - people are heroes.mp3

Found at: http://www.filestube.com

A heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make Nixon in China a success!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

From Jazzilla to Nixon In China

Vancouverites packed the Queen Elizabeth Theatre recently for the Vancouver Opera's Canadian premiere of Nixon in China. Dubbed "the first CNN opera", the $1.4 million mounting of John Adams' acclaimed opera tells the story of the U.S. president's historic 1972 visit to China.

Championed by philanthropist and mega opera supporter Martha Lou Henley, Vancouver Opera's general director James Wright and board chair Alex Besharat welcomed patrons to the opening night celebrations. Among the bright lights in attendance were Mayor Gregor Robertson and his wife, Amy; U.S. Consul General Phillip Chicola and his wife, Vicky; Hassan and Nezhat Khosrowshahi; Moh and Yulanda Faris; Ori and Pam Kowarsky; Arlene Gladstone; Manjy Sidoo; Susan Van der Flier and Carmen Murphy.

Mixing music with politics to tell the tale of the momentous meeting between President Richard Nixon and Chairman Mao Zedong - a meeting that change the course of history and East-West relations - Adamas and libretist Alice Goodman turned operatic convention on its head with an ecletic mix of traditional symphonic writing, big-band utterances (a saxophone quartet), and a kind of '80s pop rock.

Sally Dibblee as Pat Nixon, Tracy Dahl as Madame Mao and Alan Woodrow as Mao delivered powerful performances, with special props to baritone Robert Orth, whose statemanlike characterization of Nixon was uncanny. Under the direction of John DeMain, the Vancouver Opera orchestra was finely tuned. Kudos to Wright and the Vancouver Opera for mounting a modern masterpiece during a time of recession and uncertainly. The investment paid off in spades.

"We are grateful to all who contributed," said Wright. "We are particularly grateful to Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad for its production sponsorship, the the B.C. Arts Council for its extraordinary support of the production and to Martha Lou Henley for her continuing generosity and for chamioning this important Canadian premiere.

As seen in the March 20, 2010 National Post: City Life-Parties, Culture & Society by Fred Lee

Nixon Redux

At the end of the opera Chou En-lai muses, “How much of what we did was good?” The same can be asked about the VO’s historic sojourn into contemporary opera. Like Nixon’s visit to Beijing, I think this is a turning point of sorts. VO has proved that we can do contemporary opera spectacularly well: we have local forces in the chorus and in the pit who can cope with a very demanding score; and we seem to have a management team that can think well beyond the safety zone of the tried and true.

So good that Vancouver Sun's David Gordon Duke had to watch Nixon in China again. Click here to read more.

Vancouver Opera's Nixon In China An Extraordinary Musical Event

The production starts with 800 individual video loops of citizens' faces filling the screen that drapes the large proscenium arch. Computer-generated imagery and video projections are tastefully utilized throughout the opera.

For more on Vancouver Observer's thoughts of Nixon in China, click here.

Nixon In China Deserves Gold

The Vancouver Opera Association, celebrating its 50th anniversary, deserves a gold medal for its new Canadian-premiere production of Nixon in China. The organization has proven that, given the will and the talent, and with a supportive, non-interfering board, Vancouver can produce an artistic product that matches any internationally. It doesn't matter whether you like opera or not, run -- don't walk -- to the box office and get a seat.

Not in 40 years of working in the cultural community have I seen anything as engaging, relevant and downright entertaining as this production.

Special thanks to General Director James Wright for putting together a truly excellent team at the VOA and to the board of directors for taking the calculated risk of properly financing and backing the enterprise. You have won my gold medal to balance the tin can I am awarding the B.C. government for its attack on the cultural budget. Go, arts, go.

David Y.H. Lui
Impresario/producer,
Vancouver

Source: Vancouver Sun

Fan Fun At Fan Night

Tomorrow is your chance to geek out at Fan Night!



Come check out the pre-show talk with Assistant Stage Director Stephen Drover. He'll be giving up the secrets to the staging of Nixon in China. 6:30pm in the VIP lounge!

During intermission, come back to the uber-exclusive VIP lounge for coffee and bite-sized desserts. VIP bathroom included.

And there will be SWAG.

So how do you get in on this? Easy! If you already have your tickets for the Thursday, March 18 performance, just email lchan@vancouveropera.ca to be put on the exclusive Twitter/Facebok Fan Night guestlist.

But do it quick, because the guestlist is LIMITED.

Twitter/Facebook Fan Night sponsored by The Georgia Straight:



~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Paint The Town Red

Vancouver Opera's wardrobe department has got Pat Nixon's look down to a "T".

