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Winter 2016 contents
4 Message from the Director
6 Partners and Sponsors
9 Sustainability Fund
31 Edmonton Opera Chorus and Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
11 Director’s Circle
12 Friends of Edmonton Opera
15 Endowment Fund
17 Composer Bio Cast and Production Credits
18 Synopsis
20 Community Arts Event Listings
Administration Office: 15230-128 Ave., Edmonton, AB T5V 1A8 Ph: 780-424-4040 Fax: 780-429-0600 Email: info@edmontonopera.com www.edmontonopera.com
23 Artists’ Profiles
32 Building Carmen
39 Remarkable sopranos, monarchs
in costume drama Mary Stuart
41 Gifts of Shares
43 Rob Hood Fund
45 Edmonton Opera Board and Staff
46 Upcoming Events
Suggitt PUBLISHERS
The Edmonton Opera magazine is published by Playhouse Publications Ltd. 10177 - 105 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 1E2 Ph: 780-423-5834 • Fax: 780-413-6185 • www.playhousepublications.ca
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GOVERNMENT & FOUNDATION SUPPORT
It is a
director’s dream
to work on a new production of Carmen, as it is a work full of fabulous music and undeniable theatricality. Carmen’s posthumous success is one of music history’s most unfair anecdotes, for the young Bizet fought obsessively for the many musical and dramatic innovations of Carmen. The work was seen as an initial failure after the opening; Bizet died only months before its massive success worldwide. Therefore, he did not witness the acceptance of its trailblazing style, which had never been seen before in the world of opéra comique. Two deeply flawed but undeniably compelling central characters, a seedy underworld of crime and sexuality, and a chorus where the demands were to sing and act — these were all novelties at the time and are now the lynchpins of Carmen’s success. I’ve worked on two productions of Carmen, as well as seeing many different productions over the years, but the honour and luxury of creating Carmen’s world for Edmontonians brings both rewards and responsibility. I feel we must continue to find ways of telling these stories for each generation; needless to say the figures of Carmen and Don José are as passionate and as real today as when they were originally written over 150 years ago in the novella by Prosper Mérimée. The heat of Seville, the passion of the bullring, the bitter cold of a mountaintop at night — all these details give the opera an undeniable exotic appeal for any audience. The intense passion and doomed love of Don José and Carmen touches us because we all understand the attraction and ultimate impossibility of a certain kind of love.
I have chosen to set this production of Carmen in Spain of the 1930s, in the years leading up to the Spanish Civil War. The poverty, desperation, uncertainty and criminality, as well as the historical glamour of the time, makes sense to me as a more modern backdrop to Carmen’s story. It was a time of massive change and upheaval in Spanish society, with the tragedy of friends, families and communities that were ripped apart and pitted against one another. When one thinks of Carmen, what naturally comes to mind is Carmen’s overt, unconventional sexuality, and the doomed passion of her relationship with Don José. Having lived with the work rather intensely in the last 12 months, the theme that touches me the most is that of liberty — this is what Carmen truly represents. Is there not a more important and timely subject in the world today, when our global community is bombarded with the very real suffering of people every day? Carmen stands for true freedom and the unconventional life, and this is the anthem that she leads so magnificently in the great final scene of the second act. Her personal freedom is what attracts Don José, but tragically also causes their downfall, as he cannot overcome his compulsion to own and control her and what she represents. Like a country at war with itself, Don José and Carmen meet each other at a final endpoint in the modern coliseum, the bullring. But who is the bull and who is the matador in this mysterious final battle? It is the courage with which Carmen faces her fate at the end of the opera that lies at the very heart of the work. – Maria Lamont
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PARTNERS
and
SPONSORS
SEASON SPONSORS
The Rob Hood Fund Production Sponsors the merry widow
carmen
Mary Stuart
Francis Price & Marguerite Trussler opening night sponsor
Sponsor of the Edmonton Opera Chorus
opening night sponsor opening night sponsor
Emerging Artist Sponsor
Education Dress Rehearsal Sponsor
Gold Partners
SPONSORS
media Supporters
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Education outreach Sponsor
Official Supporters
Suggitt PUBLISHERS
Thank you to Don’s Piano Place for the use of a 7'9 Petrof PII during the rehearsals of Carmen.
Suggitt The Edmonton Opera gratefully acknowledges the Kucey Dental Group, who offers complimentary emergency dental services PUBLISHERS for EO artists, and Dr. Mat Rose, who offers medical services for EO artists. Edmonton Opera is grateful for the support of these sponsors, suppliers and media partners. For more information about supporting the Edmonton Opera, please call 780.392.8714 or email development@edmontonopera.com.
EDMONTON OPERA GIVES SPECIAL THANKS TO Jim & Sharon Brown Irv & Dianne Kipnes Bill & Paulette Winter THURSDAY EVENING PRODUCTION SPONSORS OF CARMEN
carmen 7
Who supports all artists from comprimario to prima donna?
We do. We know our artists help shape and grow our community, now and in the future. That’s why ATB Financial celebrates local art, history and culture, fostering creativity in Alberta and beyond. atb.com
ÂŽATB Financial is a trade name/registered trademark of Alberta Treasury Branches.
