Sep 10, 2020

95-YEAR-OLD ARTS LOVER WALKING 96 KM TO RAISE $96,000 FOR FOUR LOCAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS

Winnipeg arts lover, Dr. Douglas MacEwan, is soon turning 96, but nothing is slowing him down when it comes to supporting his favourite arts groups. He has taken on a challenge people half his age wouldn’t even consider: walking one kilometer every day for 96 days in order to raise $96,000 to be divided evenly between Winnipeg’s four major performing arts organizations – Manitoba Opera, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

Born in Ottawa, ON, this WWII veteran trained as a medical doctor specializing in radiology and moved to Winnipeg in 1966 to work at the HSC/University of Manitoba. He cares deeply about the arts in the city he has called home for years. When the pandemic hit and stages went black, he knew he wanted to help to ensure the footlights shine again and performers are able to return to the stage when the time is right.

“I wanted to do something to ensure that future generations, including my eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, grow up in a city with a thriving performing arts community,” explains Dr. MacEwan.

An anonymous sponsor has agreed to donate $500 for every kilometer Dr. MacEwan walks, plus an additional $500 for each day he finds someone to walk with. Dr. MacEwan makes sure to take a selfie with his walking buddies, and his daughter, Eleanor, is assembling a book to commemorate the project.

By the time Dr. MacEwan finishes his challenge on November 11 – his 96^th birthday – he will have raised a total of $96,000 for the performing arts in Winnipeg. As an extra incentive, if Dr. MacEwan completes the challenge, the sponsor has offered to round up the donation to $100,000.

“Dr. MacEwan is a very compassionate, caring individual and is an inspiration to us all,” commented Larry Desrochers, Manitoba Opera’s General Director & CEO, speaking on behalf of the four recipient organizations. “He has been a long-standing patron of all our organizations; he has been attending Manitoba Opera productions since 1972 when we were in our infancy. To take on such a challenge at any age, but certainly as a nonagenarian is truly remarkable and deserves our deepest respect. That he has chosen to do this for Winnipeg’s arts community is very inspiring.”

Aug 10, 2020

ARTISTS SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN COMPANY’S FIRST DIGITAL EMERGING ARTISTS PROGRAM ANNOUNCED

Manitoba Opera (MO) announced the names of the four applicants who were selected to participate in the company’s first Digital Emerging Artists Program (DEAP). This four-week intensive online professional development program launched August 4. They are soprano Sydney Baedke (born in Medicine Hat, AB and currently residing in Toronto); mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Hoyt-Surdhar (born in Edmonton, AB and currently residing in Winnipeg); tenor Kaden Forsberg (born in Edmonton, AB and currently residing in Montreal); and baritone Nicholas Borg (born in London, ON and currently residing in Toronto).

The successful artists were selected from 48 applications received from Canadian emerging operatic artists between the ages of 18 and 35. The selection team was comprised of the four core faculty members: Tracy Dahl, Monica Huisman, Marion Newman, and John Tessier, all professional singers/voice instructors, and Manitoba Opera General Director & CEO, Larry Desrochers.

“Being selected as a digital emerging artist with Manitoba Opera has not only allowed for me to remain engaged with this industry and my growth as a young singer during this difficult time, but has also presented an invigorating opportunity to contribute to what opera will look like in 2020,” explains participant Sydney Baedke. “It is inspiring to be involved in Manitoba Opera’s digital artistic initiative, and I’m so grateful for this new, exciting platform.”

Nicholas Borg added, “Getting the opportunity to work with the Manitoba Opera team means that even in spite of the pandemic I can continue my artistic development with incredible mentors. The program’s focus on digital creation means that we will be able to share our art with a wide audience in innovative ways.”

The program of daily educational and professional development activities includes voice lessons, masterclasses, and webinars on topics such as language coaching, diction, life skills, and career development. As well, each participant will exit the program with a professionally recorded audition video to be used to help launch the next phase of their careers.

“In this time of uncertainty for everyone in the arts, young and established, MO has turned their focus to helping young artists. This amazing program is a renaissance in very bleak times for the performing arts. If we don’t support these young singers through this period, it will be a very different arts world at the other end,” explains Monica Huisman, core faculty member. “I for one couldn’t be more proud of how proactive and leading edge MO has been during this time in creating this nurturing, informative, motivating, and paid opportunity for these amazing young singers.”

Manitoba Opera’s Digital Emerging Artists Program is supported by the RBC Emerging Artists Project.

The RBC Emerging Artists Project supports organizations that provide meaningful opportunities to advance artists’ career trajectories. The Project has supported over 24,000 artists since its inception.

“We’re thrilled that RBC has come on board to help support the important program for emerging artists.  Perhaps now, more than ever, the next generation artists need the support of programs like the RBC Emerging Artist Project as they look toward building their future careers,” said General Director and CEO, Larry Desrochers.

Jul 16, 2020

Manitoba Opera Launches Digital Emerging Artists Program

Applications are now being accepted for Manitoba Opera’s first Digital Emerging Artists Program which will be held next month (August 2020). This four-week intensive online professional development program is open to emerging operatic artists between the ages of 18-35. Four participants will be selected to hone their artistic skills while developing the tools necessary to create online content.

“We are very pleased to be launching our first online education program for young artists,” commented Larry Desrochers, General Director & CEO. “The program will create enriching employment opportunities for emerging and established artists at a time when they need support more than ever.”

The program’s core faculty consists of four widely acclaimed professional singers/instructors: sopranos Tracy Dahl and Monica Huisman; mezzo-soprano Marion Newman; and tenor John Tessier.

The core faculty will be curating four weeks’ worth of daily educational and professional development activities for participants. The program will include guest teaching artists, masterclasses, and webinars on topics such as language coaching, diction, audio and video production, and career development. As well, each participant will leave the program with a professionally recorded audition video to be used to help launch the next phase of their careers.