Referencing actual photos of the Nixons' visit to China in 1972, Parvin Mirhardy, Head of Costumes, and her staff re-created the exact wardrobe for Pat Nixon.









So why did Pat Nixon wear red for the most important and most photographed events?

For Chinese people, red is the colour of good luck. This bold colour is also associated with courage, loyalty, honor, success, fortune and happiness.

According to historian Carl Sferrazza Anthony, the visit to China was significant for Pat Nixon. It was her "moment" - the point at which she became an acclaimed First Lady for the United States.

When the world is watching, what better way to show off your power, potential and esteem than through the colour of your wardrobe?

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Are You On The List?

Fan Night is this Thursday! And we're going to treat you right!



Check out the pre-show talk, where Assistant Stage Director Stephen Drover will divulge the secrets of the Nixon in China set. 6:30pm in the VIP lounge!



During intermission, come back to the uber-exclusive VIP lounge for coffee and desserts. This is also a great opportunity to mingle with other Nixon in China fans. Oh, and did I mention the VIP lounge has its very own bathrooms?



We will also give you swag.

So how do you get in on this? Easy! If you already have your tickets for the Thursday, March 18 performance, just email lchan@vancouveropera.ca to be put on the exclusive Twitter/Facebok Fan Night guestlist.

But do it quick, because the guestlist is LIMITED.

Twitter/Facebook Fan Night sponsored by The Georgia Straight:



~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

So What Did YOU Think Of Nixon In China?

Fabulous. Electrifying and unbelievable. Fantastic. Authentic.

These are some of the adjectives our audience used to describe their experiences at Nixon in China. But that's not all. You really let us have it and you didn't hold back.

The staging was absolutely wonderful.

Incredible theatrically, vocally, everything. It was just amazing.

The orchestra was incredible with all the different changes.

The combination of ballet, of movement within the opera, I thought that was really quite intriguing and very well done.

Great to see the singers characterize the roles. I really saw Richard Nixon!

The lighting really did a wonderful job of high-lighting all of the sets, especially the rain effect. That was awesome.

The sets and costume are incredible.

It's nice to see Vancouver doing something alittle different. Innovative and modern. I highly recommend it.

I hope that Vancouver Opera will do some more pieces like this.


Video by Bombshelter Productions

And to quote one of our audience members, "Everybody's got to experience some modern opera."

Get your tickets now! Only 3 performances left! Call 604-683-0222 to speak to our box office.

See you down at the theatre!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Margaret MacMillan In Conversation With Alison Smith

The eminent Canadian historian, author of Nixon in China: The Week that Changed the World, converses about world events and world leaders, live on stage. There will be a Q&A session.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Granville Island Stage
Tickets: $18.

www.vancouvertix.com

Or Call call VancouverTix 604-629-8849

VO's Sweet Treat

We have a treat for all our renewing subscribers for the 2010-2011 season!

When you're at Nixon in China this week, pick up your free chocolates at the Subscribers Table in the QET lobby. These bars of chocolatey goodness, made by Daniel Le Chocolate Belge, can be picked up either pre-show and during the intermissions.

The perfect chocolate treat to indulge your sweet tooth!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

An Affair To Remember

Opening night of Nixon in China brought out some very special guests!



We had 2 Mayors, (one current, one past) 2 Ambassadors, 1 Senator and 1 Consul General in da house! Nixon in China was the place to be on Saturday!


From left: Jamie Bruce, Arlene Gladstone, Amy Robertson, Mayor Gregor Robertson, Yulanda Faris


From left: Bruce Wright, Raymond Protti, Ambassador John Negroponte, Sheila Protti


Maestro DeMain and San Francisco Opera's General Director David Gockley


Director of Artistic Planning Tom Wright and Maestro DeMain

Although Vancouver Opera's Music Director, Maestro Jonathan Darlington wasn't able to attend, his presence was certainly felt.


(in case you're wondering, "toi, toi, toi" is an expression of good luck for classical singers)

Toi, toi, toi indeed! Nixon in China's opening night turned out to be wildly successful and definitely, one for the books!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Nixon in Vancouver, via China

Photo by Tim Matheson

The most dramatic moments in the production come from a magnificent dance sequence in the second act in which the Nixons visit the Peking Opera to see a ballet. The wildly dynamic dance, created by acclaimed choreographer Wen Wei Wang, tells the story of a peasant girl pursued and attacked by an oppressive landlord and his henchmen. The sequence gives the opera some of its most breathtaking moments, and includes some surreal and blackly comic action from a randy Henry Kissinger, who inserts himself into the ballet's storyline in a rather disturbing way.

