Why Is Lucia Mad?

Wanna know why Lucia is mad? To find out, scan this QR code.

The Philly Trio

Didja know that not only did Lucia di Lammermoor's Michael Fabiano, Eglise Gutiérrez and Burak Bilgili train at the esteemed Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, but the trio also live in Philadelphia?



And yes, when they're all in town at the same time, they do hang out.

Find out more about Lucia di Lammermoor.

Don't miss out! Get your tickets now!
Single tickets starting at $29 (plus handling fee). Call our ticketing centre at 604.683.0222 or purchase online here.

BONUS: To get your free Lucia di Lammermoor poster with your tickets, give our box office PROMO CODE 2956 when you call in or enter PROMO CODE 2956 on the login page on our website.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Shadow Of The Ninja

Our Opera Ninja army is growing!

A stealthy welcome to the newest addition to our clan: Opera Ninja Tris Hussey. Like a ghostly apparition at midnight, one can never sure if they've seen our newest shadow. Ninjas are known to possess invisibility and shape-shifting abilities, you know.

It'll be one clan watching two others on Thursday, December 2. Join Opera Ninja Tris as he reports on all the intrigues between the Ashtons and the Ravenwoods at the Lucia di Lammermoor dress rehearsal.

Whether employing tactics such as Tanuki-gakure (camouflaging oneself up in the trees) or Ukigusa-gakure (camouflaging oneself under water with duckweed), Opera Ninja Tris will get you closer to all the action.

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

Lucia Fan Night & Backstage Tour

Lucia Fan Night is Tuesday, December 7!

If you're coming to Lucia di Lammermoor on December 7, come a wee bit earlier and get a backstage tour. The tour will be led by our artistic team who will give you some behind the scenes insights to what you'll be watching on stage.

When: Tuesday, December 7, 630pm
Where: Meet at the far east side of the lobby

Please RSVP by December 6 to lchan@vancouveropera.ca for your exclusive look backstage.

Twitter/Facebook Fan Night sponsored by The Georgia Straight:



~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Lucia Here, Lucia There, Lucia Everywhere

Soprano Eglise Gutiérrez looks like she was born to sing the role of Lucia di Lammermoor. Ms Gutiérrez has sung Lucia for Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Connecticut Opera, Teatros Bellas Artes in Mexico, Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland, Florida Grand Opera, Deutsche Opera Berlin and now she's performing her signature role at Vancouver Opera.

Lucia is in her blood. Really! Ms Gutierrez recently gave birth to a baby girl whom she's named Lucia.

For a preview of Lucia's famous "mad scene", press play on the video:



Don't miss out! Get your tickets now! Single tickets starting at $29 (plus handling fee). Call our ticketing centre at 604.683.0222 or purchase online here.

BONUS: To get your free Lucia di Lammermoor poster with your tickets, give our box office PROMO CODE 2956 when you call in or enter PROMO CODE 2956 on the login page on our website.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Lucia di Lammermoor: The Manga

Two feuding families. A love that could never be and an emotionally fragile girl who is forced into a marriage that ends in tragedy.

Here's Lucia di Lammermoor as seen through the eyes of manga artist Lily Dai and editor Roy Husada.













To supersize, double click on the images.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

It's A Mad World

Well if THIS isn't a fitting song for Lucia di Lammermoor! You know the song I mean.



You may have grown up listening to the original Tears for Fears version. Or you may have heard the stripped down cover version by Gary Jules in the movie, Donnie Darko, which was also later used in the movie trailer for The Crazies.

We're talking Mad World to go along with Lucia's psyche. Speaking about the song's meaning, Tears for Fears' Curt Smith is quoted as saying, "It's very much a voyeur's song. It's looking out at a mad world from the eyes of a teenager."

A VO staffer put together this "Mad World" video with still photos from Opera de Montréal's 2009 production of Lucia di Lammermoor starring Eglise Gutiérrez.




To prep you for next week's opening of Lucia di Lammermoor, press play and get a sense of Lucia's doom and gloom.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Vancouver Opera On Telus TV

Lillian Alling lives on!

Telus TV aired an interview with General Director James W. Wright last week on their channel. Our GD spoke about Lillian Alling but also talked about the upcoming operas Lucia di Lammermoor, La Clemenza di Tito and La Traviata and how they are accessible to everyone. No previous (opera) experience necessary!



The interview is still available on Telus Video on Demand. Anyone with Telus Optik TV can view it: go to Video on Demand and look for myCommunity. The show is called myVancouver 8. Or you can press play or go to our Youtube channel to view it.