To apply and for more information, go to https://mbopera.ca/deap.

Jun 29, 2020

Manitoba Opera Announces Cancellation of 2020/21 Season Opening Production of Sweeney Todd

Manitoba Opera announced today that the 2020/21 season opening production, Sweeney Todd, is cancelled.  The company made the decision to cancel the Manitoba premiere of this Broadway masterpiece scheduled to run at the Centennial Concert Hall November 7, 10, and 13, owing to a number of reasons in response to the pandemic.

“The Board of Trustees and I came to this conclusion based on a number of factors,” explained Larry Desrochers, General Director & CEO. “First and foremost, the safety of our patrons, artists, crew, staff, and volunteers is of paramount importance, and we do not believe that we can guarantee the appropriate level of safety for a full-scale production at this time.

The Province has indicated that it will not be reviewing the re-opening of large venues like the Centennial Concert Hall until September. To prepare a production for November, chorus rehearsals would normally start in August, and rehearsals are not possible with social distancing in place.

Social distancing measures that must be in place for the audience in the Centennial Concert Hall reduces the number of available seats to sell and that means producing large-scale productions is not economically viable at this time.”

Though the fall production has been cancelled, Manitoba Opera will continue to present opera throughout the year. Plans have been developed for a variety of artistic, community engagement, and education programming.  Some events will be online, some live, and others will be a combination of both, depending on circumstances.

Mar 16, 2020

ANNOUNCEMENT: PERFORMANCES OF CARMEN CANCELLED MARCH 28, 31, APRIL 3, 2020

ANNOUNCEMENT: MANITOBA OPERA EVENTS UPDATE

PERFORMANCES OF CARMEN CANCELLED
MARCH 28, 31, APRIL 3, 2020;

GALA RECEPTION IN HONOUR OF TANNIS M. RICHARDSON APRIL 16 POSTPONED

Manitoba Opera announced today that the run of Carmen, scheduled for March 28, 31, and April 3, at the Centennial Concert Hall, has been cancelled following the recommendations of the Province of Manitoba’s public health authorities to limit gatherings larger than 250 in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

“I want to thank our patrons, supporters and stakeholders for their patience as we organized ourselves in preparation for this announcement,” said Larry Desrochers, General Director & CEO.  “Of course, this decision is a disappointment to both patrons who were looking forward to the production and the artists who were eager to perform, but clearly necessary in this time of crisis.”

In the coming days, Manitoba Opera will be in communication with Carmen ticket holders with more information about options for their tickets and appreciate their patience during these unprecedented circumstances.

The company has also postponed the Gala Reception honouring Tannis M. Richardson to the fall and will be providing more information on this event as it is finalized.

The Dinner at DeLuca’s event May 14 is still on schedule to occur, but advisories from public health officials will be monitored over the coming weeks and if necessary, that will be postponed as well.

Mar 10, 2020

CARMEN, THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR OPERA, CLOSES MANITOBA OPERA’S 2019/20 SEASON

Considered to be one of the world’s most popular operas, Carmen, the sexy thriller that seduces the audience with every note, will be presented by Manitoba Opera at the Centennial Concert Hall Saturday, March 28 (7:30 pm), Tuesday, March 31, (7 pm), and Friday, April 3 (7:30 pm).  Set in Spain, Carmen tells the story of a passionate, free-spirited woman who can have any man she wants, but when she seduces the young soldier Don José only to cast him aside for the handsome bullfighter, she seals her tragic fate.  Carmen will be sung in French with French dialogue and projected English projections.

For tickets call 204-944-8824, go online at mbopera.ca, or in person at the MO Box Office, lower level, Centennial Concert Hall (9:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday).  Seniors, students, and youth discounts are available.

Carmen is unrivalled in its list hit melodies and recognizable music, including Carmen’s smoky Habanera, Don José’s Flower Song, and the rousing Toreador Song.  Over 140 years after its premiere in Paris, composer Georges Bizet’s opera continues to captivate audiences around the globe.

“Who can resist the sensuous music of Bizet? With its lavish score and brilliant orchestration, Carmen is an irresistible theatrical event. Last performed by the company in 2010, we are very pleased to bring this opera to the stage for an entirely new audience,” explains Larry Desrochers, General Director & CEO.

Mar 5, 2020

A SEASON THAT CUTS LIKE A KNIFE

Manitoba Opera’s 20/21 Season to Feature

A Manitoba First: Sweeney Todd and the Political Thriller: Tosca

In its 48th season, Manitoba Opera (MO) will be bringing two outstanding works to the stage. Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd – a masterpiece of American repertoire which has won or been nominated for over 60 awards – will open the season November 7, 19, 13, and Puccini’s Tosca – one of opera’s most suspenseful and compelling works – will be presented April 10, 13, 16. Both productions will be presented at the Centennial Concert Hall. For tickets call 204-957-7842 or go to mbopera.ca

These showpieces are unparalleled theatrical experiences. Sweeney Todd is a darkly comic look at poverty and vengeance in Victorian England; Tosca is a first-rate political thriller fueled by jealously, lust, and double crossings. Each features amazing music and arias, edge-of-your-seat stories, sets that will transport you to another time and place – all delivered by a host of incomparable artists from all over North America.

A Manitoba First! This will be the first time that a full-scale production of Sweeney Todd will be presented in the province.  Manitoba Opera is the only arts organization in the province able to present this work as written with a full orchestra, sets, and costumes.

Feb 20, 2020

The Man Behind the Man Behind Carmen 

Prosper Mérimée (1803–1870) was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. He is perhaps best known for his novella Carmen, which became the basis of Bizet’s opera Carmen.