(Premiere Circle) We wish to thank the following individuals, corporations and foundations
who have committed to Edmonton Opera’s sustainability fund.
Each of the following members of the Sustainability Fund has committed a minimum of $50,000 over five years.
Individuals
Monica & Jim Allen James Archibald & Heidi Christoph Robert & Michelle Bessette Kevin & Penny Birkholz Jim & Sharon Brown John Cameron Drs. Carol & David Cass Richard S. Cook Judy & John Cosco Darren & Laurel Durstling Bruce Hagstrom & Susan Wylie-Hagstrom Mark & Nancy Heule Laurence Jewell Dianne Kipnes Irving Kipnes
Ashif & Zainul Mawji Phil Milroy & Jane Russell Dr. Thomas & Melanie Nakatsui Jack & Esther Ondrack Maureen & Randall Purvis Francis Price Marguerite Trussler Bernie Robitaille Arnold & Grace Rumbold Angus & Heather Watt James & Sheila Wheatley Bill Winter Paulette Winter Glenn & Sandra Woolsey
Corporations & Foundations
Al-Terra Engineering Ltd. Arrow Engineering Clark Builders Dentons Kasian Architects Dianne & Irving Kipnes Foundation
Ledcor Group of Companies Qualico Shelley & Guy Scott Family Foundation Sorrell Financial Standard General Construction Wheaton Family Foundation
The first stage of the Sustainability Fund, to obtain 50 gifts, has been achieved. The second stage, to reach 100 gifts, is now in progress. For more information on the Sustainability Fund, please contact the Program Concierge, Gwen Horvath, at gwen.horvath@edmontonopera.com or at 780.392.7837.
carmen 9
passion. Kingsway Toyota Celebrates Serving Edmontonians for 40 Years.
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Edmonton Opera director’s circle The Director’s Circle recognizes those patrons whose significant financial support and ongoing commitment enable Edmonton Opera to continue to produce award-winning and compelling art in our community. Bravo and thank you! For more information about the Director’s Circle or to become a member, please call the donor services line at 780.392.8714.
Season SponsorS $250,000 Rob Hood Fund Dianne & Irving Kipnes Foundation Creekwood The Merry Widow Production Sponsor $150,000 Francis Price & Marguerite Trussler Carmen Production Sponsor $150,000 Creekwood MaestroS $10,000+ Allard Foundation Weber Motors
LEADERS $5,000+ Larry & Ellen Eberlein General Recycling Dr. Frederic & Alma Gojmerac Overhead Door Co. of Edmonton Marjorie Purdy Alan Rose Eira Spaner Chris & Vivian Varvis Ed Wiebe & Marcia Johnson PATRONS $3,000+ City Lumber Corporation Thomas Fath Jeffrey Jansen Dr. Christine Kyriakides LandLink Consulting Ltd. Steven & Day LePoole Rod & Heleen McLeod Arliss Miller Dr. P.J. White & Patty Whiting
BenefactorS $1,750-$2,999 Tricia Abbott Darlene Acton Pauline Alakija Rhonda Baker Bruce & Carol Bentley Douglas K. Bingham & Sheila Janki-Bingham David & Patricia Cassie Dr. Mary Chisholm Marian Clarke Elaine Coachman Conroy Ross Partners Joseph & Pat Fernando Hans & Susanne Forbrich Peter & Astrid Griep Linda Hamilton Jill Konkin Brian Kucey & Elena Hernandez-Kucey Joan Lopatka & Bill Rutledge Hilliard Macbeth Judy & Stuart Mackay Stephan & Lynn Mandel Hugh McPhail & Yolanda Van Wachem Michael & Mariette Meier Ken & Gerda Miller Risha Milo Kyle & Colleen Murray Eleanor Olszewski Aline Pratch Dr. Leonard Ratzlaff James E. & Vivian Redmond Wawanesa David Steer & Larissa Whiting Peter & Joyce Walton David Young Gerhard & Inge Zmatlo
carmen 11
friends SustainerS
($1,000-$1,749) Jennifer Brown Diane Buchanan Orville Chubb Sandi Ann Darrell Michael & Eva-Maria Day John & Ann Dea David & Janice Dorward Robert Edmunds Nelson Fok Ralph Friederichsen Bill Grace Todd Grundy A.R. Grynoch & P.V. Sing Gabor Gyenes & Erika Mullner Brent Hesje Fountain Tire Ltd. Vickie Kaminski Peggy & John Marko Alan Mather Dr. Dean Rokosh Donald Smith Dr. Knut Vik & F. Calder Ralph James Wood Ralph & Gay Young Family Fund
of
Edmonton Opera
Julian Mayne Les Moss John Oberg Janine Odishaw Fred & Helen Otto Andrew Otway Dr. George & Teresa Pemberton Mary Phillips-Rickey Fay Plomp Dr. Clarence H. Preitz Ian W. Reynolds Marshall & Lisa Sadd Pierre Sareault Grant Smith Michael & Nanc Smith Brian & Dawn Vaasjo Frank Van Veen
CONTRIBUTORS