Ask A Conductor Day

Maestros are fascinating, mysterious and a force to be reckoned with. These master musicians stand above his orchestra and help everyone keep a steady beat. They set the tempo, the mood and are there to cue orchestra sections of when to start playing. To be a maestro, you have to have an amazing ear and incredible artistic expression.

And yet, so little is known about these enigmatic conductors and their world.

Well, that curtain is about to be lifted.

Join us on December 8 for Ask A Conductor Day on Twitter:

On December 8, 2010, conductors around the world will come together to engage fans, first-timers and complete strangers. It is an opportunity for orchestras and conductors to share their love and passion, 140 characters at a time.

The concept is simple: conductors make some time available to answer questions on December 8; Twitter followers ask their burning questions, and the conductors answer.

The brilliant project is organized by Lacey Huszcza, Director of Operations and Promotions at Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Marc Van Bree, consultant and blogger at Dutch Perspective. Inspired by the Ask A Curator Twitter event, Ask A Conductor day is the perfect way for audiences to connect with maestros and their orchestras and learn how music truly comes together.


Photo credit: Christoph Müller-Girod

VO's Music Director and Maestro Jonathan Darlington will be available for all your questions December 8 between 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm (Pacific Standard Time).

Just tweet him a question at @j_darlington and he'll respond. You can also follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #askaconductor.

For a list of other participating conductors, click here.

Join VO on December 8 for this fun event! Put on some opera or classical music to set the mood and get tweeting!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Greg Steffensen: VO's Renaissance Man

Gregg Steffensen is a multi-talented, multi-faceted kinda guy. Not only is he VO's Assistant Technical Director but he's also a musician, an audio technician, a carpenter and mixed media artist.

When not building props in our prop shop, he's participating in exhibitions such as The Drift: Art on Main Street.


Gregg's most recent project features acrylic and photo transfers onto small blocks

When he doesn't have a paintbrush in hand, he's wielding a pair of drumsticks.





Greg has played drums and percussion for shoe-gazing/dreampop band Hinterland. The band were featured on MuchMusic and CBC TV and also won recognition from Georgia Straight Music Awards for best local album, best vocalist and most underrated band.

Drawn Ship, his current band with with vocalist Lynn Heinemann, is described as "two person rock music from the back of the classroom." The band's next gig will be November 26 at the Art Bank Gallery.



Where does he find the time? Not only does Gregg work, paints and drums, he's also completing the Fine Arts Certificate program at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. With endless amounts of energy and creativity, Gregg is truly a renaissance man.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Amiel Gladstone Takes On Lucia's Mad Scene

Photo credit: Fabrice Glover

Stage Director Amiel Gladstone is well-known in the Canadian theatre community, having directed a great many productions for companies such as Belfry Theatre, Theatre Replacement, Electric Company and the Arts Club.

Amiel took on the role as Assistant Director for VO's Eugene Onegin (2008) and returns as the Stage Director for Lucia di Lammermoor. He's also directed the Vancouver Opera In Schools touring production of Jack Pine and is the recipient of a Vancouver Opera Foundation Award, a Vancouver Opera Guild Emerging Artist Award, and two Jessie Awards.

Press play to listen to Amiel, who was a panelist at Opera Speaks, talk about how he set up the famous "mad scene" in VO's production of Lucia di Lammermoor.



~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Twenty Questions With Michael Fabiano

American tenor Michael Fabiano is instantly recognizable from the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions documentary, The Audition. Young, determined and fiercely talented, Michael Fabiano is quickly establishing himself as a major talent.

His recent appearances include singing Duca in Rigoletto with English National Opera and Dresden Semperoper, Alfredo in La traviata with Teatro San Carlo and Raffaele in Stiffelio with the Metropolitan Opera.




Michael Fabiano makes his Vancouver Opera debut as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor.

VO catches up with Michael for a round of 20 questions.

Guilty musical pleasure?
Why do I have to feel guilty???

Where do you love to sing?
The Metropolitan Opera and English National Opera

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Being with my family

To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
Pralines and Cream Haagen Daaz Ice Cream

Who are your favourite heroes/heroines of fiction?
I don't read fiction; I enjoy biographies.