Mérimée was born in Paris. He studied law as well as Greek, Spanish, English, and Russian. He was among the first interpreters of Russian literature in France. Mérimée loved mysticism, history, the unusual, and the mystification, the historical fiction popularized by Sir Walter Scott and the cruelty and psychological drama of Aleksandr Pushkin. Many of his stories are mysteries set in foreign places, Spain and Russia being popular sources of inspiration.

In 1834, Mérimée was appointed to the post of inspector-general of historical monuments, and he was instrumental in the restoration and preservation of many historic sites in France, including the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the citadel Carcassonne. In this official capacity he published numerous reports, some of which, with other similar pieces, have been republished in his works.

Mérimée met and befriended the Countess of Montijo in Spain in 1830 who he credited as being his source for the Carmen story. He coached the Countess’ daughter, Eugenie, during her courtship with Napoleon III (though his correspondence indicates he was opposed to their marriage). When the daughter became Empress Eugénie of France in 1853 he was made a senator.

In 1841, Prosper Mérimée and his friend George Sand* made a major contribution to the history of medieval art by discovering the luminous tapestries of The Lady and the Unicorn during a stay at the Château de Boussac in the Limousin district of central France, which entered immediately into history thanks to the writings of Sand.

Prosper Mérimée died in Cannes, France.

*George Sand was the pseudonym used by Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, a French novelist who is recognized as one of the most notable authors of the Romantic era in Europe.

Jan 28, 2020

A Close Shave for Al Simmons’ The Barber of Seville  

This winter, 18 schools in Winnipeg and southern Manitoba will have the pleasure of experiencing “The Barber of Seville styled by Al Simmons.” However, it is a tour that could have easily never happened. In 2018, the trailer on Al’s property in Anola, Manitoba, that houses all his show props and costumes burnt down, and he lost almost everything.

Commissioned by Manitoba Opera in 2009, Al’s 55-minute version of The Barber of Seville has toured all over the province and become a school favourite that always sells out. In the fall of 2018, the company reached out to Al and proposed he take a crack at rebuilding the beloved show. He was game for the challenge.

Between January 28 and March 6, Al, the master of mischief, mayhem, and madcap-melody, will be presenting his fourth tour of this one-man show to over 8,000 students. For the majority of students, this 55-minute comical look at love, greed, deceit, and close shaves will be their first experience with opera.

We visited with Al recently as he was putting the finishing touches on the new show to chat with him about the rebuilding process.

Following the loss of so many of your costumes and props, you had to rebuild the entire show from the ground up. What was that process like, and did you end up making any changes to the show as a result of rebuilding?

It was heart breaking to lose all the props and costumes from this show. I even had specially designed homemade cases to transport everything.  My script and stage plots were in the cases. Fortunately I had most of the text in my computer. The props were fun to rebuild, even though I couldn’t find some of the parts.

I had used an antique hand cranked blower to create a storm.  A good friend in Connecticut found something similar and sent it to me. My wife, Barb, still had the patterns for the costume so she was able to re-create it. Fortunately, I had lots of photos to work from.  I’m proud to say that my “carrot-scizzors” and “volcano wig” are superior to the first ones I made.

This is the fourth time that you have toured this show for us. What is it about the plot of The Barber of Seville that makes it a good show for student audiences?

The story of love, lies and bullying in this 200-year-old European opera still resonates with today’s youth. The lyrics of the songs come very close to the themes of the current hit parade, proving nothing much has changed over the years. The music touches the soul, and the comedy captivates students as young as kindergarteners. Most students who have seen my show had heard opera before – in a cartoons, movies, or video games – but they don’t realize it until I play them a few popular excerpts.

For this show, you wear a lot of hats – literally! How many different characters do you portray?

I become 10 different people: Figaro, Rosina, Count Almaviva, Dr. Bartolo, Fiorello, Don Basilio, Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, as well as William Tell and his son.

How is this show different than or similar to any of the other shows you perform?

The only similarity between my shows is me. I’m in all the shows! Seriously though folks, all my shows are funny and have wacky props and costumes.  I spend a lot of time hiding education in my comedy – be they science facts, language arts, or just subtle life lessons – I want to leave the audience with information. This show demonstrates that operas are stories that are sung. It also lets folks hear music that they wouldn’t necessarily hear on the radio or on a streaming service.

If you were to pick another opera to set as a one-man show, which one would you choose?

I have always loved Carmen, but starting off a show in a cigarette factory might not be the best idea for elementary kids.

Jan 21, 2020

OPERA.CA ANNOUNCES RECIPIENT OF THE 2020 NATIONAL OPERA DIRECTORS RECOGNITION AWARD — ELBA HAID, CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, MANITOBA OPERA

Toronto, ON – Opera.ca, the national association for opera in Canada, is proud to honour an outstanding opera company board member, Elba Haid, Chair of Manitoba Opera’s (MO) Board of Trustees, as the 2020 recipient of the Opera.ca National Opera Directors Recognition Award.
Now in its 12th year, the National Opera Directors Recognition Award highlights the tenets of good governance, celebrates models of volunteer excellence, and raises the bar for board director commitment.

“The strength and stability of an opera company correlates to the calibre of its volunteer leadership, and strong governance is a crucial factor in an opera company’s success. Elba Haid’s contributions to Manitoba Opera are exemplary, enabling the company to increase its fundraising, eliminate debt, and build a strong foundation for the future,” stated Christina Loewen, Executive Director of Opera.ca. “We are delighted to honour Elba Haid with this award and to celebrate the impact she has made, and continues to make, to Manitoba Opera and by extension to the community of Winnipeg.”

Elba Haid joined the board of Manitoba Opera in 2007. Prior to becoming Chair, she served as Chair of the Annual Gala and of the Camerata Committee (for donors starting at $1,250) during which time gifts and donations increased by 20%. In 2018, she was instrumental in the development of a new fundraising initiative – The Gail Asper Award – named after Winnipeg philanthropist Gail Asper and awarded to individuals who, like its namesake, demonstrate exemplary leadership in the field of endeavor or pursuit of a visionary goal. The event raised $255,000 in support of the company’s programming and education programs.