($250-$499) 763058 Alberta Ltd. Brian Baker Margaret Bateman Alan & Alice Bell James Belovich Curt Beyer William Blais Donald Bobey SUPPORTERS Canada North Camps ($500-$999) Peter Cavanagh John Adria Cory Chisholm Joann Allard Desmond Chow Cory P. Almquist Bruce Clark Carl Amrhein CPI Construction Ronald M. Bachmeier Joseph & Marta Collier Terry Vincent Bendera Maggie Dower Cameron Development Sophie Drolet Corporation Dwayne Dufva Mary Ford Mark England Douglas & Joanne Goss Jason Fjeldheim Bryan Hall Jim Funk Alice Harrison Kenneth & Jean Heavenor Stacey Gibson Eppy Graf Ghislaine Hebert Brenda Gross Andrew Hladyshevsky Douglas & Dorothy Hollands Dr. Tatsuyuki Hayashi Cathryn Heslep Holt Renfrew Christy Holtby Hughes Petroleum Ltd. Islay Agencies Inc. Jatec Electric Don Iveson Rob Jolley Barry James Arno M. Klein Richard & Erin Kirby Neil & Jean Lund Bern Kotelko Brenda MacDonald David & Sandra Kraatz Kelly MacFarlane & Dr. Elizabeth Krause Christopher Mackay Peter Laird Beth Macintosh Greg & Patrece Maluzynsky Jeremy Main Michael Scott Martin Devon J. Mark & Doug McConnell Allen Vander Well 12 carmen
Linda Medland-Davis Robert Medynski Miclex Construction Inc. Shauna Miller & James Gillespie Kevin & Robyn Mott John Charles Mulholland, Esq. Larry Newton Aaron & Jean Oshry Dr. Hanne Ostergaard Dr. Edward & Geri Papp C.H. Parks Iris Popowich Scott Reed David Rees & Linda Miller William Richards Stewart Roth Carolynne E. Ross Edmund & Orla Ryan Bruce Sansom Don Schultz Alison Seymour Doug Silverberg Gerry & Barbara Sinn Marc Tardif William Tonn Karen Marie Trace Dr. Linda Uniat Georgina Marian Villeneuve Kirsten & Konrad von Finckenstein Joan Welch Terry & Melanie Whittingham Dan Worley Tim Yakimec
MEMBERS
($100-$249) 1732534 Alberta Ltd. Marissa Adams Brent Agerbak Darcy Anderson Justin Archer Nancy Aust Sam & Sonia Azer Diana M. Bacon Mary Bailey Jeff Baker Deborah Barnes Walter & Stella Baydala Regina Beckett Mary-Ellen Berget Jeff Bertram Danisha Bhaloo Patrick S. Bieleny Theodore D. Bosse William A. Bowlen Patrick Boyle E. Ross Bradley
John Buchko Joanne Burek & Lee Stickles Elizabeth Butler Janet Carle Linda-Rae J. Carson Isabelle Chapados Carole Charette Rick Charity Elisebeth Checkel Donald Chisholm Janice Chobanuk Gary Christenson Chung Chu Janet M. Clark Mary Teresa Clonfero Roger & Carol Cohen Craig Corbett Lesley Cormack Dr. Diane Cox Tim Crisall & Stefanie Ivan Cruz Ventures Inc. Brenda Dale Michaela Davis Jennifer Dechaine Marco De Leo James & Gail DeFelice Dan & Lorna Dennis Derks Menswear Manuel Desa Dr. R.J. & Janet Dmytruk Len Dolgoy Wendy Doughty & Jim Klingle Lisa Doyle Frank & Muriel Dunnigan John Eaton Tim Eckert Dr. Catherine Eddy Marianne & Andy Elder John R. Elford Martin & Jacqueline Elton Tom & Heather Etsell Wayne Eyre Noella Fagnan Alfred & Coleen Falk Eric Fath-Kolmes Greg & Cathy Farnell Ivan & Ksenia Fedyna Werner Fenske Lois Field Karin Fodor Kevin & Rachel Foster Phil Gaudreault Lousie Gibson Todd R. Gilchrist Walter Goetz Doug Gordulic Orest & Linda Gouda Charles & Ann Grant
Rodney Gregory June Greig Daniel Hamilton Mary-Lou Hamilton Marylee Hansen Michael Haupt Zenia J. Hawrysh R. & Barbara Henderson Lesley Heppleston Dr. Judith Hibberd Leroy & Barb Hiller Jennifer Hinnell Dr. Karen & Pam Hofmann David Hole Gwen Horvath Barbara Mary Howard Mike Hruska Bonny & Earl Hubert Lauren Hyatt Stewart & Juliette Inglis Erik & Franziska Jacobsen Ken Keenleyside Jocelyn Joy Kessler Adam D. Kilburn David King Debra King Shirley Kirkpatrick Wade Klimchuk Greg Krischke Kimberlay Krushell Lorraine Kucey Dilys Kulchitsky John Kuzyk Walter & Kay Lachman Trevor Larose Mark LaRue Franklin C. Loehde Doug & John Longley Thomas A. Lukaszuk David Lynch Richard & Jean Lyne Lowell & Donna Lyseng Mike MacBeath Ian B. MacDonald Campbell MacKenzie Don MacLean Cameron MacRae Stephen Madsen Carla Mallett Joan H. Marshall John & Cathleen Matthews Vince A. Mattia Joseph A. Matties Allison McCollum Dennis & Ruth McGettigan Dr. Keith & Brenda McNicol Ronald & Carole Middleton Janet Millar Jason Milligan
Susan Monson Edward Mozejko Michael O’Dell Brenda Oberg Terry Ogrodiuk Sharon Ohayon Frank Palko Joanna Papadopoulos-Wass William Pigden Barbara Prodor Carlos Raposo & Judy Strachan Eugene & Jeanne Ratsoy Sharla & Dorian Rauschning Trevor & Wendy Reddekopp
Yvonne Rekken Costantino Renzi Justin Reynolds Paul Richards Jason James Richardson Carey Rizzato Jeff Robinson Keith Robinson Clayton Rodney Hilary Rose Wayne Rose Lesly Round Denise Roy Joel Rubletz Dr. E. J. Rudnisky