Who are your favourite characters in history?
Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower

Who are your favourite heroes/heroines in real life?
My father

Who is your favourite author?
Too many to mention

Your favourite musician?
Not answerable

Your favourite composer?
The one I'm listening to at the moment

What quality do you most admire in a person?
Straightforwardness

Your favourite virtue?
Trustworthiness

Your favourite occupation?
OPERA SINGER

What did you want to be as a child?
Baseball umpire

Your most marked characteristic?
My directness

What do you most value in your friends?
Loyalty

For what would you like to be remembered?
That I've made a viable artistic and social contribution

What natural gift would you most like to possess?
I feel that I've been so blessed; I couldn't dream of asking for more

What is your motto?
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

What non-opera song do you rock?
I don't.

A Trio of San Francisco Operas

We love it when our globe-trotting, opera-loving friends visit other cities. That's because they love telling us all about the amazing operas they saw! D.S. Spring, a long-time patron and subscriber to Vancouver Opera loves to share her thoughts on the operas she's seen on her travels. This year she's enjoyed operas in London, Paris, Santa Fe and Seattle.

D.S.'s shares with us her most recent trip to San Francisco Opera:

9 November 2010
Cyrano de Bergerac by Franco Alfano


Photo credit: Cory Weaver

Plácido Domingo can sing anything and I would love it! And, yes, he sang the lead in this opera and I loved it. He and Roberto Alagna have recently revived this rather obscure opera by Alfano, whose main claim to fame was completing Turandot after Puccini’s death. This opera is based on the life story of 17th century poet and freelancer, Cyrano de Bergerac with his grotesque nose and his secret love for Roxane, portrayed beautifully by Spanish soprano, Ainhoa Arteta. It is sprinkled with humour and fight scenes which add to a very entertaining performance. The realistic sets were originally designed for the production at the Téâtre du Châtelet in Paris in 2009. Alfano’s music, though not spectacular or memorable, was very supportive of the singers and actions on stage under the baton of conductor Patrick Fournillier.

Sometimes when I hear a revival of an obscure opera, I come away thinking that there is good reason to leave the opera in obscurity. Such was not the case with Alfano’s Cyrano De Bergerac. Even though the music was somewhat mundane, it is a sweet love story and the opera is well structured and entertaining. It is an opera worth staging and seeing again.


10 November 2010
The Makropulos Case by Leoš Janáček


Photo credit: Cory Weaver

Finnish soprano, Karita Mattila, was absolutely fabulous as Emilia Marty. Her versatility, charisma and stage-presence make this a perfect role for her. It was difficult to believe that this performance was her debut in this role. This was also the premier of a brand new production co-produced with Finnish National Opera, and with Production Designer, Frank Philipp Schlössmann, and Director, Olivier Tambosi. The sets, very effective for this opera, were quite stylized in black, white and shades of grey.

The lush music of Janáček in combination with the stylized stage-setting and the drama in the story made for a very memorable performance.


11 November 2010
Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini


Photo credit: Cory Weaver

Well, two good performances out of three on an opera trip aren’t bad. Unfortunately, this performance was the one not worth seeing. What a mish-mash! Soprano, Daniella Dessi, was mis-cast as Butterfly. Her voice was a heavy Tosca voice, not a Butterfly voice. I am not sure what Director, Jose Maria Condemi, was thinking. Even though the revolving set was very realistic and Japanese-like, there was nothing Japanese about the acting on stage. Hand gestures were very Italian, which was okay for Pinkerton, sung by Stefano Secco, but not for Butterfly, Goro. Prince Yamadori or the Bonze. Butterfly showed no infatuation with Pinkerton in the first act making the end of the first act rather lame. Then Koken stage-hands, borrowed from Kabuki theater, moved props around, which seemed quite unnecessary and rather distracting throughout. The waiting scene with the humming chorus offstage in the second act, which normally is one of the most beautiful scenes in all of opera, was totally ruined by having the black-clad Koken figures revolve the stage a full 360 degrees.

Madama Butterfly, is an opera that I have always considered perfect in construction. Every note and every word is essential in the composition. But obviously, even a perfectly composed opera can be spoiled by a poor production, which is what happened here.


~ D.S. Spring

Mayor Arts Awards: Betty Lou Phillips

Congratulations to Betty Lou Phillips for being recognized by the Mayor's Arts Awards for volunteerism in support of the arts! Betty Lou is a longtime volunteer ambassador with Vancouver Opera and you would often find her helping out down at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre during our productions.

The awards presentation, co-produced by the Alliance for Arts and Culture, will take place on Wednesday November 2 at Club Five Sixty. The 2010 Mayor's Arts Awards recognizes local artists as well as community members making outstanding and creative contributions to our city.