Another Vancouver Sun review! To read more, click here.

Operatic Thugs: Nixon in China

Photo by Tim Matheson

But here's the good news -- the bigger the risk, the bigger the payoff. As in Vancouver Opera's admirable decision to mount the Canadian premier of John Adam's Nixon in China, the most exciting production seen here in many years. It also helps mark Vancouver Opera on the cultural map as a place where new ideas can thrive.

To read more from The Tyee, click here.

Vancouver Opera's Nixon in China An Artful Triumph

Meanwhile, scenic designer Erhard Rom and projections designer Sean Nieuwenhuis conjure endlessly inventive tableaux. Red podiums and chairs are exaggerated to towering heights. News reels play out, fragmented acrossed placards or mismatched scrolls that hang from the ceiling. By the end, everything is an abstract mess of memories and afterthought, with a banquet table piled high, red ribbons stretching at odd angles, and a slanted banner morphing Nixon spookily into Mao.

To read more of the Georgia Straight's review on Nixon in China, click here.

Nixon in Vancouver: A Triumphant Visit

At the end of the last act of John Adams’s opera Nixon in China, the character Chou En-lai asks: “How much of what we did was good?” We may not be able to answer that question as it refers to the political events in the opera. But ask it of this particular production of Nixon in China, by Vancouver Opera, and it’s easily answered. What you did was good, very good indeed.

Nixon in China, which takes as its point of departure Nixon’s groundbreaking visit in 1972, has been a long time coming to Canada. Pierre Trudeau may have gotten to China a year earlier than Nixon did, but Adams’s opera, which premiered in 1987 at Houston Grand Opera, has never been this far north before. This production, conducted by John DeMain (who also conducted the world premiere in Houston), and directed by Michael Cavanagh, is new. Planned during the recession, it was a financial stretch for Vancouver Opera. It is also a stunning production.

To read the rest of the Globe & Mail review, click here.

Nixon in China: A Review

The production is nothing less than superb and goes across the board: the direction of Michael Cavanagh, John DeMain conducting the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, the scenic design of Erhard Rom, the costuming of Parvin Mirhady, and especially the singing. Here we have the untouchable Robert Orth as Richard Nixon, Sally Dibblee as Pat, Tracy Dahl as Madame Mao, Alan Woodrow as Mao, ChenYe Yuan as Chou-En lai and the faultless Vancouver Opera Chorus, which has a very big part here. The audience was rapt.

To read more of Lloyd Dick's Vancouver Scene, click here.

Vancouver Opera's 'Nixon in China' A Brilliant Canadian premiere

Photo by Tim Matheson

The six principals play out the musical hands they’ve been dealt with striking commitment. The part of Chinese premier Chou En-lai, the most poetic and lyrical, is given a dignified but slightly stiff delivery by Chen Ye Yuan; Thomas Hammons makes the most of Chou’s counterpart Henry Kissinger, his strong bass-baritone voice balanced by an equally strong presence. As Chairman Mao, tenor Alan Woodrow draws a massive part, heroically conceived and vocally taxing, latent with both menace and pathos.

Sally Dibblee embodies Pat Nixon, the most essentially likable of the characters, with cool authority. Vocal fireworks are the province of soprano Tracy Dahl, whose show-stopping da capo aria “I am the wife of Mao Tse-tung” brings the second act to a chilling close. They form a strong, cohesive ensemble. But baritone Robert Orth in the title role deserves special mention: His voice seems made for Adams’s music. His physical characterization is unnervingly accurate; his clear and unaffected diction perfectly conveys Goodman’s wordy but rich texts.

For more from the Vancouver Sun review, click here.

Chinese in Vancouver Then and Now: 1972-2010

Weren't able to make it to Opera Speaks down at Vancouver Public Library last Tuesday?

Check out Rice Paper Magazine for a great recap with some snappy soundbites of the evening!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Bloggers Take On The President & The Chairman

Meet our Nixon in China Bloggers!

Our bloggers will be joining us on opening night Saturday, March 13 to blog about all the glitz, glamour and fantastic singing at the Canadian premiere of Nixon in China.

There's no need to be shy or cyber-stalker-ish. Just stop by and say hi to our friendly bloggers in the main lobby of the QET. Heck, you may even be inclined to buy 'em a drink! We'll also be posting their thoughts along the sidebar to the right here.