Dec 19, 2019

The Music of Carmen

Georges Bizet worked in opera theatres during much of his career, mostly as a rehearsal pianist. Prior to the composition of Carmen, he wrote some truly charming music, some salon music, a little symphonic music, and some incidental music for the theatre. He also wrote some operas, many of which were stillborn at birth and others which remained incomplete. None of these works gives us any inkling of the volcanic explosion of ideas that is the score of the four-act Carmen.

The choice of subject is in itself quite telling. In setting the potentially scandalous novella by Prosper Mérimée to music for the staid, family-friendly Opéra Comique, he was thumbing his nose at the social class that supported the very art within which he tried to make his living. So rabidly counter to the traditional fare of audiences that traveled to the Salle Favart was this opera, it couldn’t have been a mistake or a miscalculation. This was virtual artistic suicide, premeditated and fully committed. The music provoked rebellion amongst the orchestral players and chorus members, ignited a furor in the administration of the opera house resulting in the resignation of one of its directors, and scandalized a perplexed audience. The composer died feeling that the work was a complete failure, a tragic irony heightened by the fact that within months of his demise the work was well on its way to being hailed as one of the greatest operas ever written.

Surely one reason for the shock felt by the Carmen’s first audiences is the sheer intimacy of the Salle Favart, then a medium-sized theatre (at least by American standards) of fewer than 2,000 seats with a ‘live’ acoustic. In such close quarters the explosive energy of the overture, the sultry nature of Carmen’s seduction of Don José, and the violence of her murder at the climax of the opera must have stunned the polite bourgeois Parisian audience. The shock value has certainly been overcome with time and endless productions of the opera throughout the world, but the essential theatrical effect remains: Carmen is an opera that brilliantly interconnects plot and subplot with music that communicates an amazing array of the emotions and psychological states of the characters. And it does this at times subtly, and at other times with the blatancy of a velvet-covered hammer.

The opera is brilliantly orchestrated, of course, the composer taking advantage of every timbre at his disposal. The use of the wind instruments to add flashes of color and the brass to add a burnished quality to the bullfighting references brings the story to memorable life. Cymbals, tambourines and castanets add to the Spanish, martial flavor of many important passages. In many ways, it is a typical mid-19th century French orchestration, not dissimilar to the scores of Offenbach and early Massenet. But it is Bizet’s treatment of the orchestra as an equal member of the operatic team that is striking in the context of 1875. Why? Because the orchestra seems to always have the role of playing below the surface. Note how practically every solo moment for the character Carmen is accompanied by a dance rhythm, with the notable exception of the Act III card aria, “En vain pour éviter les réponses amères.” The habanera, the seguidilla, the castanet-accompanied Spanish song in the duet with José, and the gypsy song at the beginning of Act II all conspire to give us a total picture of this person. The dances identify her as a free spirit, a lover, an actor, and above all, a woman who follows her senses beyond all else and who will never be contained by societal, religious, or moral strictures. The music therefore communicates the essence of Carmen, just as the pretty, elegant lines of Micaëla’s music projects her maidenly, village girl persona and the lusty lilt of Escamillo’s Toreador Song portrays his wild, erotic nature.

Don José’s music is of a different quality and is the more remarkable achievement. Bizet’s music for José is sweet and lyrical in Act I, especially in his duet with Micaëla, “Parle moi de ma mere,” perfectly matching the relative innocence and naïve quality that he exhibits at that point. As José deteriorates psychologically, so does his music; by Act III, his vocal lines have become angular, dissonant, even disjointed. He is no longer the same person and his music brilliantly reflects that.

The characters in the opera whose music changes very little are, of course, Escamillo and Micaëla. Micaëla is a stock character from the opera-comique tradition, a peasant girl from the country with a sensitive spirit, but traditionally bound to the moral codes of the village structure, society as she knew it, the church. Her music never evolves from the lyrical nature of the Act I duet; in the Act III aria “Je dis, que rien ne m’épouvante” we meet exactly the same character we met at the beginning of the opera. She hasn’t grown, but then she doesn’t really need to. Escamillo is also a somewhat pivotal, unchanging character. His Toreador Song is lusty, self-confident, alluring, and his music constantly reflects these traits. His only moment of tenderness is the brief duet with Carmen in Act IV, “Si tu m’aimes.” This also happens to include Carmen’s one moment of unison singing with another character, signaling her complete unanimity with the bullfighter, something she never experiences with Don José.

Bizet’s musical characterization reminds one of the operas of Mozart, in which we see a style or type of music (and at times even an entire musical world) given to the characters in order to propel the dramatic action. It is in this accomplishment that Bizet has been most successful and remains the most important factor in the centrality of Carmen in the standard repertoire.

Courtesy of San Diego Opera

Nov 16, 2019

COMPANY PREMIERE OF SUSANNAH OPENS 2019/20 SEASON

COMPANY PREMIERE OF SUSANNAH OPENS 2019/20 SEASON

NOVEMBER 23, 26, 29

A Story of Survival and Standing Up for Your Truth

The moving story of a young woman’s stand for truth against the hypocrisy of her secluded community and the preacher who has designs on more than just her soul, opens Manitoba Opera’s 2019/20 season. The company premiere of Susannah, by the esteemed American composer Carlisle Floyd, will be presented at the Centennial Concert Hall Saturday, November 23 (7:30 pm), Tuesday, November 26, (7 pm), and Friday, November 29 (7:30 pm). Susannah will be sung in English with English projections.