This year's recipients include:

Studio Arts:
Ruth Scheuing (Sharon Kallis) for Craft & Design
Frank Pabst (Canadian World Culinary Olympics Youth Team) for Culinary Arts
Cease Wyss (Dustin Rivers) for Film & New Media
Evelyn Lau (Kaitlin Fontana) for Literary Arts
Christos Dikeakos (Alex Morrison) for Visual Arts
George Norris (Reece Terris) for Public Art
Carmen Rosen (Maggie Winston) for Community Arts

Performing Arts:
Alvin Erasga Tolentino (Sujit Vaidya) for Dance
Sal Ferreras (Evan Arntzen) for Music
Norman Armour (Tanya Marquardt) for Theatre

Support of the Arts:
Yosef Wosk for Philanthropy;
Betty Lou Phillips for Volunteerism;
Rio Tinto Alcan for Business Support.

Other artists to be recognized include: 2010 Mayor’s Book Award winners Bruce Grenville and Scott Steedman; Artist Live/Work Award recipients (2009 - 2012) Althea Thauberger, Michelle Allard, Josh Beamish and Kristen Roos; and Poet Laureate (2009-2011) Brad Cran.

Mayor Gregor Robertson will be on hand, along with MC Bill Richardson, to give out awards.

Congratulations to everyone from Vancouver Opera on such a prestigious honour!

Twenty Questions with Thomas Macleay

A native of Montreal, tenor Thomas Macleay is making his Vancouver Opera debut as Arturo Bucklaw in Lucia di Lammermoor. Thomas had previously sung the role of Arturo with L'Opéra de Québec.

Thomas also has a connection with VO's world premiere of Lillian Alling, singing Jimmy, Bobby, Kristian and Charlie in our 4th workshop (May 2009)

Thomas will appear next in Salome with L'Opéra de Montréal and Mary's Wedding with Pacific Opera Victoria.



VO catches up with Thomas for a round of 20 Questions.

Guilty musical pleasure?
Katy Perry

Where do you love to sing?
Anywhere

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Sunday morning.

To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
Staying up late.

Who are your favourite heroes/heroines of fiction?
Astroboy

Who are your favourite characters in history?
Jesus Christ and Gandhi

Who are your favourite heroes/heroines in real life?
Jesus Christ and Ghandi

Who is your favourite author?
Kurano Natsuo

Your favourite musician?
Jonathan Darlington

Your favourite composer?
John Estacio.

What quality do you most admire in a person?
Compassion

Your favourite virtue?
Patience. No, courage.

Your favourite occupation?
Mine.

What did you want to be as a child?
A Beatle.

Your most marked characteristic?
Understatement.

What do you most value in your friends?
Intelligence.

For what would you like to be remembered?
These twenty questions.

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

What is your motto?
Quaecumque vera (Whatsoever things are true)

What non-opera song do you rock?
All of them.

Get O.U.T.! With Lucia

Oh happy day! If you're between 18-29 and love you some opera, then today's your day!

Call our ticketing centre at 604.683.0222 for Get O.U.T.! tickets and give them promo code 2987 to purchase selected seats for Lucia di Lammermoor for a mere $25! That's a savings of up to 75%! Ticket limit is 2 per person. Tickets can be purchased by phone, in person or on the web.

Quantities are limited so hurry! Some conditions apply.

Tickets are only available for pick-up the night of the show at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. In order to pick up single tickets or subscription tickets, EACH patron must show valid photo ID that identifies them as between the ages of 18 – 29.

*This offer is not valid on previously purchased tickets and cannot be combined with any other offer.

Designed for a younger audience but not exclusive to students, Get O.U.T. is the first ticket program of its kind for a major arts organization in Vancouver.

Lucia Gets QR Coded

Our behind-the-scenes QR codes are back for Lucia di Lammermoor!

Street posters, as well as, bus shelter posters are now up and in your neighbourhoods.

Here's where you can find the bus shelter posters:

* King Edward Avenue and Laurel Street
* Main Street and 16th Avenue
* Broadway and Larch Street
* Cambie Street and 61st Avenue
* Commercial Street and Adanac Street
* East 49th Avenue and Knight Street
* Fraser Street and East 23rd Avenue
* Nanaimo Street and East Hastings Street
* SW Marine Drive and Granville Street
* West Boulevard and 51st Street

Just look for the QR code on the lower right hand side of the poster. Scan the code with your smartphone and get some very interesting facts about the stars of Lucia di Lammermoor.

All to get you that much more excited come opening night!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Western Canada Winners of the Met Auditions

Left to right: David Gibbons, Michael Nyby, Alicia Woynarski, Sylvia Szadovszki, Xiao Dong Zhang and Michael MacKinnon.