In Honour of Rita Allen: Margaret Friedman
Kathleen Ryks Don Sather Jelena & Dusan Savic Tom & Bev Sawyer Mike Schmidt Anne Shillington Chris Sieben Sinclair Supply Ltd. Julie Sinclair Caroline Smith Edward Smith Ian & Irene Sneddon Emily Stang Alison & Richard Starke Naomi Stefura
In Memory of Oline Markine: Francis Price & Marguerite Trussler
Bill Stephens Karen Elaine Stewart Anne Strack Martin & Heike Stribrny Jean Sult Rene & Lynette Tardif Mark & Sarah Taylor Louis Te Sandro Torrieri Kristian Udesen Dennis Vance Terry & Michele Veeman Trudy Velichka Hon. Allan H. Wachowich Allen Wasnea
Cassandra Watson Cristina Weiheimer John Wenchulak Dianne Westwood Richard Wojcichwsky Shawn Wruth Serene Yau Hoover Young Jeff Young
In Honour of Mary LeMessurier: Georgina Marian Villeneuve
Thank you to those who have previously donated in memory of Kimberly Heard, Dr. Robert J. Buck, Dr. Lee Anholt, Dr. John Martin, Norah McKillop, Ernie LeMessurier, Dr. David Cook, Howard Irving, Patricia M. Paone, and in honour of Dianne and Irving Kipnes.
Sincere thanks go to those individuals who, through their gifts, have demonstrated their belief in making opera a vital part of our cultural community. To donate or for additional information, phone the donor services line at 780.392.8714 or email individual.giving@edmontonopera.com.
Only 2015/16 season donations and/or pledges processed up to Jan. 4, 2016, are listed. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our donor information. If we have made an error or omission, please call the donor services line at 780.392.8714. We apologize for any inconvenience. Although space limitations allow us to list only charitable contributions of $100 or more, we gratefully acknowledge all donations. Each gift, regardless of size, helps to make Edmonton Opera performances possible. Thank you!
FRIENDS OF THE OPERA
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Tax receipt Acknowledgment in Intermezzo magazine Complimentary poster from our current season
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Invitation for two to each dress rehearsal and VIP reception Two tickets at 30% off for each mainstage production Exclusive VIP event (per season) Two invitations to the exclusive DC Lounge VIP courtesy Jubilee parking during performances Backstage tour of a mainstage production Two complimentary Opera Brunch tickets Invitations to each Sitzprobe rehearsal
DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE
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Edmonton Opera’s Director’s Circle (donations of $1,750 or more) is our way of providing special recognition to our generous individual donors for their outstanding and sustained annual support. Director’s Circle members enjoy a number of exclusive opportunities throughout the season, to enhance their overall operatic experience. Please contact Lauren Hyatt, Events Coordinator and Donor Relations, at lauren.hyatt@edmontonopera.com or 780.392.8714 for more information about becoming a DC member. The Sustainability Fund is comprised of dedicated individuals, corporations and foundations who have committed to a five-year, $10,000-per-year contribution, ensuring the sustainable future of Edmonton Opera. For more information about Sustainability Fund experiences and commitments, please contact Gwen Horvath, Director of Fund Development, at gwen.horvath@edmontonopera.com or 780.392.7837.
carmen 13
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Aria Legacy Help Edmonton Opera Sing Forever Edmonton Opera creates award-winning and compelling art, and strives to keep that art accessible for the Edmonton community. Aria Legacy is your opportunity to share that dream in a focused and personal way, with a gift to our endowment program that will last into perpetuity. Endowment gifts of any size are appreciated. For more information on how you can help sustain Edmonton Opera for generations to come, please call the donor services line at 780.392.8714.
Edmonton Opera
endowment funds
Edmonton Opera applauds the following visionaries for contributing to or establishing a legacy of support for the future of opera in our community. Many of these contributions have been matched by the Canada Cultural Investment Fund. Thank you.