Clockwise from top left: Darren Barefoot, Tris Hussey, Raul Pacheco, Emme Rogers and Gus Fosarolli

So come along for the ride as they take our behind-the-scenes tour and stay on for the Nixon in China after-party. It's going to be one doozy of a night!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Twenty Questions with Alan Woodrow

Toronto born heldentenor Alan Woodrow is well known in Europe, having gotten his start as principal tenor for the English National Opera (ENO). Alan also appeared at La Scala, Paris Opéra Bastille, Frankfurt Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Most recently, Alan starred in Peter Sellar's production of Tristan with the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra. In a neat twist, stage director Peter Sellars had produced the very first Nixon in China with Houston Grand Opera in 1987.

Vancouver Opera's Nixon in China will be the second time Alan has sung the role of Chairman Mao Tse-tung.

VO caught up with Alan for a round of 20 Questions:

Guilty musical pleasure?
Country & Western.

Where do you love to sing?
Whilst cutting the grass on my ride-on mower at my home in rural Ontario.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Sharing a good meal and a fine wine with my family.

To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
Gluttony!

Who are your favourite heroes/heroines of fiction?
Jack Reacher

Who are your favourite characters in history?
Alexander Graham Bell

Who are your favourite heroes/heroines in real life?
Margaret Thatcher

Who is your favourite author?
Tom Clancy

Your favourite musician?
Horst Stein

Your favourite composer?
Richard Strauss

What quality do you most admire in a person?
Honesty

Your favourite virtue?
Tenacity

Your favourite occupation?
Airline Pilot

What did you want to be as a child?
Airline Pilot

Your most marked characteristic?
Impatience with people who are incompetent.

What do you most value in your friends?
Loyalty but also honesty

For what would you like to be remembered?
My sense of humour.

What natural gift would you most like to possess?
The gift of being conversationallyl fluent in many languages.

What is your motto?
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

What non-opera song do you rock?
Come into the Garden Maude by Balfe.

Nixon in China Via Vancouver

Through using actual footage of the trip that was secured through the Nixon Library and the archives of both China and the United States, the production also features an on-stage camera crew documenting the live action. All the image are instantly mixed together to make the point about the unblinking eye and how the TV camera records everything for posterity, effectively giving it the power to reduce people's lives to one or two statements.

...Calling his production "fantasia," (Michael) Cavanagh likens Nixon in China to a "big long dream sequence" and a "highly impressionistic version of what actually happened in 1972."

For more from Director Michael Cavanagh, click here.

Twenty Questions with Robert Orth

Some artists are just born to sing certain roles. Baritone Robert Orth has become the definitive Richard Nixon in John Adams' Nixon in China. Robert has played Nixon for St. Louis Opera, Opera Colorado, Chicago Opera, Portland Opera and Vancouver Opera. He will go on to reprise the role for the Canadian Opera Company in 2011.


As Robert is the world's leading interpreter of Richard Nixon, it came as no surprise that he was chosen to sing the role in a new recording of the Nixon in China CD. (2009)

We spent a few minutes with Robert Orth to ask him our "20 Questions."

Guilty musical pleasure?
I’m pretty guilt-free about music. Should I feel guilty about liking Michael Buble?

Where do you love to sing?
On stage.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Being with our family and friends in our garden, in perfect weather, having a great conversation and a fantastic meal.

To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
Sloth. Is doing Sudoku a fault?

Who are your favourite heroes/heroines of fiction?
Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird

Who are your favourite characters in history?
Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, Harvey Milk

Who are your favourite heroes/heroines in real life?
Barak Obama, Muhammad Yunus (inventer of Micro-credit), Greg Mortenson (builds schools in Central Asia), Michael Moore

Who is your favourite author?
John Irving, Ann Lamott

Your favourite musician?
Don’t make me choose.

Your favourite composer?
Ravel, Vivaldi, Bach, Bernstein, Rossini, and too many living composers to mention.

What quality do you most admire in a person?
Indiscriminate kindness

Your favourite virtue?
Love.

Your favourite occupation?
Singing Actor

What did you want to be as a child?
A missionary or a “child star”

Your most marked characteristic?
Ambivalence

What do you most value in your friends?
Generosity of spirit and a great sense of humor

For what would you like to be remembered?
Being kind and generous more often than not, and funny

What natural gift would you most like to possess?
Dance.

What is your motto?
The secret to happiness is not getting what you want, it’s wanting what you got.

What non-opera song do you rock?
The Green-Eyed Dragon with the Thirteen Tails

Nixon in China: The Trailer

Your first look at Vancouver Opera's Nixon in China:


Video by Bombshelter Productions & Mike McKinley

Multimedia projections, a live on-stage camera crew, singing and dancing! This is modern opera at its grandest!