Big thanks to everyone who came out for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Western Canada District Auditions on November 14 at the Vancouver Academy of Music. Thanks to Dawne Dye, former member of the VO Chorus, and the Vancouver Opera Guild for hosting and organizing the event.

Thirty five singers came out and sang their hearts out for judges Richard Gaddes, former director of the Sante Fe Opera Company, Cynthia Munzer, an internationally known mezzo-soprano from Los Angeles and a professor at USCThornton School of Music and Christine Bullin, former director of San Francisco Opera Center and present director of San Francisco's Chantecleer.

It was a toughie, what with so many talented singers!

The 5 winners of the competition are David Gibbons (who won the Encouragement Award), Michael Nyby, Alicia Woynarski, Sylvia Szadovszki, Xiao Dong Zhang and Michael MacKinnon. The winners will share the $4500 prize money which was provided by the Vancouver Opera Guild. The quintet will go onto the Northwest Finals which takes place in Seattle on January 16.

One step closer to landing a coveted spot with the Met! Good luck to everyone in January!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Lucia di Lammermoor: Cast Interviews

Video by Bombshelter Productions & Mike McKinley

The story of Lucia is about a young girl who is very romantic and in love with the wrong person, someone who is feuding with her family. Through various machinations, she descends into madness and the whole thing ends in a very romantic and tragic way. - Amiel Gladstone

It's a story that anybody would relate to because everybody remembers probably what it was like to be 16 and in love. - Gregory Dahl

This piece is unique in that you can't always see the direction that the music's going in. Sure, there's choruses, there's cavatinas, there's cabalettas but there's not always an order to the madness, which is different than some of the other operas that Donizetti's composed. - Michael Fabiano

It's one of the beautiful Italian operas, so you'll get all the spectacles in terms of the beautiful sets, the lighting and full chorus. Also, the cast that's been assembled is just some of the world-class talents so that the singing, matched with Donizetti's music, is stunning. - Amiel Gladstone

Don't miss out! Get your tickets now!

Single tickets starting at $29 (plus handling fee). Call our ticketing centre at 604.683.0222 or purchase online here.

BONUS: To get your free Lucia di Lammermoor poster with your tickets, give our box office PROMO CODE 2956 when you call in or enter PROMO CODE 2956 on the login page on our website.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

A Cinderella Christmas

You're invited to VO's production of Cinderella!

Sunday, November 28, 2:00PM
Vancouver Academy of Music
1270 Chestnut Street, Vancouver

Tickets $10

To book your tickets, contact:

Lore Hoffman 604.738.2034 or loreh@shaw.ca
Pat Hancock 604.874.4042 or pehancock@shaw.ca

Following the performance, there'll be carol sing-a-longs, a silent auction, Christmas crafts, refreshments and cookies.

Special thanks to Vancouver Opera Guild for all they do! The VOG sponsors the Education programs such as VOIS (Vancouver Opera in Schools) and MWO (Music! Words! Opera), awards scholarships to young singers and organizes the Met auditions on an entirely volunteer basis! Plus, they make the best goodies for our VOIS receptions!

Vancouver Opera & VIFF Presents…

A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE
Wednesday, 24 November
Doors: 6:30pm Guest Speaker: 7:15pm
Vancity Film Centre, 1181 Seymour Street, Vancouver

Regular admission: $11/$9 senior or student
(includes $2 Vancity Film Centre membership)

John Cassavetes // USA 1974 // 155 min
Cast: Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, Katherine Cassavetes, Lady Rowlands, Matthew Cassel.

One of the seminal films of the seventies, John Cassavetes’ wrenching dissection of a blue-collar marriage is a devastating tale of ordinary madness. Mabel Longhetti (Gena Rowlands) is a housewife and mother, loving and devoted to her family but ill-equipped for the long hours of isolation and solitude that come with the job. The film concerns two betrayals in Mabel’s marriage: the first, a drunken one-night stand; the second, a retaliatory act that threatens to tear the family apart. Gena Rowlands’ portrait of a woman plunged into derangement is one of the most extraordinary performances in all of cinema, while Cassavetes – Rowlands’ husband– described this as his “most optimistic” film.

This screening is presented in conjunction with Vancouver Opera’s production of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, December 4 – 11th, another tragedy of marriage, family, and madness. Set in the brooding lowlands of Scotland, Lucia di Lammermoor’s heartbreaking drama of fatal family dynamics and its portrait of a fragile innocent woman are profoundly affecting. Passion, romance, filial love, loyalty and betrayal are all expressed in this exquisite bel canto score.