For tickets call 204-944-8824, go online at mbopera.ca, or in person at the MO Box Office, lower level, Centennial Concert Hall (9:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday).  Seniors, students, and youth discounts are available.

Susannah is the most-performed American opera after Porgy and Bess. This “powerfully emotional piece is among the finest achievements in American opera.” (Nashville Music Scene 2015).

Floyd, the son of the southern Methodist Minister, reset the Apocryphal Bible story of Susanna and the Elders to rural Tennessee during a revival meeting. Floyd’s music for Susannah is rooted in Appalachian folk melodies, Protestant hymns, and traditional classical music with hints of Copeland and Bernstein. The opera features memorable songs and folksy arias like “Ain’t It a Pretty Night” and “The Trees on the Mountains.”

“With themes of intolerance, religious hypocrisy, social harassment, and alienation, this gripping drama with unforgettable music continues to be so very poignant over sixty years after its debut,” commented Larry Desrochers, Manitoba Opera General Director & CEO. “Floyd’s opera is thoroughly American and is a very relatable work.”

Oct 29, 2019

The English of the Appalachian Area

While all of the text in Susannah is in English, it may sound different than the English you speak. Susannah is written in a verismo style, meaning that the characters, language, and plot are rooted in reality as much as possible – everything in the opera must be believable. Operas in this style often employ colloquial language, and Susannah is no exception. To create a believable opera set in America’s Deep South, Carlisle Floyd chose words and a dialect that are uniquely Appalachian. Here are some of the more noticeable characteristics of this dialect.

Vowels are formed towards the back of the mouth rather than the front: “can’t” sounds like “cain’t”; “get” sounds like “git”; “forgive” sounds like “fergive.”

The “s” sound that ends some words may be replaced with an “n” sound: one might say “her’n” instead of “hers.”

Participles and gerunds ending “-ing” are pronounced as though they ended “-in,”
as in huntin’ or preachin’.

The letter “a” is often added as a prefix to verbs; such as  a-bathin’, aspyin’, or a-prayin’.

As with any dialect, some words have a colloquial usage. Examples in Susannah include:

Afore – before
Allers – always
Brickbat – a piece of brick; also an insult
Chitlins – fried pig intestines
Crick – creek
Jaybird – a blue jay; also someone who talks too much
Jest – just
Out’n – out of
Mighty – very
Mite – small amount
Plum – completely, absolutely
Reckon – to suppose
Seed – saw
Spell – length of time
Sum’mers – somewhere
They’s – there is or they are
Twarn’t – it wasn’t
Varmint – vermin

Floyd’s mastery of this dialect is playfully displayed in the silly “Jaybird” song in Act 1 of the opera, into which he sneaks some clever wordplay:

“Oh, jaybird sittin’ on a hick’ry limb,
He winked at me an’ I winked at him.
I picked up a brickbat
An’ hit him on the chin.
‘Looka here, little boy, don’t you do that agin!’”

Taken literally, it could describe an easily imagined and somewhat comic scene; a blue jay sitting on a branch catches a youth’s attention, and the youth throws a rock at it. Startled, the bird squawks angrily at the boy. Read a bit differently, knowing that in the Appalachian dialect a “jaybird” is someone who talks too much, and a “brickbat” is an insult, it describes an interaction between a youth and a person who is heckling him.

Jul 9, 2019

MATCHING GIFTS CHALLENGE CATAPULTS 2018/19 SEASON TO UNPRECEDENTED FINANCIAL SUCCESS

Manitoba Opera (MO) announced this evening at its 2018/19 Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at the McKim Building in Winnipeg, that the 2018/19 season, which ended May 31, 2019, was the company’s most financially successful season in its 46 years of operation, resulting in the elimination of a decades’ old accumulated debt.

The company posted an operating surplus of $86,312 on a budget of $2,585.965. An additional $374,755 was raised towards the elimination of the debt of $450,652, accumulated since the 1980s. MO’s accumulated debt had reached $654,000 by year end June 30, 2000.

The debt was retired by a matching gifts challenge issued by a donor who committed $150,000 to the campaign. In total, more than 190 individuals, corporations, foundations, and governments rose to the challenge with gifts from $5 to $150,000.

Jun 13, 2019

The Best Opera Gifts for Dad

Father’s Day is this Sunday! It can be hard to find a gift that Dad will like. To help you out, here’s a few gift ideas sure to have Dad singing.

Night at the Opera

Double the experience for Dad with a subscription so that he can see two operas this season – Susannah and Carmen!

Saturday & Friday Nights $71 – $261

Add a special treat to the Saturday performance of Susannah with the Opening Night Dinner.
The Opening Night Dinner is catered by Bergmann’s on Lombard and includes complimentary parking all for just $150 per person.

Tuesday Nights $46 – $241

Enhanced Opera Experience

Does your dad already have a subscription? Not to worry, we have just the thing to enhance his opera-going experience – OPERA GLASSES ($50 – $75)

Visit our Box Office or call us at 204-944-8824 to inquire.

Let Dad Choose

Not sure what Dad would enjoy? Let him choose by gifting him with the freedom to build his own opera experience.

Manitoba Opera gift cards never expire and can be used to purchase Subscriptions, Single Tickets, Opera Glasses, Merchandise, and more.

There is no set amount for a gift certificate. No matter the budget, this is a gift that Dad will love.

May 17, 2019

Carlisle Floyd

Carlisle Floyd is one of America’s most celebrated composers of opera. His operas are rooted in America, both in subject and in style, and are widely performed in the United States and abroad. They include Susannah (1955), The Passion of Jonathan Wade (1962; revised, 1990), Of Mice and Men (1970), Bilby’s Doll (1976), Willie Stark (1981), and Cold Sassy Tree (2000).

As he celebrated his 80th birthday in 2006, he told the Houston Chronicle he considered the acclaimed Cold Sassy Tree to be his professional finale. However, he went on to write another opera, Prince of Players, which received its premiere at Houston Grand Opera in March 2016.

“With a commitment that rivals Smetana’s in Bohemia or Britten’s in Britain, Floyd has striven to create a national repertory … He has learned the international language of successful opera in order to speak it in his own accents and to enrich it with the musical and vernacular idioms of his own country.”  – Andrew Porter, The New Yorker

Born in 1926 in Latta, South Carolina, the son of a Methodist minister, Floyd earned both a bachelor and master of music degree in piano and composition at Syracuse University. He began his teaching career in 1947 as part of the piano faculty at Florida State University (FSU), eventually becoming a professor of composition. It was at FSU that he wrote his first nine operas, including Of Mice and Men (1969) and his most popular, Susannah (1953–54).

Aside from composing, Floyd is also his own librettist, having written the libretto for all 12 of his operas. His works are among the most performed operas by American composers. He is said to speak in a uniquely American voice, capturing both the cadences and the mores of that society.

“It is my opinion that Susannah and the Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess mark the two finest American operas ever composed. It brings me great joy and satisfaction to bring Carlisle’s important work to San Francisco Opera’s main stage season where it rightfully belongs.” – David Gockley, General Director, 2006 – 2016

Carlisle Floyd taught at Florida State University from 1947 to 1976, and in 1976 became the M. D. Anderson Professor of Music at the University of Houston. In Houston, he and David Gockley established the important Opera Studio, which for more than three decades has helped train young artists in the full spectrum of opera. Graduates include Erie Mills, Denyce Graves, and Joyce Di Donato.

A 2001 inductee of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Floyd has received numerous honors, such as a Guggenheim Fellowship and the National Opera Institute’s Award for Service to American Opera. He was the first chairman of the NEA’s Opera/Musical Theater Panel, which the agency created in 1976. In 2004, he received a National Medal of Arts. In 2008, Floyd was the only composer to be included in the inaugural National Endowment for the Arts Opera Honors.

“When I began writing my operas, there was no American opera, and there were very few American opera companies, and just to see what has happened in my lifetime is just… extraordinary.” – Carlisle Floyd

Mar 28, 2019

Stage Director’s Notes: The Barber of Seville

Stage Director’s Notes: The Barber of Seville

By Alain Gauthier

‘’What on earth is all this love which makes everyone go mad?’’

– Berta’s Aria, Act II

Berta’s commentary summarizes perfectly the whole atmosphere of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, one of the most beloved works in the repertoire. Nothing in this opera goes the way it should be (just like every good comedy, no?) and the intrigue is, on purpose, jubilantly entangled and crazy.

The challenge with directing this opera is to make sense out of the inextricable chaos originally created in 1775 for the theatre by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, son of a clockmaker. Beaumarchais was also a clockmaker prior to becoming one of the greatest writers of his time. And one must admit that it helps to have a watchmaking mind (not to mention a twisted one!) to imagine such an intricate plot, for under this apparent chaos lurks the mechanisms of relentless clockwork.

For me, comedy is like a clock mechanism. It has to be very precise to work. My goal when directing a piece like The Barber of Seville is to make sure that all the elements of this mechanism work perfectly together. In the opera version of this story, the music adds an even more accurate degree of preciseness. One of my tasks is to try to illustrate visually how this crazy machine works and how it affects the characters on stage. Maybe Rossini, with his notorious sense of humour, deliberately alluded to Beaumarchais’ clock-making background when he wrote the brilliantly silly finale of the first act where the orchestra and the singers seem to imitate the sound of a screwy clock!

Supported by a genius libretto, the opera is filled with bewildering, dazzling, and inventive music. What’s more, the arias and ensemble appear to be packed with a kind of humorous craziness. In The Barber of Seville, madness is contagious, and the common disease making all the characters go a little crazy seems to be love.

As a starting point of many classic comedies, love (ideally an impossible one) leads the action. Here, the ardent and youthful Almaviva falls for the sparkling Rosina, unapproachable pupil of Doctor Bartolo. We witness, throughout this joyful adventure, a passionate love obstructed, of course, by countless difficulties. And it’s precisely those obstacles, brilliantly orchestrated by Rossini, that make this opera such a thrilling piece of art.

In this world completely disturbed by love, Figaro alone seems to be sane. Adept at managing the craziness, he takes an amused look at those disrupted characters. With our barber’s lucidity, combined with his wit, and his obvious excitement for handling this craziness, he becomes the audience’s accomplice and turns out to be our guide throughout this crazy journey.

The Barber of Seville’s energetic music and witty plot has no other purpose than to charm you and make you laugh. In this same candid and unpretentious way, we’ll try to give life to this masterpiece, hoping  – if it’s not already happened – to make you mad about Rossini!

Feb 27, 2019

Shave and a Haircut…and LEECHES?!

At the time that The Barber of Seville was premiered, the role of the professional barber was changing throughout Europe. Up through the 1700s, barbers – then called barber-surgeons—performed a wide range of tasks relating to caring for the personal needs of others. These tasks included trimming hair and shaving beards, cleaning and pulling teeth, and even rudimentary surgery and blood-letting (for centuries it was believed that “bad blood” was a cause of many maladies, and needed to be periodically drained from the body). (more…)

Feb 19, 2019

Personal Care Products Drive at The Barber of Seville

Whether it’s just-washed hair, a shave, or the feel of freshly brushed teeth, we all want to take care of ourselves and look our best. For the homeless in our community and others who are down on their luck, this is not always an option.

Manitoba Opera is asking patrons to consider bringing much-needed personal care products and toiletries to The Barber of Seville. Donations will be distributed to Lighthouse Mission, Siloam Mission, and the Main Street Project. (more…)

Feb 14, 2019

A Real Manitoba Opera Love Story

It was the fall of 2004. Dawn had returned home to Winnipeg earlier that year from her studies at McGill in Montreal. She entered the post baccalaureate program at the University of Manitoba’s School of Music (now known as the Marcel A Desautels Faculty of Music)

Enter Paul who was in his second year of his Bachelor of Music and feeling quite adventurous after having finished a Bachelors of Commerce at the Asper School of Business.

While Paul and Dawn met at the School of Music, they rarely talked until their time together on the stage at Manitoba Opera’s 2004 production of Rigoletto. Paul, the oblivious one, was standing in for Gaétan Laperrière – Rigoletto – as he was not arriving until later in the rehearsal period. Dawn, Ms. Va Va Voom, was Countess Ceprano. (more…)

Oct 24, 2018

TRIBUTE TO GAIL ASPER MANITOBA OPERA’S MOST SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING EVENT EVER

Manitoba Opera announced today that last evening’s Gala Reception honouring Winnipeg philanthropist Gail Asper resulted in being the company’s most successful fundraising event in its 46-year history. The event, held at the Manitoba Club Thursday, September 13, raised more than $230,000 for Manitoba Opera’s productions and education programs.

The Gala Reception paid tribute to Asper’s exemplary leadership as a philanthropist and visionary whose courage and conviction inspires others to serve, to give, and to make our community a better place. Asper has created a legacy of philanthropy in Canada which resonates from coast to coast.  Her decades of service to others have made an indelible and unparalleled imprint on Canadians (bio follows).

Mar 19, 2018

Legends, Lovers, and Laughs: Manitoba Opera’s 2018/19 Season to Feature DON GIOVANNI and THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

A season of legends, lovers, and laughs will be presented by Manitoba Opera in 2018/19.
Mozart’s Don Giovanni, considered to be one of the greatest operas ever written, will open the season November 24, 27, 30, 2018, and Rossini’s funny and frenetic opera, The Barber of Seville, will be presented April 6, 9, 12, 2019. Both productions, sung in Italian with projected English translations, will also feature the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and occur at the Centennial Concert Hall.

May 4, 2017

Manitoba Opera Celebrates 45th Season in 2017/18 with Two Opera Greats: Madama Butterfly & La Traviata

In celebration of the company’s 45th season, two of opera’s greatest works by two of opera’s greatest composers: Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini and La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, will be presented in the 2017/18 season. The season begins with Madama Butterfly November 18, 21, and 24, 2017. This is the haunting and intensely moving story of a devoted young Japanese geisha, an ill-fated marriage, and her betrayal by an American naval officer.

La Traviata, one of the best-loved operas of all time, is an irresistible classic, full of memorable melodies and tells the story of the French courtesan who sacrifices everything for love. It will close the season April 14, 17, and 20, 2018. Both productions will be sung in Italian with projected English translations and presented at the Centennial Concert Hall.

Apr 19, 2017

French Masterpiece, Werther, Closes 2016/17 Season April 29, May 2 & 5

A Manitoba Opera premiere of the French romantic tragedy, Werther (pronounced Vair-TARE) closes the company’s 2016/17 season with three performances Saturday, April 29 (7:30 pm), Tuesday, May 2 (7 pm), and Friday, May 5 (7:30 pm) at the Centennial Concert Hall. Composed by Jules Massenet, Werther is the story of the idealistic young poet who cannot live without love. It is among the most exquisite and moving in all of French opera. Set in Wetzlar, Germany, from July to December in the early 20th century, Werther will be sung in French with English translations projected above the stage.

Nov 18, 2016

Contract for General Director & CEO Larry Desrochers Extended To 2021

Elba Haid, Chair of the Board of Trustees for Manitoba Opera, announced today that the company has renewed the contract for Larry Desrochers, General Director & CEO, for another five years – expiring May 31, 2021.

“The Board of Trustees is delighted to renew Larry’s contract,” said Haid. “He is a respected cultural leader locally and nationally, and we feel lucky to have him work for our company. He has been sought after by a number of arts organizations, but has been committed to Manitoba Opera. Larry has provided exceptional leadership for Manitoba Opera since his hiring in the fall of 2000. The board was reassured to know that we could count on Larry’s leadership for another five years, as we work to expand our programming, extend our reach into the community, and start an endowment campaign.”

Nov 14, 2016

Falstaff, Verd’s Brilliant Comic Opera, Opens Manitoba Opera’s 2016/17 Season November 19, 22, 25

What could possibly go wrong when a well-aged knight who thinks he’s still “got it,” sends identical love letters to two married women? Plenty! Falstaff, one of the operatic world’s greatest comedies, opens Manitoba Opera’s 2016/17 season with three performances Saturday, November 19 (7:30 pm), Tuesday, November 22 (7 pm), and Friday, November 25 (7:30 pm) at the Centennial Concert Hall. A Manitoba Opera (MO) premiere, Falstaff is the musical retelling of Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor and features disguises, cross dressing, a late-night forest prank, plots, and counterplots. It is the crowning achievement and final opera of the great Italian composer, Giuseppe Verdi.

Sep 5, 2014

Manitoba Opera Invites Former Refugees to Appear in Fidelio

Manitoba Opera is looking for approximately 100 volunteers who arrived in Winnipeg as refugees, to appear in the season-opening production of Beethoven’s Fidelio in November at the Centennial Concert Hall.

“Fidelio tells the story of Leonore, a young woman who disguises herself as a young man so that she can work in a jail where her husband is a political prisoner,” explains Larry Desrochers, General Director & CEO. “In the final scene of the opera, she successfully frees her husband, as well as the other prisoners, and the community gathers to witness their release. The former refugees would appear in this scene as part of the community seeing the prisoners released.”