Edmonton Opera’s Endowment Funds: Sam & Sonia Azer Family Fund Canada Cultural Investment Fund Cecilia Fund Dr. David Cook Fund for Edmonton Opera Edmonton Opera Endowment Trust Fund Edmonton Opera Staff Contributions Fund Andy & Marianne Elder Fund Frederic & Alma Gojmerac Family Fund Irving Guttman Opera Endowment Fund The Dianne and Irving Kipnes Opera Fund Oline and Roderick Markine Family Fund John and Barbara Poole Family Fund Francis Price and Marguerite Trussler Family Fund The Russell & Dwight Purdy Memorial Fund Arnold & Grace Rumbold Fund In Memory of Howard Irving: J.E. Cote Richard Fraser Larry Judge John Karvellas Alec & Irene Murray Francis Price & Marguerite Trussler In Memory of Oline Markine: Francis Price & Marguerite Trussler
Endowment Donors & Aria Legacy Members Tricia Abbott Darlene Acton John Adria Peter & Barbara Allen Rebecca Anderson Sam & Sonia Azer Alan and Alice Bell Robert Bessette Danisha Bhaloo Jelena Bojic Dr. Grace Bokenfohr Katherine Braun Jennifer Brown John Cameron Mary Teresa Clonfero Erin Clyde Richard S. Cook Craig Corbett Glenda Dennis Maggie Dower Marianne & Andy Elder Ivan & Ksenia Fedyna Laura Fitzgerald Karin Fodor Hans & Susanne Forbrich Sandra Gajic
Fred & Alma Gojmerac Karen Good Mary-Lou Hamilton Jennifer Hinnell Andy Hladyshevsky John & Susan Hokanson Dorothy & Douglas Hollands Gwen Horvath W.H. Hurlburt Lauren Hyatt Jeffrey Jansen Laurence Jewell Ken Keenleyside Ha Neul Kim Debra King The Dianne & Irving Kipnes Foundation Betty Kolodziej Juri and Helle Kraav Tara-Lee LaRose Franklin C. Loehde Brenda MacDonald Amanda MacRae Cameron MacRae Joanne Madeley Bertrand Malo
Greg & Patrece Maluzynsky Stephen & Lynn Mandel Devon J. Mark & Allen Vander Well Roderick & Oline Markine Peggy & John Marko Alan Mather & Helgard Proft-Mather Julian Mayne Jeff McAlpine Jeff McCune Rod & Heleen McLeod Bob & Bev McNally Mickey Melnyk Arliss Miller Kevin & Robyn Mott Kyle & Colleen Murray Dr. Thomas & Melanie Nakatsui Wesley M. Pedruski Barbara Poole Dr. Clarence H. Preitz Francis Price Protostatix Engineering Consultants Russell & Marjorie Purdy
Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP Clayton Rodney & Raymond Cameron Analee Roman Hilary & Robert Rose Arnold & Grace Rumbold Celyne Runzer Kelly Sheard Katie Soles Michael Spassov Darren Staten Catherine Szabo Lauren Tenney Karen Trace Marguerite Trussler Chris & Vivian Varvis Stella Varvis Angus Watt Cristina Weiheimer Howard & Joan Welch Adrienne E. Wong Tim Yakimec Serene Yau Stacy Young Gerhard & Inge Zmatlo
Additional financial contributions from members of the Edmonton Opera Chorus. A generous endowment gift has been made by the Edmonton Opera Guild in honour of the Edmonton Opera Chorus.
carmen 15
symphony
TOWER
R
9704 - 106 STREET (780)701-0058
Edmonton Opera presents
carmen Jan. 30, Feb. 2 & 4, 2016 Production sponsored by Creekwood Georges Bizet didn’t live long enough to see the success of Carmen; he died on June 3, 1875, in Paris, at the age of 36. Johannes Brahms, however, saw the work many times and said he would have “gone to the ends of the earth to embrace Bizet [for the success of Carmen].” Georges Bizet was born on Oct. 25, 1838, in Paris, and registered at birth as Alexandre César Léopold Bizet. His father was an amateur singer and his uncle was a renowned vocal teacher. Bizet entered the Paris Conservatory at the age of 10, studying under Fromental Halévy (Bizet would later marry Halévy’s daughter, Genevieve, in 1869, and produce a son, Jacques, in 1872).
Music by Georges Bizet Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy Premiere: March 3, 1875, Opéra Comique, Paris
However, he earned his living mainly by arranging and transcribing the music of others, since the main Parisian theatres preferred to stage the classics instead of the work of newcomers.
Peter Dala Maria Lamont
The Cast (in order of vocal appearance)
Morales/Dancaïre Micaëla Don José Don José understudy Zuniga Carmen Frasquita Mercédès Escamillo Remendado
Geoffrey Sirett Lida Szkwarek Jeffrey Gwaltney Robert Clark Aaron Dimoff Géraldine Chauvet Vanessa Oude-Reimerink Catherine Daniel Gregory Dahl Michael Marino
with members of the Edmonton Opera Chorus and Supers and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
Bizet would write six operas, leaving approximately another 30 works incomplete or unpublished. In 1857, he won the Prix de Rome for scholarship study in Italy, the same year he composed Le docteur miracle, his first opera. The Pearl Fishers, in 1863, was his first opera performed on the professional stage at the Théâtre Lyrique. His compositions paid more attention to the meaning and emotional content of the words than to the rhythm or metrical pattern — his choice of subject matter and compositional style presaged the development of verismo opera.
Conductor Director
Scenery Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer Chorusmaster Fight Director Assistant Fight Director Repetiteur Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager Apprentice Assistant Stage Manager Assistant to the Designer
Camellia Koo Deanna Finnman David Fraser Peter Dala Jean-Pierre Fournier Scott Shpeley Leanne Regehr Ha Neul Kim Anna Davidson Gina Moe Claire Friedrich Lauren Acheson
There will be one 20-minute intermission between Acts II and III.
Although Bizet is primarily remembered as an opera composer, he could have easily had a career as a concert pianist; Franz Lizst called him one of the three finest pianists in Europe at the time.
The performance is approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes, including intermission.
Three months to the day after the premiere of Carmen (March 3, 1875), Bizet died, having suffered a series of heart attacks.
Edmonton Opera is a member of the Professional Opera Companies of Canada and Opera America.
Edmonton Opera is a professional company operating within the jurisdiction of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.
carmen 17
SYNOPSIS Act I A town square. Spain in the 1930s in the years just preceeding the Spanish Civil War Soldiers and townsmen stand in the square commenting on the locals. Micaëla enters, looking for Don José, a corporal in the local regiment. When she asks Morales about Don José, the other soldiers frighten her off with their advances. The changing of the guard arrives, including José, and their marching and formation is mimicked by the children of the village. Morales tells Don José about the young girl who was looking for him, and José realizes immediately that it is Micaëla. The factory bell sounds, and the chorus of cigarette girls appears. They light their cigarettes, blow smoke rings and flirt with the men, singing that all love is mere smoke. The men ask for Carmen, and she appears singing the famous Habañera, proclaiming that love is a rebellious bird that cannot be tamed. At the end of her seductive song, she notices Don José. He is oblivious to her, and as the fate motif is heard, Carmen throws a flower at him and they lock eyes. Later, Micaëla returns and shows José a letter from his mother; she also gives him some painstakingly saved money. José and Micaëla tenderly reminisce about their village. Shouting is heard from the factory and a commotion ensues. In a heated argument turned violent, Carmen has attacked and wounded another worker. Zuniga, the commanding officer, has Don José arrest Carmen, and then he tries unsuccessfully to interrogate her. Don José is left to guard Carmen, but she seduces José and convinces him to let her escape. Zuniga has José arrested and imprisoned for dereliction of duty.
Act II
A month later, in a seedy tavern Soldiers, gypsies and townspeople drink and dance at a rustic tavern while Carmen sings a sultry Spanish song about the love affair between dance and music. She is excited to hear of Don José’s release from prison. Just then, the famous toreador Escamillo unexpectedly joins the party. He sings of his victories, the glories of bullfighting and the rewards of love in the famous Toreador Song. The crowd follows him out, but Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mercédès remain behind. The smugglers Dancaïre and Remendado ask for the ladies’ help to move illegal goods. They sing a brisk quintet celebrating the usefulness of the fairer sex. Carmen declines to help them immediately, preferring to wait for José. When Carmen is left alone, José arrives and the two embrace. Carmen dances a seguidilla for him, but they are interrupted by the sound of a distant bugle call, signalling for José’s return to barracks. José attempts to leave but Carmen is
by Stephan Bonfield disappointed and declares he does not love her. They argue, and he shows her the flower that she threw at him in the square as proof of his love. Carmen tries to persuade José to run away with her to the mountains, but he refuses. Zuniga, his commanding officer, appears unexpectedly and makes a serious pass at Carmen. José is enraged and strikes Zuniga. The smugglers arrive to aid José and Carmen. José, seeing that his military career is over, casts in his lot with the smugglers and decides to run away with Carmen.
Act III
Three months later at the smugglers’ hideout in the mountains. The smugglers are on a mission to sneak goods across a border checkpoint. In the intervening time, the relationship between Carmen and José has deteriorated. José regrets the shame he has brought on himself, and Carmen is fed up with José’s demands and dominating nature. When Carmen mocks him and tells him to go back to his mother, José threatens to kill Carmen. He is left to guard the hideout when the smugglers go to check the route. Micaëla appears looking for José, despite her fears. She is determined to persuade him to leave Carmen and resume his old life. A gunshot is heard — José has fired at another intruder. It is Escamillo, who introduces himself to José and asks to find Carmen; he confesses he is infatuated with her. Enraged and jealous, José challenges Escamillo to a knife fight. The smugglers and Carmen intervene just in time. Grateful, Escamillo invites the smugglers to his next bullfight. Micaëla is discovered in hiding and pleas with José to come with her, telling him that his mother is dying. He agrees, but not before violently threatening Carmen that they will meet again. Escamillo is heard singing the Toreador Song offstage.
Act IV
Outside the bullring Street vendors, dignitaries and a jubilant crowd line the street for the arrival of Escamillo and his cuadrilla, ready to fight the bull. When Escamillo appears, the crowd cheers. He and Carmen sing a tender love duet and he departs for the contest. But a jealous José, hiding in the crowd, stalks Carmen. Her friends warn her of his presence, but she rebuffs their concerns. Once everyone leaves for the bullfight, José confronts Carmen alone, begging her to come back. Carmen tells him clearly, then forcefully that she no longer loves him, but José is undeterred in his jealous obsession. In the face of certain death, Carmen confronts José, who stabs her in a vicious rage. Carmen defends herself, but the couple’s fate is sealed.
50/50 tickets can be purchased in the main lobby and on the first balcony prior to the performance and during intermission. The winning ticket will be displayed at the end of the performance at the Jubilee exit doors. Thank you for your support of the arts in Edmonton! Those attending the Thursday night performance are invited to take home one of the floral arrangements courtesy of Hole’s Greenhouses, in exchange for a donation to the Edmonton Opera. Please visit the Opera Boutique in the main lobby on Thursday if interested.
community
Arts
This schedule brought to you by the Edmonton Cultural Trust Foundation | edmontonculturaltrust.org
February 2016
Out of the Woods:
Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf? Jan. 23 – Feb. 13, 2016
Art Gallery of Alberta youraga.ca | 780.422.6223
Citadel Theatre citadeltheatre.com | 780.425.1820
Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven
Feb. 13 – April 17, 2016
Dynamic Directions Feb. 19 & 20, 2016
Alberta Ballet albertaballet.com | 780.428.6839
The Gay Heritage Project Feb. 10 – 27, 2016
Citadel Theatre citadeltheatre.com | 780.425.1820
La voix humaine Feb. 12 – 20, 2016
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Artists’
PROFILES
(in order of vocal appearance)
Peter Dala Conductor
Peter Dala began his conducting career 30 years ago with the Basel Ballet. He conducted for seven years at the Hungarian State Opera and the National Ballet of Hungary. As Edmonton Opera’s chorusmaster from 1996 to 2012 and resident conductor from 2001 to 2012, he prepared the chorus for roughly 40 operas, has played over 50 operas as repetiteur and has conducted over 30 operas. In 2001 he began his affiliation with Alberta Ballet and was named music director in 2005. He has conducted over 40 different productions for them.
Maria Lamont Director
Maria Lamont’s directing credits include the world creation of the First Nations opera Giiwedin (Native Earth Performing Arts) and Enoch Arden in the Hope Shelter (Theatre Centre in Toronto). She also directed Maria Stuarda for Pacific Opera Victoria, which she will revive for Edmonton Opera this spring. She has worked as an assistant and as a revival director for opera companies all over the world, including La Scala Milan, La Monnaie Brussels, Theater an der Wien Vienna, Théâtre des Champs Elysées Paris, De Nederlandse Opera Amsterdam, Le Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg, Opéra du Rhin Strasbourg, Canadian Opera Company, English National Opera and Hyogo Performing Arts Festival Japan.
Geoffrey Sirett
Morales/Dancaïre | baritone Geoffrey Sirett continues to impress musicians and audiences in debut performances in opera, concert and recital repertoire. Recent career highlights include William Dale in Kevin Puts’ Silent Night (Opéra Montréal), Adams’ The Wound Dresser (Victoria Symphony) and Messiah for the orchestras of Winnipeg and London. He premiered The Bells of Baddeck in Nova Scotia and looks forward to Brander in Damnation of Faust for Calgary Symphony. Geoffrey holds degrees from the University of Toronto and the University of Western Ontario. The Kingston native is the winner of the Jim and Charlotte Song Prize, and his solo album, Vagabond, is devoted to Art Songs in English.
Lida Szkwarek Micaëla | soprano
A graduate of Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Development Program, Lida recently competed as a semi-finalist with the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions. Other recent performances include Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) and Micaëla (Carmen) with Saskatoon Opera, Susanna (Susanna’s Secret) with Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Development Program as well as her debut with the Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra. Past performances include Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Rusalka (Rusalka), Countess Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro) and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni). Upcoming performances include the Guelph Symphony Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Mozart’s Requiem. Lida will also be returning to Calgary Opera to perform Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte.
Jeffrey Gwaltney Don José | tenor
Jeffrey Gwaltney has appeared in London at the Royal Albert Hall as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, at Opera Holland Park as Dick Johnson in La Fanciulla del West and as Luigi in Il Tabarro, at the Scottish Opera as Erik (George) in The Flying Dutchman and at Opera Ireland as the Prince in Rusalka. He has appeared with Opera on the James, Opera North and PORT Opera as Rodolfo in La bohème, Opera Idaho and Opera North as Don José in Carmen, and Mobile Opera as Pinkerton. This season, he will appear at the Wexford Festival in Ireland as Simon Perez in Frederick Delius’ Koanga and make debuts with Opera Carolina (Canio in Pagliacci) and Edmonton Opera.