A Woman Under the Influence will be introduced by film critic and Vancity Theatre programming coordinator Tom Charity, whose critical biography John Cassavetes: Lifeworks was published by Omnibus Press in 2001.

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

To buy tickets, click here.

Last Chance to Subscribe – Amazing 3 for 2 Offer!

It’s your last chance to subscribe for the 2010-2011 season and we have an amazing deal for you. See the 3 remaining operas for the price of 2!* And receive all the benefits of subscribing! This includes FREE ticket exchanges, invitations to exclusive subscriber events, discounts on additional single tickets and so much more. But hurry! There is limited availability in selected seats. And this offer expires Wednesday November 24th so call today and become a VO subscriber!

To redeem this great offer, call the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222 and quote the promo code 2980.

*Offer valid in sections A-E. Not valid on previously purchased subscriptions and cannot be combined with any other offers. Some conditions may apply.

VO used QR codes to promote Lillian, It is amazing!!!! *Was it a special Marketing campaign? *Why did you decided to use QR code?* Did the company measure the success?*Is it what you expected?*What'd you change if you wanted to do campaign again?Tnx

Thanks for the question!

We'll be using QR codes for all our operas this season. Prior to the show, we'll have one QR code that followers can scan to get a behind-the-scenes look at the production. This code can be found on our outdoor posters and bus shelter posters.

Down at the theatre, you can find 4 QR codes on a poster in the lobby, with each QR code featuring something different. These 4 QR codes can also be found in our house program, so you can scan them at home and after the performance ends.

With smartphones on the rise, we thought implementing QR codes might be a fun way to enhance our patron's experiences of the opera.

The Lillian Alling opera was the first time we've used QR codes, but the feedback we received have been very positive. As QR codes are fairly new to North Americans, we're looking forward to seeing QR codes really take off. (I see more and more retailers making use of QR codes)

We hope to be highlighting different QR code exclusives with every opera. Stay tuned!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Ask me anything

Is it possible for you to get a decent map of the theater on you site? It's so tiny, even when expanded. I hate trying to find a seat on there. PLEASE can you remedy this? Thanks!

Thanks for the question!

We soon will be replacing the seating map that currently exists on the main page with the one you can see when you go to buy a ticket.

Doug Tuck, Director of Marketing & Community Programs

Ask me anything

Goin' On The Road!

School shows – Who decides what’s going on the road and how it gets there?

Vancouver Opera in Schools is now in its 39th year of operation, bringing the world of professional opera to school students and general communities throughout the province.

A few years ago, former VOIS Manager Patrick LeBlanc and I thought that we'd like to come up with a 7-year cycle of operas that would be:

a) suitable for elementary school students (i.e., not too violent, not too sexy and not too abstract – as you can imagine, the standard operatic repertoire list was reduced quite quickly!)

b) a mixture of adaptations and original works, (here "budget‟ quickly presented its head)

c) able to be tied into either current curricula or issues/topics being discussed/examined in schools, and

d) able to be done with 4 singers, a stage manager and a pianist, all travelling in vans filled with sets, costumes, wigs and, oh yes, their day-to-day luggage.

After an in-depth analysis of the history of VOIS repertoire, we came up with a list that, if we could pull it off financially, would ensure that students would not see the same production twice during their elementary school careers. (This, of course, is dependent on the education system retaining its policy of not holding back students for a full year, but don't get me started on that!)

So, our list met the a), b) c) and d) criteria listed above and we've been moving forward with that model for the past few years.

This year's school opera is Cinderella, based on Rossini's masterpiece La Cenerentola; our version is a re-mount of the 45 minute adaptation done by Ann Hodges and Les Dala, (then, VO's Repetiteur) and originally produced in the 2003-04 school year. For this year's tour, we retained the services of Drew Facey (whose talent was witnessed in last year's Jack Pine) as our Set & Costume Designer, Rachel Peake as Stage Director and Kinza Tyrrell, (VO's current Principal Repetiteur), as Music Director.

It's a terrific show, and already proving to be a winner in the schools! That the run sold-out before our first performance is an indicator of the show‟s popularity, as well as of the trust that school teachers administrators place in the VO's history of outstanding productions.

Once the show is decided upon, Melissa Tsang, (current VOIS Manager), begins discussions with the Stage Director and Set/Costume Designer to come up with a new, interesting and affordable design concept for the show. Next, we enter the audition phase, where the audition panel, including myself and Melissa, listens and interacts with potential cast members to find the best possible combination of singer, actor, 'team member' and all-round good 'roomie' for those long days and weeks on the road driving through our spectacular province!