Tickets going fast! Call 604.683.0222 to get yours today!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Somebody's Watching You

It's all about the eyes.



Nixon in China is watching you. From the pillars, to the backdrop, to the portraits and the scrim, there will be a profusion of faces staring out into the audience nightly.



You're being watched. Look your best.

Here are some pictures from dress rehearsal last night:





~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Operating Outside The Comfort Zone: Nixon in China

Photo by Tim Matheson

In some ways Nixon is an opera about the conventions of opera. This, in turn, creates layers of post-modern irony, making it a work of and for our age. Consider the two sopranos: the odious Madam Mao (sung in this production by Tracy Dahl) is a queen of the high Cs; the utterly unflamboyant Pat Nixon (Sally Dibblee) is a down-home girl happy to talk about her days on the farm. Henry Kissinger (Thomas Hammons) manages to embody both the sinister and the comic dimensions that have long been the operatic turf of basses. (Hint: pay particular attention to the "play within a play" in the second act). The philosopher commentator Chou En-lai (Chen-ye Yuan) is a baritone, as is Richard Nixon (Robert Orth). In opera land baritones are usually too clear-headed to die for love or fight the dragon: that's what tenors are for. Heldentenor Alan Woodrow sings the role of Chairman Mao.


Photos by Tim Matheson

Each of the three acts contains innovative operatic set pieces. The first grand effect is the landing of a transcontinental jet - a great opportunity for stagecraft, while the real spectacle is churning away down in the orchestra pit. The second act includes a Red Chinese "ballet" scene (lots of resonances there!) which takes on a surreal dimension. And the Maos dance a retro fox-trot in the third act, triggered by Madame Mao's quaint invitation to her spouse: "We'll teach these motherf---ers how to dance!" All very post-modern.

Click here to read more from the Vancouver Sun.

VO Chief's Thoughts On The Right Time For Change

Photo credit: Glenn Baglo

Nixon is very much a calculated risk. We never once considered pulling it from the season when the economy tanked. In the difficult year of 2010, we are presenting our two most expensive projects ever. - James W. Wright

For more on VO's General Director James W. Wright in the Vancouver Sun, click here.

Tricky Dick, Operatic Everyman

In other words, Adams and Goodman wrote the kind of opera that their audience wanted, without resorting to the usual expedient of doing something that sounds sort of like Verdi or Puccini. The chugging arpeggios and rippling scales of Adams’s minimalist craft drive several scenes, and are seldom absent altogether. But he also lets his lyrical muse run free. Listening to the recent live recording by Opera Colorado, I was struck by how much beautiful music Pat Nixon gets to sing while she tours a model farm.

For more on the Globe & Mail article, click here.

John Adams's "Nixon in China" Receives Canadian Premiere at Vancouver Opera for 2010 Cultural Olympiad

...Adams's first opera, Nixon in China, will receive its Metropolitan Opera premiere in February 2011 with the composer in his own Met debut at the podium. But audiences won't have to wait till next year to experience the groundbreaking work, as it receives its Canadian premiere in the Vancouver Opera production opening tomorrow, March 13, at Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The presentation, which includes three additional performances this month, is part of the 2010 Cultural Olympiad.

To read more, click here.

Turning Point Ensemble Wins Arts Award

Jeremy Berkman, Co-Artistic Director of Vancouver's Turning Point Ensemble as well as the Principal Trombonist for Vancouver Opera Orchestra was awarded the Rio Tinto Alcan Arts Award.

The $60,000 prize money will help to create a new work that will be premiered at Vancouver East Cultural Centre. Berkman and Owen Underhill are currently planning a major music/dance production derived from the theme of Igor Stravinsky's Firebird. The production will debut in 2011.

Congrats to Jeremy, Owen and Turning Point Ensemble!

Vancouver Opera's Ninja Girl is Back!

A superpower nation. A sleeping giant. What happens when 2 world leaders meet and all niceties fall to the wayside?

Drunken debauchery? Gunshots fired? The two Mrs. pitted against each other? Some very R-rated language sung by one of the characters?

What's truth? What's rumour? In politics, anything can happen.

Follow Ninja Girl on Twitter: Opera Ninja or on the right hand side bar of the blog for all the fly-on-the-wall action.

Tonight starting at 6pm.

~ Ninja Girl

Behind the Scenes: Nixon in China

BANG!



Got your attention?

Here's your first look at the backdrops, props and costumes you'll see in Nixon in China!



More wows, more surprises, more photos to come.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager