Opera Speaks On November 10

“Women and Madness”: Heroines in Art and Life

Explore this provocative theme at Vancouver Opera’s award-winning “Opera Speaks”.

Panelists include Lucia stage director Amiel Gladstone and UBC Professor of English Dr. Sarika Bose.

Celebrated baritone Gregory Dahl will sing an excerpt from Lucia di Lammermoor.

Wednesday, November 10th, 7:00-9:00 pm
Alice MacKay Room, Vancouver Public Library
Admission is FREE.

Next Up In The Thrilling 10-11 Season: Lucia di Lammermoor

Eglise Gutierrez courtesy L’Opéra de Montréal
Michael Fabiano, photo credit: Dario Acosta

Donizetti’s bel canto masterpiece features an amazing cast including Eglise Gutierrez (Gilda in 2008’s Rigoletto) and and fast-rising tenor Michael Fabiano, the Metropolitan Opera winner featured in the film “The Audition”. Listen to him sing here. Take a look at Eglise singing the famous mad scene here.

Click here to buy tickets or call the VO Ticket Centre, 604-683-0222.

*BONUS* Call in or purchase online with PROMO CODE 2956 to receive a Lucia di Lammermoor poster!

Saying Goodbye To Lillian Alling

Sets have been struck and costumes put away. Trucks have been loaded and driven to storage.

As we prep for the upcoming Lucia di Lammermoor, we're officially saying good-bye to Lillian Alling.

And although Lillian Alling has come and gone, we'll always have pictures of all the shiny happy faces to remind us of what a grand experience it all was.







Thank you to everyone who came out and made our world premiere such a success! We couldn't have done it without you!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

VOG Upcoming Events

The Vancouver Opera Guild awards scholarships and bursaries to young performers. The Guild raises money for these events by organising concerts and travel programs.

The next Guild event takes place on November 14th at the Vancouver Academy of Music. This is the Western Canadian MET Auditions with 25-30 young people competing. The winners receive a cheque from the Guild, Guild membership for 1 year and go on to compete in the NW Finals in Seattle in late January.

Auditions begin at 11am and the public is invited – admission is $10. (Bring a sandwich for the break!)

The Guild VOIS Fundraiser takes place this year on Sunday, November 28th at 2pm at the Vancouver Academy of Music. It begins with a performance of Vancouver Opera in Schools (VOIS) Cinderella and is followed by a seasonal sing along and a reception which includes a raffle, a silent auction and a sale of Christmas cookies.

Tickets are $10 per person. Please contact Pat Hancock 604.738.0730 or 604.682.2871 extension 5001.


Vancouver Opera Guild Tours
New York, March 7 – 13
Enjoy Spring In New York! Attend four opera productions at the MET: Lucia di Lammermoor (Natalie Desay and Joseph Calleja), Romeo et Juliette (Angelia Gheorghiu and Piotr Beczala), The Queen of Spades, (Karita Mattila, Dolora Zajick, Vladimir Galouzine and Peter Mattei) and Boris Godunov (Rene Pape conducted by Valery Gergiev). Direct flight Vancouver–New York via Air Canada (return via Toronto). Stay at the very well located Holiday Inn, Midtown, within easy walking distance of Lincoln Centre, Central Park museums, galleries and 5th Avenue shopping.


The Legendary Danube, June 8 – 21st
This is the Guild’s third river cruise program combining the best of in river cruising and opera experiences. The ship is Avalon Cruises’ Tranquility between Nuremberg and Budapest. It begins with three days in Prague (Rusalka, Nabucco and Carmen at the Prague State Opera),and ends with three nights in Budapest (Lohengrin and Macbeth at the Hungarian State Opera). The ship sails through Vienna where there is a performance at the State Opera of the ballet, Giselle.

For information please contact Genny MacLean at Great Expeditions 604.738.5535 or Ann Rabas (VOG) 604.541.8634

For reservations contact:
Great Expeditions 604. 257.2040 / (Toll Free) 1.800.663.3364, tours@greatexpeditions.com
www.greatexpeditions.com

Overture 2010: From Manhattan To The Mountaintops

A thank you to all who attended Overture 2010: From Manhattan to the Mountaintops!

It was a memorable night of dining, fundraising and a guest performance by soprano Mihoko Kinoshita, who was our Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly last season.

Special thanks to leading sponsors Westport Innovations Ltd., PwC, FDC Brands, Blakes, Cassels and Graydon LLP, Yoshiko Karasawa and Michael Audain for contributing to a wonderful event.



~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Operabot 2.0 Goes (Toon) Boom!

A big shout-out and special thanks to Toon Boom Animation for generously donating not 1, not 2 but 3 prizes to the Operabot 2.0 animation contest!

Located in Montreal, Quebec, Toon Boom Animation is a worldwide leader in animation production and storyboarding software. Toon Boom Animation has worked with Walt Disney Productions, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. Animation. Some recognizable movies Toon Boom has worked on are Leroy & Stitch, SpongeBob Square Pants Movie, The Princess & the Frog and The Simpsons Movie.



Toon Boom will be donating one license of Toon Boom Animate Pro (valued at $1999.99 USD) This software, aimed at animation studios and freelancers, is described as "the most complete animation software for professionals, offering award winning state-of-the-art content creation, animation and compositing toolsets".

Toon Boom has also donated two licenses of Toon Boom Animate, a software program that is aimed at professional animators, boutique studios, students and educators. (valued at $699.99 USD each)

Committed to furthering animators in the field, Toon Boom Animation offers video tutorials, tips and tricks, animation charts and FX templates on its website.

Welcome Toon Boom Animation to the Operabot 2.0 revolution!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Top 10: Artistic Leads Whose Stars Are On The Rise

VO's Associate Conductor & Chorus Director Les Dala was named as one of Vancouver's Top 10 artistic leaders!



He is well known for his work with the Prince George Symphony and Vancouver Opera. But in the last little while his career has been on a fast track to a new level: He's the new conductor of the Vancouver Academy's orchestra; he's been working at Santa Fe Opera; and he's the new guy at the helm of the Vancouver Bach Choir.

This summer, Dala's Santa Fe gig included helping to bring Lewis Spratlan's Life is a Dream to the stage - after a wait of just 32 years. At the Back Choir, Dala's premiere season shows respect for tradition and unbridled enthusiasm for new endeavours. Along with such repertoire cornerstones as Handel's Messiah, he'll conduct Berlioz's oratorio/opera The Damnation of Faust and Rachmaninov's Vespers.

And if Messiah isn't enough holiday season work, Dala will conduct Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker with the Goh Ballet and members of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra.

To read more from the Vancouver Sun, click here.

Arts For Kids

Tenor Colin Ainsworth is a very busy bee lately.

His performance as Kristian in Lillian Alling last week won him some wonderful recognition from Vancouver Sun and The Georgia Straight.

After this week, Colin is sure to get some more accolades. He joins Canucks left winger Tanner Glass this week to launch an innovative arts program with the grade 7 students from Britannia Elementary School. The kids will explore their creativity through storytelling, dance, movement and visual arts.

The exciting progam was conceived by the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre and DAREarts.

To read more, click here.

Giving You More Access

When you come to Lillian Alling, you may notice a sign in the theatre lobby with 4 QR codes. You may also come across these codes while at your seat, flipping through the house program.

So what's behind these 4 QR codes?

Once scanned with a Smartphone, theatre patrons would be directed to personal video messages from General Director James W. Wright, Lillian Alling librettist John Murrell, composer John Estacio, Director of Production Terry Harper and soprano Frédérique Vézina.

For those who don't have Smartphones, here are the videos:









Kinda like easter eggs in a DVD, but not quite so hidden, we hope these small features help enhance your experience at the opera.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Lillian Alling Set Up In Time Lapse

Here's a neat little time-lapse video of the technical set up for Lillian Alling.


Video credit: Tom Wright, Director of Artistic Planning

Shot during tech week down at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, you can see the staging of props, the different visual projections, the blocking of lights and all the general craziness involved in bringing an opera to the stage.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Lillian Alling: Final Thoughts

From left: Miranda Lievers, Frances Sprout, Stacey Robinsmith, Nik Belonio

A big thank you to our Bloggers who joined us for the Lillian Alling Blogger Night at the Opera. We were delighted to have you at our world premiere. Thank you for helping us to kick-start the 2010-2011 season in a big way.

So did our bloggers have a good time at Lillian Alling?

This opera, more than any other opera, perhaps because it is the world premiere, but this opera, had me literally on the edge of my seat right until the curtain dropped for the final time. - Stacey Robinsmith

To read more on Stacey's thoughts, click here and here.

All the singers were great. They sung to the top of their game. The highest highs and the lowest lows. Judith Forst is an older woman with a voice as strong as a young woman's. Her character, Irene's, story is achingly told through her eyes. And Frederique Vezina is a young woman from Montreal. She gave me chills with her high on pitch voice. Aaron St. Clair Nicholson did a wonderful job as Scotty. He was believable and touching. And Irene's son, Jimmy, played by Roger Honeywell, was a good counterpart to irene. A loud and barreling voice. - Nik Belonio

To read more on Nik's thoughts, click here.

Lillian Alling is a true Canadian production – commissioned by the Vancouver Opera and produced in conjunction with the Banff Centre, Lillian Alling is a show that takes place across North America. Not to be shy with their world premiere, the Vancouver Opera has pulled all stops to produce a contemporary opera that is both artistically and technically breathtaking. - Miranda Lievers

Wow! That was so stirring, not only the opera with its powerful music or the encompassing scenery, the huge visuals, the love stories and the mysteries revealed, but simply the notion that an opera can be made with the place names I know so well. I love imagining this opera being performed in other cities worldwide -- and Stanley Park and Telegraph Creek, the Skeena River and the Vancouver lights sung into that larger panorama. - Frances Sprout

To read more on Frances' thoughts, click here and here.

What a great start to the brand new season! We look forward to welcoming back our bloggers for the upcoming Lucia di Lammermoor. Stay tuned!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Have You Checked Our QR Code Today?

Scan our QR code with your Smartphone for a Lillian Alling surprise.



You may need to download a reader for your Smartphone, so click to get your free app from Neo or Mobio.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

An Ambitious World Premiere At Vancouver Opera

Frédérique Vézina infuses the title role with an intriguing restlessness and confidently follows its varied emotional contours. She has the stamina needed for the sudden upswell of dramatic soprano writing in Lillian’s climactic act-two confession. Aaron St. Clair Nicholson’s mellifluous baritone blends bluster, tenderness, and devotion in his moving portrayal of Scotty, the link between the two stories. Among the other principals, tenor Colin Ainsworth stands out in his memorable cameo as the young Norwegian Kristian who is fired by Lillian’s adventurous example.

The most memorable performance comes from the venerable Judith Forst as the spirited but pained Irene. Hers is a tour de force of dramatic singing, finding nuance in the most offbeat phrase. As her son, Roger Honeywell is given far less musical characterization and is mostly a reactive character, but he invests the stirring quartet of disclosure in the final act with throbbing emotional honesty.

To read more from Crosscut, click here.

Introducing the Lillian Alling Avatar

When I was approached by Vancouver Opera to write a series of travel blogs in the voice of Lillian Alling, my first task was to learn as much as I could about the “Mystery Woman” of the Telegraph Trail. Like many before me, I was intrigued by the enigma of this legendary young woman who – for reasons that continue to mystify – traveled across North America from Manhattan to Dawson City largely on foot, by some reports reaching Siberia.

It turns out that very little, in fact, is known about Lillian. What is known is full of hearsay and contradictions. I read Cassandra Pybus’ book, The Woman Who Walked to Russia, an account of the author’s pilgrimage retracing Lillian’s steps through the British Columbian wilderness. I enjoyed the creative license Amy Bloom took with Lillian’s story in her novel, Away. But my assignment was to get inside the head of one particular Lillian, the Lillian imagined by John Estacio and John Murrell in creating the music and libretto for their opera, Lillian Alling.

This Lillian is feisty, obsessive and fiercely independent, driven by a purpose that at first seems girlishly romantic, but is gradually revealed to be anything but. This Lillian is multi-layered and full of secrets, unsophisticated in some respects, but astute, intelligent and fearless as she encounters individuals and challenges along her route that both help and hinder her quest. This Lillian’s personality and perspective are informed equally by the traumas she left behind in Europe and the surprises, good and bad, in store for her in the New World.

In writing Lillian’s travel blogs, it was my turn to imagine what she experienced journeying from New York City to Telegraph Creek, from the United States into Canada, from the suffocating crush of steerage as she crossed the Atlantic, to the startling ruggedness of the BC wilderness – and every point in between.

Nowhere are those experiences more compelling – and better documented – than along British Columbia’s Telegraph Trail. I was fascinated to learn the history of the trail and about the linemen stationed in nine cabins along the telegraph line, between Hazelton and Telegraph Creek. It was these linemen who first brought the real Lillian Alling’s story to light as she stumbled out of the woods one day, exhausted and her clothing in tatters, at Cabin One. In real life, the linemen assisted Lillian on her northward path, telegraphing ahead to alert the next man to watch out for her, and sometimes even escorting her on part of her journey. This is where the legend of Lillian was born.

However obscure the reasons for real Lillian’s trek might be, our Lillian’s reasons are as dramatic and gripping as they come. Putting myself in our Lillian’s well-worn shoes, I tried to feel her blisters and her weariness, to experience her fear and urgency, to imagine her exhilarating rush of freedom as a young woman walking, hitch-hiking and hopping boxcars across a continent, and to share her wonder at the breadth and variety of the landscapes she travels through.

I look forward with great pleasure to experiencing Lillian’s odyssey once again, on stage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

~ Elizabeth Stewart

Lillian Alling: The Real Lillian (part 6)

Excerpted with permission from:

Wild West Women: Travellers, Adventurers and Rebels
Written by Rosemary Neering
Published by Whitecap Books Ltd.

THE MOST DETERMINED PERSON I'D EVER MET: Women Not to Be Deterred
Part 6 (final)

What happened to her after that is a matter of conjecture, based on flimsy pieces of conflicting hearsay evidence. Lillian Alling's story quickly became a northern legend, with different versions of the end of her story sworn to by those who said they had met her along the way, or had met someone who had met her, or seen her, or heard of her fate.

One version suggested that she had not gone north at all. A policeman who had met her on her journey said he had received a letter from her, saying she had gone to Telegraph Creek to find her Russian sweetheart. On finding he had departed, she married another man. But there is too much evidence that she did indeed go north; the policeman must have confused her with someone else. Some versions report that she had the stuffed hide of the dog that had been poisoned with her all the way, perhaps at the top of her backpack, perhaps in the cart she was said at one point to have trundled behind her. But her ability to preserve a decaying hide while persisting on her way north must be doubted. Some say that an Inuit man saw her footprints at the edge of a river near the Bering Sea and that she must undoubtedly have drowned there. Others say she found someone to take her across the Bering Sea by boat, then disappeared into Siberia.

We want a happy ending for Lillian Alling. A California man, who visited Siberia in 1965, wrote to a magazine to say he thought he had found one. While in Siberia, he had spoken with a friend there. The friend said that, as a boy of fourteen or fifteen, he lived on the Siberian shore of the Bering Strait. He saw a woman and three Inuit men whom he recognized as being from the Diomede Islands in the strait arrive on the waterfront. The woman said she had come from America, where she had been unable to find friends or make a living. She had decided to walk home to Russia and had done so. On her route, she said, no one had lifted as much as a finger to help her in any way. If this was indeed Lillian Alling, her comments would surely have come as a great disappointment to the many people who had helped her on her journey.

The letter writer said his friend told him all this had happened in the fall of 1930. But neither he nor anyone else living knows for certain how Lillian Alling's odyssey ended.

It Was A Big Surprise!

Fabulous. Amazing. Phenomenal. Wonderful. A big surprise!

And boy was everybody surprised by the world premiere of Lillian Alling. We love it!

Very emotional. I even saw some ladies walking out with tears.

The singing, the staging, the story - everything was just tremendous.

It was a fabulous production. It was just wonderful. A real credit to everyone who's been involved in it and a tremendous credit to Vancouver Opera.

It was a wonderful story and I loved the way it was produced and set. It was very imaginative.

It really just put a different twist on modern opera altogether.

The visual effects just blew me away.

The music was so gorgeous and not at all what you'd expect from contemporary opera.

I think it was the best modern opera that we've ever seen in Vancouver.


Video by Bombshelter Productions

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

SMART Pics Gets A Makeover

Well, hello gorgeous! The SMART Pics photobooth got a make-over! It went from long, tall and monolithic to 3-way mirror-like. With bright lights and autofocus!

Different look, but same location. You can find the SMART Pics photobooth at the east end lobby staircase.

So marvel at the new SMART Pics photobooth and then take a picture!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Geek Out With Lillian Alling

Everybody, please line up in an orderly fashion. It's Fan Night this Thursday!

Join us in the uber-exclusive VIP lounge for the first Fan Night of the season on October 19 at 630pm. We'll get you all psyched up before the opera begins at 730pm.



Our guest speaker Principal Répétiteur & Assistant Chorus Director Kinza Tyrrell will be talking about the creation process of Lillian Alling: from concept to stage. She'll also give some insight into the music you will hear at Lillian Alling.



We also have some special guests attending the pre-show chat. Blogger Night at the Opera Alumni Tris Hussey and Emme Rogers will be live-tweeting Fan Night. Feel free to say hello if you're sitting next to them.

We have coffee, tea and bite sized nibblies for you. Oh, and access to the VIP restroom. (no sharing with the people 'out there') There may even be some swag.

And a bonus if you're between the ages of 18-29! We have 25 more Get O.U.T.! tickets available for the entire run of Lillian Alling. Tickets are $25 each. Call our box office at 604.683.0222 and give 'em promo code 2885.

Or better yet, $100 will get you a subscription to the entire season. If that one tickles your fancy, call our box office and give 'em promo code 2875.

See you in the VIP lounge for the pre-show chat! 630pm sharp!

Twitter/Facebook Fan Night sponsored by The Georgia Straight:



~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

In The Dark Of The Theatre

The things people do in the dark of a theatre.

Some people sit riveted and try to taking in everything that is happening on stage. Others glance upwards and down as they read the surtitles. And others may close their eyes and simply let the music and singing overtake them.

Not artist Val Nelson.

Val draws the opera when the lights go down. Ever so discretely and imperceptibly that her fellow seatmates do not even know this was happening. Val first came to our attention when she drew at Madama Butterfly last season.

On opening night, she was once again armed with her drawing pen to help us record the world premiere of Lillian Alling.


Act I


Act II

If you were at opening night, you may even recognize in the drawings the scenes depicted in each act. If you're coming tomorrow, Thursday or Saturday, we won't ruin it for you.

Thanks Val for sharing your wonderful drawings!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Risky Business

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

"...Lillian Alling is an exciting, brave production deserving a wide audience and international exposure; as with Nixon in China, this is a modern opera which connects us with people we know, who have lived extraordinary lives. Both its story and its world premiere production make history, and this is one opera not to be missed."

To read more from Coastline Journal, click here.

The World Premiere Of John Estacio And John Murrell’s Lillian Alling

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

Some of the evening's most exciting singing came from baritone Aaron St.Clair Nicholson as the infatuated suitor, Scotty. Blessed with such a handsome voice, Nicholson was outstanding in every way, conveying the impulsion of a man in pursuit of a cause in his solo aria (in the Stanley Park scene) As one, Lillian Alling, as one.

To read more from Review Vancouver, click here.

The Reviews Are In. Lillian Alling Is A Triumph!

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

"There is something inherently optimistic about this music”… "Engaging, accessible, touching and well crafted" – Elissa Poole, Globe and Mail

Read the review

"An enchanting show"… "a visual delight”… "The conspicuous success of Lillian Alling — beyond its intrinsic musical and theatrical worth — is to demonstrate that contemporary opera is alive and thriving at Vancouver Opera." – David Gordon Duke, Vancouver Sun

Read the review

“[Frédérique Vézina has] a voice as rich and warm as the smell of freshly cut cedar”... “[Judith] Forst is... a fiery standout”...

“Vancouver Opera and the Banff Centre (VO’s co-producer on the project) have spared no expense on the production design, which looks consistently handsome.” – Janet Smith, The Georgia Straight

Read the review

HURRY! ONLY 3 MORE PERFORMANCES!

Experience the thrill and beauty of this WORLD PREMIERE opera. There are good seats available for all remaining shows.

Call the VO Ticket Centre at 604.683.0222 or click here to purchase tickets online.

Vancouver Opera's Lillian Alling A Conspicuous Success

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

Composer Estacio has crafted a solid, sturdy score of unusual tightness: there isn’t a false step in nearly three hours of music. In the first act, the “road opera” conceit tracing Lillian’s cross-continent trek gives a rich complement of charming segments such as a New York street scene (complete with references to '20s pop idioms), a lovely aria for tenor Colin Ainsworth (a male equivalent of Carlisle Floyd’s “Ain’t it A Pretty Night” perhaps?), and a nice “meet cute” for Lillian and her would-be suitor, Scotty MacDonald, sung with easy assurance by baritone Aaron St. Clair Nicholson.

To read more from Vancouver Sun's David Gordon Duke, click here.

Vancouver Opera's Lillian Alling Takes The Art Form To Rugged New Realms

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

With a voice as rich and warm as the smell of freshly cut cedar, soprano soprano Frédérique Véniza successfully makes the journey from wide-eyed new immigrant to strong woman on a mission. She really hits her stride in Act 2, with some deeply shaded, anguished solos.

Forst is also a fiery standout as Irene, the old woman who recounts Alling’s story as her son Jimmy (Roger Honeywell) drives her from her beloved cabin in the Interior into Vancouver to a rest home—“a cage in the city”, as she laments. Elsewhere, tenor Colin Ainsworth has a charming solo as a farm boy longing to leave his small town; Aaron St. Clair Nicholson is a charismatic Scotty, the telegraph man who falls for Lillian later in the opera; and tenor Honeywell brings humour and warmth to Jimmy.

For more from the Georgia Straight, click here.

Reimagined Journey Of An Enigmatic Woman Makes For Engaging Opera

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

There is something inherently optimistic about this music, especially in the confident reach of Estacio’s vocal writing: big intervals anchored on triads, an old-fashioned, romantic rhetoric, echoes that range from Tchaikovsky to Bernstein, and mellifluous lines that flatter the singers.

In return, the singers flatter Lillian Alling. Soprano Frédérique Vézina was superb in the title role, projecting both strength and mystique in her singing (though somewhat more coquettish in gesture than the character suggests).

Mezzo-soprano Judith Forst was, as ever, emotionally arresting, her performance one long, gradual deepening of Irene’s character.

Click here to read more from the Globe & Mail.

Video: Vancouver Opera Presents Lillian Alling

A preview of Vancouver Opera's presentation of Lilian Alling,

Click here to see the Vancouver Sun video in full size.

Lillian Alling: The Real Lillian (part 5)

Excerpted with permission from:

Wild West Women: Travellers, Adventurers and Rebels
Written by Rosemary Neering
Published by Whitecap Books Ltd.

THE MOST DETERMINED PERSON I'D EVER MET: Women Not to Be Deterred
Part 5

The knowledge that death came easily in the north had no more impact on Alling than all the warnings of those who had tried to dissuade her. She was walking to Russia. She would continue unless her own death intervened. Her determination – and her refusal to understand the possible problems – so impressed one of the linesmen that he gave her his black and white husky dog, Bruno, to provide company and to carry her pack. But, insisted the linesman, she must not let Bruno run free near the Iskut River, where poison traps were set for wolverine. It is thought that the dog must have eluded her, for another linesman saw it die near the river.

Alling continued on from Iskut, arriving in Atlin in August, where she bought a pair of shoes so she could walk ever farther northward. At Tagish, in the Yukon, a local resident took her across the river in a boat. At Carcross, she had a meal in a hotel. North of Carcross, a local couple overtook her on the road, and offered her a ride in their car. She rode with them as far as they were going, then resumed her lonely travels. On the last day of August, the Whitehorse Star announced that "a woman giving the name of Lillian Alling walked into town Monday evening and registered at the Regina Hotel. Lillian was not given much to speaking but as near as can be gathered from information she gave at different places she had walked from Hazelton to Whitehorse."

The newspaper named her the Mystery Woman, and tracked her further progress. She had, said one of the stories, left Whitehorse carrying a loaf of bread as her only food. As she journeyed on, various locals ferried her across the rivers that barred her way. On one occasion, she stayed through a bad storm with a survey party, then continued on down the Yukon River in a small boat. On October 5, she reached Dawson City, some 5,000 miles (8000 kilometres) from her starting point a year and a half earlier in New York. She stayed there for the winter, working as a waitress and repairing the boat she had bought for her continued journey down the Yukon. When the ice broke up in the spring, she followed the river towards the Bering Sea, steering her small craft through the last remaining floating ice.


Photo: Lillian Alling with Bruno, 1928. Courtesy of the Atlin Historical Society

Forst In The Wilderness

The renowned mezzo-soprano was a regular at New York's Metropolitan Opera, received the Order of Canada and Order of British Columbia and appeared in dozens of operatic productions worldwide.

At 67, she shows no signs of slowing.

Forst is starring in the Vancouver Opera’s world premiere of Lillian Alling, the opening production for the company’s 51st season.

“It’s a new production, new music, new words – everything,” she said. “It’s very exciting when you start from scratch. There are no footprints ahead of us.”

To read the interview with Judith Forst in 24hrs, click here.

A Journey Of Operatic Proportions

The production itself promises to be just as grand. Featuring some of Canada’s top opera talent – including mezzo-soprano Judith Forst, Quebec soprano Frédérique Vézina, and Toronto tenor Roger Honeywell – as well as the 60-piece Vancouver Opera Orchestra and a 40-person chorus, the piece not only travels great distances thematically, it also touches on the myriad musical styles that Ms. Alling would have encountered on her journey.

To read more from the Globe and Mail, click here.

Lillian Alling: The Trailer

Your first look at the world premiere of Lillian Alling!

Press play or double-click the video to see it directly on VO's Youtube channel.


Video credit: Bombshelter Productions

Eight principal singers, 60 orchestra members, 40 chorus members, 175 costumes and stunning visual projections.

Get your tickets today! Call 604.683.0222 or puchase online!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Lillian Alling: Dress Rehearsal

For your viewing pleasure, here's some fab shots of last night's dress rehearsal of Lillian Alling.


Photo credit: Tim Matheson

More pics to come!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Look At The Birdie

Photo credit: Nakki Goranin

It's a brand new season with a world premiere opera, you didn't think that we wouldn't help you commemorate it now, didja?

The SMART Pics photobooth is back! So make a beeline through the QET lobby until you hit the east end lobby staircase and strike that pose.

The SMART Pics photobooth will also email your picture to you, and you can then post it to your own Facebook, Flickr or blog. It's a great memento of being at the opera with your significant other, friend or a first time date. What a perfect way to also let family & friends know where you are and what they're missing out on!

Opening night pictures will also be posted to VO's Facebook and Flickr.

Just look at all the pretty, pretty people from last season's Marriage of Figaro and Madama Butterfly.

VO is thrilled to bring back SMART Pics for the entire run of Lillian Alling. We can't wait to see all your happy, shiny faces.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Dinner, Opera And An Overnight Stay

Visiting Vancouver and coming to the opera? Or wanting a special night of dining, opera and more with your special someone?

Here's a handy dandy search engine to help you find hotels near the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Includes hotels recommended by Vancouver Opera.

Looking for a place for dinner or drinks before or after the performance? Click here for restaurants recommended by VO staff and patrons.

Lillian Alling: Vancouver Opera’s Mystery Woman

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

Only bits and pieces about the real Lillian Alling are known: She arrived at New York’s Ellis Island from Eastern Europe; she was reported to be searching for someone; she crossed the continent on foot alone. She was imprisoned for a time in B.C. for vagrancy; some said it was for her own protection. She ultimately disappeared into the north.

For Murrell and Estacio, the unanswered questions were part of the story’s attraction. “We spent a lot of time not just digging for research, but digging into our imaginations, trying to come up with a cohesive storyline that preserved her heroism and her mystery and her determination, but also in some ways solved the mystery,” says Murrell.

To read more from the Globe & Mail, click here.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Vancouver Opera lands the cover of this week's Georgia Straight! Check inside for interviews with Lillian Alling's Frédérique Vézina, librettist John Murrell and director Kelly Robinson.

Pick up your copy today!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Lillian Rehearsal in Banff

The Lillian Alling cast and crew spent weeks rehearsing at the Banff Centre before moving into the Queen Elizabeth Theatre last week.

Our Communications Manager, Selina Rajani, flew to Banff to photograph the rehearsal process with singers Judith Forst, Roger Honeywell, Frédérique Vézina, composer John Estacio and director Kelly Robinson.

Press play on the slideshow or click here for our Flickr.



~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Pin Me, Tuck Me, Shape Me, Fit Me

Here's some video clips of hands-on designer Sue Lepage from the Lillian Alling wardrobe fitting a couple of weeks ago. She sketches, she designs and she was present for all the fittings.

Oh, and Sue designed the Lillian Alling set and props too. She's creative and multi-talented and we're thankful to have her with us for Lillian Alling.







~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Climb Every Mountain

Here's a video of Frédérique Vézina and the production crew in Banff filming the montage sequence that will appear in Act 2 of Lillian Alling. In the sequence, Lillian hikes mountain ridges, scales down a rockface and crosses a bridge over the Skeena River, all in search of Jozef.



Who says opera singers just sing nowadays?

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Lillian Alling -- Road Opera Heroine

Handout, Photo courtesy of the Atlin Historical Society

"Something in the one 1928 image of her in the wild Northewest of B.C. just grabbed me," says John Murrell. "She has this look about her that just says 'prepared for adventure,' as though she was bred for this kind of thing."

Click here to read more from The Province.

Lillian's Alling's Epic Trek

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

Vancouver Opera has upped the spectacle of the production by layering images—both photographic and video-based—over a jaggedy-stepped set. The projections depict everything from rocky rivers seemingly gushing over the stage to the narrow brick streets of old Brooklyn. The score flows with sweeping, multilayered orchestrations and choral crescendos that almost cinematically evoke the old West. “There’s a lot of emotion to the music and a lot of the landscape,” Frédérique Vézina says.

The result will be a multisensory feast, with 60 orchestra members and 40 chorus singers. Opera companies in this country frequently experiment with smaller-scale chamber operas, but few dare to mount something this ambitious.

To read more from The Georgia Straight, click here.

How Lillian Alling's Wild Terrain Comes To Multimedia Life

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

“We’re trying to capture the sense of the emotional weight, rather than merely a specific place,” Robinson explains of the multilayered landscape images that evoke the journey from Ellis Island through the North Dakota grasslands and into the Pacific wilderness. “It really has a sense of impressionism and, in some cases, even expressionism.…It’s not just a matter of just selecting photography, it’s really about designing an image and layering imagery.” - Director Kelly Robinson

To read more from The Georgia Straight, click here.

Mystery Surrounds The Real Lillian Alling

Handout, Photo courtesy of the Atlin Historical Society

John Murrell’s Lillian Alling is a poetic and theatrical creation suggested by the life of a remarkable woman. But who was the real Lillian?

Mollie Rolston (Mollie Owens back then) is one of the very few left who know something first hand about this shadowy figure. When she was six she met Lillian on her family’s ranch in Evelyn, just outside Smithers.

To read more of Vancouver Sun's David Gordon Duke interview with Mollie Rolston, click here.

Focus On The Composer: Lillian Alling’s John Estacio

From left: Librettist John Murrell, Composer John Estacio

This is very much a road opera, so I could hardly ignore the various cultures and musics and communities Lillian encountered as she travelled across North America."

For example, the Scandinavians in North Dakota. And the Ellis Island scene when she arrives from Russia is a fun cacophony of sound and languages. - John Estacio

Composer John Estacio talks to Vancouver Sun's David Gordon Duke. To read more, click here.

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

Vancouver Opera World Premiere Depicts An Immigrant's Cross-Continental Odyssey

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

"I am excited to be presenting a world premier to both open our 2010-2011 season and close our Golden Anniversary celebrations,” says James Wright, with considerable justification.

“I am especially proud of this VO-commissioned work, created by a team with a proven track record of audience-pleasing new operas. Lillian Alling is filled with tuneful arias, big chorus numbers, and lush orchestration, all in the service of a literate and fascinating libretto based on the true-life experiences of a very mysterious woman.”

To read more from Vancouver Sun's David Gordon Duke, click here.

A World Premiere Blogger Night

A new season, a world premiere and Blogger Night at the Opera!

We are beyond thrilled that Stacey Robinsmith, Nik Belonio, Miranda Lievers and Frances Sprout will be joining us on Saturday, October 16 for all the excitement.

The quartet will be sharing their thoughts on the entire experience: from hobnobbing with other opera patrons, seeing the set with its wonderful visual projections and hearing the exquisite music and singing for the very first time.

Follow along the sidebar to the right for their weblinks as they blog pre-show and during the intermission. They may even report from the afterparty too.


Clockwise from top left: Stacey Robinsmith, Nik Belonio, Miranda Lievers and Frances Sprout

Don't be shy! Stop by and say hello to our friendly bloggers on opening night in the main lobby of the QET. They can't wait to meet you!

Sponsored by:


~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

VO Congratulates Restaurant Partner Lumière On Receiving The Coveted 5 Diamond Award

Again this year, Lumière is pleased to open their kitchen early to opera patrons on Thursday and Saturday evenings pre-performance for a prix-fixe meal! Dinner service will begin at 5pm to ensure a leisurely paced 3 course meal and to accommodate a 6:30 departure from the restaurant. The $65 per person dinner menu will change throughout the season and offer a choice of appetizer, main course and dessert. An optional wine pairing is also offered. As proud patrons of VO, Lumière owners David and Manjy Sidoo will donate 10% from each pre-opera dinner to Vancouver Opera.

For more information and to make a reservation, click here.

Hotfooting It After Lillian Alling

Photo credit: I Am The Game

Opera Ninja Kimli is back! This Thursday, October 14, Kimli Welsh will be hot on the heels of Lillian Alling as she traverses the continent in search of the mysterious Jozéf.

Her assignment will be to track Lillian from the tenements of Brooklyn, hop the same trains that will take them both cross-country and follow her into the wilderness of British Columbia. All the while, the Opera Ninja is to remain hidden and observing from afar.

But what will happen when Lillian finds Jozéf? Will the Opera Ninja make herself known?

Follow along Thursday night's dress rehearsal at our Twitter: @Operaninja or along the right side-bar of this blog.

The action begins at 7pm.

Sponsored by:


~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

The Sunday Edition With Michael Enright

Were you listening to CBC's Sunday Edition this past holiday weekend? If you were, you would've heard librettist John Murrell talk about Lillian Alling with host Michael Enright.

If you missed it (being Thanksgiving weekend and all), here's your chance to listen again. Click here to go to The Sunday Edition's website. Under hour three, press play and fast forward to the 26 minute mark for soprano Frédérique Vézina singing The Land is Large and the interview with John Murrell.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Life in Oakalla Prison

When Judith Forst, performing the role of Irene in our new opera Lillian Alling, sings “God, the tales they used to tell. Oakalla near Vancouver, but much closer to Hell!” we are transported back to the 1920s by the passion in her powerful, compelling voice and the images of Oakalla prison displayed by video designer Tim Matheson.

What would it have been like to be a woman imprisoned in Oakalla Prison Farm?

From the time of Oakalla’s opening in 1912 to its closure seventy-nine years later, the Lower Mainland Regional Correctional Centre (as it was renamed in 1970), served three main functions. First, it was a provincial gaol for men and women serving sentences of less than two years; second, it was a remand centre for those awaiting trial on serious charges or appeal federal convictions; and third, up until the final hanging of Leo Mantha in 1959, Oakalla carried out all death sentences in the province.

Oakalla Prison Farm was built to replace the New Westminster Provincial Gaol which had to serve the entire Lower Mainland with only 77 cells. Burnaby’s District Lot 84, Group 1 – a wooded 185 acre site – was chosen since the prison was to be run as a farm so that all inmate labour could be conducted within the perimeter of the prison property eliminating the need for chain gangs which had proven high escape risks.

The smaller south wing was built for women and had accommodation for just 54 prisoners. All cells, save those for punishment, contained a cold water basin, a toilet, a metal-framed bed hinged to the side wall and an inspection slot in the rear wall.

Oakalla reflected the American ‘Auburn’ model of penology: inmates would be subjected to harsh discipline and strenuous work during the day and segregated in individual cells at night.

To give you a sense of the day-to-day world: silence was strictly enforced, inmates were sentenced to hard labour, and gaolers had complete control over their charges. Those sentenced to hard labour left for work by 7:30am (8:00am during the winter months) and would not return from the fields or workshops until 5:30pm. Dressed in grey denim trousers, tunic and cap, inmates would walk in unison to and from the fields. Clearly marked across the back of their jackets and along one side of their pants were the letters P G (Provincial Gaol). Their uniforms were easily distinguishable to the ever-present armed guards. The prisoners were locked in their cells at 7:00pm and lights-out was at 9:00pm.

It was believed that these controls, strictly enforced, would bring about the reform of every offender. Oakalla was to bring penal practices in BC into a new era. “In 1912, the provincial government saw Oakalla as a godsend to corrections. In the years that followed, it was more often considered the devil’s work.”

I don’t know about you, but being incarcerated in a country where I don’t have a passport nor speak the language would be frightening enough, but once I realized that death sentences were being carried out around me, it would truly become a place of nightmares.