After checking availability of rehearsal space, performers, music staff and favourable budgets, rehearsals – and the fun – begin. And presto, in a matter of two weeks, we have a brand, spanking new show, ready to hit the road! Of course, there are public relations, advertising, contracts, scheduling, and miscellaneous other paperwork, but they are eventually achieved and the vans leave town with high expectations and ready-and-willing audiences.

To say that the process is complicated is a significant understatement. Given that the VOIS is VO‟s ambassador to every part of the province, it's paramount that the production reflects the outstanding professionalism of our Mainstage productions; we firmly believe we have met that standard, especially given the fact that, as previously mentioned, the entire production, including cast and crew, has to fit into just two regular-sized panel vans!

The other shows in „the cycle‟ in alphabetical order, include:

Barber of Barkerville (adaptation)
Hansel & Gretel (adaptation)
Jack Pine (original)
Magic Flute - Box of Shadows (adaptation)
Naomi’s Road (original)

We also hope to add another original production to the cycle.

If you have any questions about anything to do with VOIS, please contact either myself (604.331.4834) or Melissa (604.331.4835). Thanks for your continued support and interest.

~ Michael Grice, Director of Education

Lucia On Your Wall

Artwork by Leonard Dente

We're offering a little Lucia di Lammermoor keepsake to go with your night at the opera. The posters, which measure 19" x 28", are the one you'll be seeing around town.

Hang it up in your house or at your office, they look great anywhere. The posters also make a great stocking stuffer for the opera-lover in your life. (Christmas is ONLY 5 weeks away!)

So how does one get a poster?

Option 1.

Call the good folks at our ticketing centre and give them PROMO CODE 2956 when you purchase your Lucia tickets.

Option 2.

Purchase your tickets online and enter PROMO CODE 2956 The promo box can be found under the username and password box on the login page. (click on the image to view)


Get your tickets and posters now!

Single tickets starting at $29 (plus handling fee). Call our ticketing centre at 604.683.0222 or purchase online here.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Q & A With Lucia's Michael, Gregory & Burak

When did Michael, Gregory and Burak start singing, and why or when they knew singing was ‘it’ for them?

Greg, what have you done to prepare for this first performance as Enrico? Is it any different than your normal routine?

That's just a sample of the questions that are coming in for the sit-down with Lucia di Lammermoor's Michael Fabiano, Gregory Dahl and Burak Bilgili.

Get your questions in to the fellas by Friday, November 19. We'll be recording Michael, Gregory and Burak's answers by video and posting it right here on our blog and our Youtube channel the following week.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Passionata with Measha Brueggergosman

Photo credit: Alex Gardner

Passionata! featuring Measha Brueggergosman

Vancouver Opera presents a night of glittering dreams and passionate artistry.

Dine on sublime culinary creations. Be swept away by Canada’s most captivating soprano. Experience a world-class collection of contemporary art.

Join us at the Rennie Gallery at the Wing Sang Building
Thursday, April 7th, 2011
Tickets available for a limited number of passionistas!

Benefitting the Vancouver Opera in the Schools Program

For more information and tickets, please call 604.682.2871 Ext. 4850.

Show-To-Go: Cinderella

When a creative team tells you their show is pop-and-punk-inspired, an opera by Rossini is not something that normally comes into one's mind. But that is exactly what the stage director Rachel Peake and set and costume designer Drew Facey wanted, and successfully achieved, with this season's Vancouver Opera In Schols (VOIS) tour Cinderella, while the delightful music of Rossini has fully blossomed under the flawless music direction of Kinza Tyrrell.



The tour van is shared by the stage manager Rebecca Craster, pianist Tina Chang, and singers (in the SATB order) Cat Affleck (the wickedly hilarious stepsister Clorinda and lending an arm to Tisbe), Erin Lawson (Cenerentola), Brian Lee (Prince Ramiro), and Joshua McFaul (Alidoro). Since there are only four singers in the ensemble, the role of Tisbe went to a puppet – with a full presence equal to its human counterparts. It even cat-fights with Clorinda! Sometimes magic does not require a wand. The ensemble simply enthralled the audience of the final dress rehearsal on September 11. The show is now on the road until the end of November.

~ Melissa Tsang, VOIS Manager

Rockin' Around The Clock

When Chris Walters is not rocking the phones and providing excellent customer service to our patrons, our Manager of Ticket Centre Operations rocks it with his band, Guided by Robots.