Manitoba Opera has programmed Fidelio to celebrate the opening of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Volunteers participating in the production will have the unique opportunity to take part in a powerful expression of humanity’s right to be free of oppression.

Aug 26, 2014

Manitoba Opera Posts Small Loss on 2013/14 Season

Manitoba Opera announced this evening at its Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg, that for the year ending
May 31, 2014, the company posted a loss of $21,316 (1.2%) on an operating budget of $1,816,482. This marks just the second time since 2000
that Manitoba Opera has posted an operating loss on a season.

Apr 11, 2014

Manitoba Opera’s 2014/05 Season to Include Beethoven’s Fidelio, In Commemoration of the Opening of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Fidelio, Beethoven’s only opera and his powerful ode to freedom, will kick off Manitoba Opera’s 42nd season November 22, 25, and 28 at the Centennial Concert Hall. Selected to commemorate the opening of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, this will be the first time in the company’s history that this opera has been staged.

Apr 10, 2014

LA BOHEME Cast Saves the Day when Singer is Injured During Tuesday’s Performance

The show must go on, and indeed it did, at the Tuesday evening performance of Manitoba Opera’s La Bohème at the Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg, despite an accident on stage that prevented a singer from continuing.

Mar 24, 2014

Take a Backstage Tour at Manitoba Opera

Manitoba Opera’s biennial Open House will be held Sunday, April 6 from noon to 4 pm at the Centennial Concert Hall.

Mar 24, 2014

Manitoba Opera Presents the Most Romantic Opera of All Time, LA BOHEME

Manitoba Opera presents Puccini’s beloved La Bohème, considered the most romantic opera of all time, at the Centennial Concert Hall, Saturday, April 5 (8 pm), Tuesday, April 8 (7 pm), and Friday, April 11 (8 pm).

Nov 12, 2013

Manitoba Opera Opens 2013/14 Season with Wild West Version of the Comedy, DON PASQUALE

Saddle up for an evening of light-hearted laughter at the opening production of Manitoba Opera’s 2013/14 Season, a Hollywood-style wild-west version of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, with three performances at the Centennial Concert Hall, Saturday, November 23 (8 pm), Tuesday, November 26 (7 pm), and Friday, November 29 (8 pm).

Aug 27, 2013

Manitoba Opera Finishes Successful 40th Season with a Balanced Budget

Manitoba Opera announced this evening at its Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at the Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg, that the company finished its artistically acclaimed 40th season with a surplus of $11,718 using a small draw from its Operating Reserve Fund*. This marks the 11th time in the past 13 seasons that Manitoba Opera has ended the season positively. The operating budget for the year ending May 31, 2013, was $1,872,677.

Nov 14, 2012

Verdi’s Masterpiece, RIGOLETTO Opens Manitoba Opera’s 40th Season

The richly layered tale of the court jester and Gilda, his daughter by the great Italian composer,Giuseppe Verdi, will open Manitoba Opera’s 40th season at the Centennial Concert Hall Saturday, November 24 (8 pm), Tuesday, November 27 (7 pm), and Friday, November 30 (8 pm).

Oct 29, 2012

Contract Extended for General Director & CEO, Larry Desrochers

Manitoba Opera announced today that the Board of Trustees has extended the contract for Larry Desrochers, General Director & CEO, for another three years, expiring June 30, 2015. Mr. Desrochers has held the senior administrative and artistic position with the company since November 2000.

Oct 23, 2012

Manitoba Opera Presents Hearing the Story – The Genius of Verdi with Metropolitan Opera’s William Berger

Hearing the Story, the Genius of Verdi with special guest speaker, the Metropolitan Opera’s William Berger will be presented by Manitoba Opera, Saturday November 10, beginning at 1:30 pm at the Manitoba Museum Auditorium. Presented in conjunction with the upcoming performances of Rigoletto at the Centennial Concert Hall, November 24, 27, and 30, this hour-long presentation is free, but registration is required. To register, phone 204-942-7470 or email ldymond@manitobaopera.mb.ca

Aug 22, 2012

Manitoba Opera Posts Surplus for 2011/2012 Season Despite Shortfalls in Box Office and Fundraising

Manitoba Opera announced yesterday evening at its Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at the Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg, that the company posted a surplus of $40,852 on an operating budget of $1,576,247 for the year ending May 31, 2012.

The surplus was possible as the result of cost cutting and a significant bequest that offset a shortfall in ticket and fundraising revenues. This marks the 10th time in the last 12 seasons that Manitoba Opera has ended the season in the black.

Apr 17, 2012

We Celebrate Our 40th Season with two Verdi Masterpieces

For the 2012/13 season, our 40th season, two Verdi masterworks – Rigoletto and Aida – will be the featured main stage productions presented at the Centennial Concert Hall.

Rigoletto, the richly layered tale of the court jester and his daughter, with its veritable hit parade ofarias, duets, and ensembles, will open the season November 24, 27, and 30, 2012.

The grandest of grand operas, with spectacular pageantry and emotional intimacy, Aida (pronounced EYE-E-DUH), returns to Manitoba Opera for the first time in over a decade with performances April 13, 16, and 19, 2013.

Apr 11, 2012

Fiona Reid to Replace Mary Walsh as the Duchess of Krackenthorp

Manitoba Opera announced today that one of Canada’s most respected and talented actresses, Fiona Reid, will replace Mary Walsh as the Duchess of Krackenthorp in the upcoming production of The Daughter of the Regiment, April 21, 24 and 27, at the Centennial Concert Hall.

Ill health has prohibited Ms. Walsh from joining the cast in the cameo speaking role as the outspoken Duchess.

“We are very sorry that Mary will not have her operatic debut with Manitoba Opera and wish her a speedy recovery,” said Larry Desrochers, General Director and CEO. “And we are very pleased that Fiona Reid was available to step in on short notice. The cast, and all of us at the company, are looking forward to working with her.”