~ Jennifer Lord, Special Projects Manager

Reference material from “Hard Place to do Time: The Story of Oakalla Prison, 1912 – 1991” by Earl Andersen

Behind VO's QR Code

So you're walking down the streets of Vancouver, minding your own, when you come across a strange-looking poster that asks "Where is Lillian?"



Upon closer inspection, you realize that this is a QR code. So you whip out your Smartphone to read the QR code and presto, it leads you to a video about our world premiere, Lillian Alling.

The video sets the scene for what it was like for immigrants, like Lillian Alling, coming to America in the 1920s. The video, accompanied by 2 musical pieces from the opera, also illustrates Lillian's journey across North America by foot to return to Siberia. She was briefly incarcerated at Oakalla Prison in British Columbia and after her release, continued travelling north to Alaska. She was never seen or heard from again.



Some of you might be trying to read the above picture with your Smartphone but are not having any success. (picture are funny like that)

So, here is the actual QR code. A brand new Lillian Alling video has been posted up today. You may need to download a reader for your Smartphone. (Thanks to Darren Barefoot’s Big Wild QR campaign poster for the instructions on our poster) Click to get your free app from Neo or Mobio.



Learn more about Lillian Alling! We'll be posting fresh content (almost daily!) so check back often for your behind-the-scenes look at Lillian Alling.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Overture 2010: Up For Auction

For those who will be attending Overture: From Manhattan to the Mountain Tops on Friday October 15, here's your first peek at all the glorious packages that will be up for auction.

Get those bidding paddles ready!


LOT 1 - PRIVATE CHEF FOR A NIGHT - VALUE: $4000

Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver, Executive chef Oliver Beckert prepares a five course dinner for eight (8) paired with wines from Mission Hill Family Estate, served on fine china and linens, courtesy Pedersen’s Rentals. Live musical atmosphere provided by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra ensemble.


LOT 2 - AURORA BOREALIS ADVENTURE - VALUE: $5,500
NOTE: Tour starts on Saturdays and valid Nov. 20th 2010 – March 19th 2011.

Two will fly via Air North to the Yukon for five (5) days. Tour historic Whitehorse, Yukon Wildlife Preserve and Takhini Hot Springs. Take a sightseeing flight of the Yukon River and Marsh Lake. Master your mushing skills with a day long adventure dogsledding, and see the panoramic Yukon by snowmobile.


LOT 3 - VALLEY OF THE SUNS - VALUE: $ 5,000
NOTE: Choice of three pre-selected dates during the 2010-2011 NBA Season.

Just a 2 hour and 45 minute flight (return for 2) to a slam dunk mini-vacation in sunny Phoenix to cheer on BC’s own Steve Nash at a Phoenix Suns home game. Post game: meet and greet Steve and receive an autographed jersey. Layup for two (2) nights at the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Arizona Biltmore and an additional two (2) nights in the old world charm of the Royal Palms Resort and Spa. Savour southwestern cuisine at Phoenix’s award winning Quiessence Restaurant.


LOT 4 - ARCTIC SAFARI - VALUE: $14,000
Note: Cruise dates August 5th - August 17th 2011. Airfare not included.

Sail in comfort in Cruise North Expedition’s state of the art cruise ship. Travel to Greenland and Baffin Island. Relax on deck while the ship glides alongside immense thousand year old icebergs, see magnificent polar bears, herds of muskox, caribou and walrus. Visit small traditional villages, ancient hunting grounds and spiritual sites. Experience cultural performances and view exquisite Inuit Art.


LOT 5 - ROMANCE ON THE RAILS - VALUE: $6,500
NOTE: One way rail only valid from Apr 26th 2010 to Oct 6th 2011 excluding May and Sept 2011

Stay for two (2) nights at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Then all aboard The Gold Leaf Rocky Mountaineer to the majestic Rocky Mountains; destination magnificent Banff. Stay two (2) nights at Fairmont Banff Springs resort. Visit the Red Earth Spa for a soothing massage. Dine at Sleeping Buffalo Restaurant. Join Kelly Robinson, stage director of Lillian Alling, for a unique tour of the Banff Centre, and two tickets to an inspiring show.


LOT 6 - A ROOM WITH A VIEW - VALUE: $8,500
NOTE: Hotel excluding Dec 18th 2010 – Jan 1st 2011 and SUV, 3 day rental.

Travel to Whistler in a luxurious Mercedes-Benz SUV. Stay 2 nights at the Four Seasons Hotel Whistler. Stay warm in a white fox cape and headband from Pappas Furs. For her Chanel goggles, toque, and scarf. For him Harry Rosen recreational clothing. Take a scenic journey via the Peak 2 Peak Gondola Alpine Experience. Tour the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. Soothe aching muscles at the Scandinave Spa Whistler. Indulge in an intimate dining experience at the Bearfoot Bistro.


LOT 7 - LEGENDS START HERE - VALUE: $12,500

Spend two (2) nights at the Four Seasons Hotel New York. Take a private tour of the Tiffany& Co flagship store, receive a pair of Tiffany Circlet Drop diamond earrings. Champagne brunch aboard Manhattan by Sail. A personalized tour of Ellis Island. Dine at Restaurant Daniel. A behind the scenes tour of The Met with Carol Isaac. Round out your cultural weekend with tickets to the West End production of Billy Elliot.

Some tickets left!

Tickets $500 per person ($350 tax receipt)
$5000 for a table of 10 - Corporate tables also available

To purchase, please call 604.682.2871 ext. 4850.