On Saturday, November 13th the Anza Club proudly presents the 9th Annual Guided by Robots show – a musical tribute to Ohio’s beer-swilling sons Guided by Voices.

As always the show will kick off with local rockers SK Robot and vocalist Kevin Perley ripping through a couple of sets of Guided By Voices classics. Then it’s time to bring out the inner Pollard in you as the karaoke portion of the evening allows audience members the chance to sing songs from the set list along with the band. (Set list and lyric sheets will be provided.)

Don’t miss one of the best parties of the year – or something like that. Admission is by donation and all the money raised will go to the Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter. (Your generosity in the last few years has resulted in over $3000 donated to this great organization!)

Head down to downstairs door at the Anza Club at 3 W. 8th Avenue. The show starts at 9pm.

Speed on!

Setting The Tragedy

Ancient clan hatred.

Madness and murder.

Devastating consequences.

All set amongst the brooding lowlands of Scotland, a country known for its castles, lochs, moors, remote glens and the wild North Sea. What a perfect setting for all the deception and tragedy found in Lucia di Lammermoor.

Here's your first look at our Lucia di Lammermoor set, rented from San Francisco Opera and designed by Gerard Howland:













A dark set for Lucia's dark side. Can't hardly wait.

Photo credit: Ken Friedman

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Inquiring Minds Want To Know

What do you get when you put tenor Michael Fabiano, baritone Gregory Dahl and bass-baritone Burak Bilgili together in one room?

Your opportunity to ask the Lucia di Lammermoor singers anything you want!

VO is crowd-sourcing for your questions! Got a burning question to ask one of the singers? Or perhaps a question directed to two of them? Or how about a question that the whole group can answer? Go ahead and ask!

We'll be recording Michael, Gregory and Burak's answers by video and posting it right here on our blog and our Youtube channel.

Please submit your questions to lchan@vancouveropera.ca by Friday, November 19.

The fellas are looking forward to your questions!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Meet the Lucia di Lammermoor Cast

Ravishing Cuban-American coloratura soprano Eglise Gutiérrez, who thrilled Vancouver audiences as Gilda in 2009’s Rigoletto, returns to Vancouver Opera in the title role of Donizetti’s thrilling masterpiece of madness and murder, Lucia di Lammermoor.

“Ms. Gutiérrez is the full package” raved the Georgia Straight in 2009. Reviewers in other cities agree, praising her “liquid phrasing of difficult passages, easy production of pianissimos, noteperfect acuti and passionate communication of text.” (Opera News). “Can the human voice box actually issue the soaring trills that Eglise Gutiérrez emits?” asks the Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Gutiérrez's voice swells, ebbs and performs more loop-the-loops than any rollercoaster at Busch Gardens.”

The role of Lucia demands a technically proficient soprano who is capable of singing the difficult “coloratura” (ornamentation of melody) called for in the score. The technique is showcased during Lucia’s famous mad scene (“Il dolce suono…”), which allows sopranos to add additional trills, runs and other colorations to demonstrate their ability and to excite audiences. Eglise Gutiérrez has joined the ranks of singers such as Maria Callas and Dame Joan Sutherland, who became celebrated for
their performances of this demanding and thrilling role.




Joining her in his VO debut will be rising star tenor Michael Fabiano as Edgardo. Mr. Fabiano was seen in 2007’s Metropolitan Opera National council auditions documentary The Audition. “He sings phenomenally: strong, unforced, in tone, full of swagger…Incredibly, he is just 25.” raved The Times (London).
















Canadian baritone Gregory Dahl, “an expressive singer blessed with a rich, bold voice”(Opera Canada) also returns to the VO stage in his role debut of Enrico.















Turkish-American bass Burak Bilgili (Ms. Gutiérrez’s real-life husband) returns as Raimondo, for the first time since his towering performances as Banquo in 2006’s Macbeth. “He is simply sensational,” declares Toronto’s Classical 96.3FM, “with a thrilling, commanding, passionate voice layered with wonderful phrasing and ease of delivery.”








Also appearing are tenor Thomas Macleay as Arturo, with soprano Dionne Sellinger as Alisa and tenor John Arsenault as Normanno.




The stage director is prominent Vancouver-based playwright and director Amiel Gladstone, in his VO mainstage debut. VO Music Director Jonathan Darlington conducts the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and Vancouver Opera Chorus (Leslie Dala, Associate Conductor and Chorus Director).

Get your tickets now!

Single tickets starting at $29 (plus handling fee). Call our ticketing centre at 604.683.0222 or purchase online here.

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