Aaron Dimoff
Zuniga | bass-baritone Ontario native Aaron Dimoff is making his Edmonton Opera debut as Zuniga. He previously debuted at Calgary Opera as the Imperial Commissioner in Madama Butterfly, and went on to sing there as British Major in Silent Night, Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro and Zuniga in Carmen as part of the Emerging Artist Development Program. As an Emerging Artist, he also sang Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia and Des Grieux in Le portrait de Manon. Aaron’s recent concert appearances include Mendelssohn’s Elijah and as Sciarrone in the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra’s production of Tosca.
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Artists’
PROFILES Géraldine Chauvet Carmen | mezzo-soprano
Géraldine Chauvet made her international debut as Carmen at the Arena di Verona under the baton of Plácido Domingo. She made a highly successful United States debut with the role of Adriano in Rienzi with the Opera Orchestra of New York and debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Sesto (La clemenza di Tito). Recent performances included Sara in Roberto Devereux at New York’s Carnegie Hall, a debut at the Salzburg Festival and the title role in Carmen at the Washington National Opera. Upcoming performances include a role debut as Laura in La Gioconda (Teatro Municipal de Santiago del Chile) and Marguerite (Damnation de Faust). With Carmen in Edmonton she makes her debut in Canada.
Vanessa Oude-Reimerink
Frasquita | soprano
Vanessa was a member of Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Development Program last season where she made her mainstage debut as Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro. She recently debuted with the Toronto Summer Music Festival as Cathy in The Last Five Years and FestivalOpéra St. Eustache in the title role of Viardot’s Cendrillon. Other roles include Tytania, Susanna, Pamina, Papagena, Miss Wordsworth and various musical theatre roles. Vanessa is a graduate of McGill and Western universities, and has received additional training from Centre d’Arts Orford, COSI, Opera NUOVA, Opera on the Avalon and the St. Andrews Opera Workshop. Vanessa is a recipient of the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship, an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera Western Canada District and the Western Gold Medal.
Catherine Daniel
Mercédès | mezzo-soprano Catherine Daniel of Edmonton studied voice with coloratura soprano Tracy Dahl at the University of Manitoba. She was a member of the Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal and later became a member of the Opera Studio Nederlands. Career highlights include roles as Carmen in Tilburg, Dido/Sorceress in a European tour, collaborations with Elroy Friesen at the University of Manitoba, and singing the roles of Maria in Porgy and Bess (Opéra de Montréal) and Third Lady in The Magic Flute (Edmonton Opera). This season included a European tour of Porgy and Bess and singing the role of First Maid in Opéra de Montréal’s Elektra.
Gregory Dahl
Escamillo | baritone Gregory Dahl has attained a position of prominence among baritones of his generation with performances notable for richness of characterization and a remarkable vocal authority. Career highlights include Tomsky in Queen of Spades (English National Opera), the title role in Macbeth (Opéra de Québec and Kentucky Opera), Sharpless in Madama Butterfly (Canadian Opera Company), Golaud in Pelléas et Mélisande (Opera Theater of St. Louis) and Grand Prête in Samson et Dalila (Opéra de Montréal). Future plans include George in Of Mice and Men (Manitoba Opera) and Sharpless for Vancouver Opera. He has been featured by Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Vancouver Symphony, Symphony Nova Scotia and the Winnipeg Symphony.
Michael Marino Remendado | tenor
Toronto-based Michael Marino is thrilled to be rejoining Edmonton Opera for their production of Carmen! Michael is a graduate of the Calgary Emerging Artist Development Program and received his master’s degree in performance and literature at the University of Western Ontario under the mentorship of Canadian baritone Theodore Baerg. He last performed with Edmonton Opera in their production of Salome as the Fourth Jew. Michael recently returned from Whitehorse, Yukon, where he sang as the tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah. Past roles include Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), Gonzalve (L’Heure Espagnole), Gastone (La Traviata) Fenton (Falstaff), Lurcanio (Ariodante), Tamino (The Magic Flute), Rodolfo (La bohème), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) and Davey Palmer (Siren Song).
Camellia Koo Scenery Designer
For Edmonton Opera, Camellia designed the sets and costumes for The Tales of Hoffmann. Other recent designs include collaborations with Minnesota Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Boston Lyric Opera, Against the Grain, Tapestry New Opera and the Canadian Opera Company. Recent designs for theatre and dance include collaborations with Ballet Jörgen, Cahoots Theatre Projects, Tarragon Theatre, The Second City, the Shaw Festival and Young People’s Theatre. She has received six Dora Awards, a Sterling Award, a Chalmers Award Grant, the 2006 Siminovitch Protégé Prize and third prize (team) at the 2011 European Opera Directing Prize. Upcoming plans: Mary Stuart (Edmonton Opera).
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Artists’
PROFILES Deanna Finnman Costume Designer
Deanna’s 15-year association with the Edmonton Opera as head of the wardrobe department and resident costume designer has included costume design credits for Lakme, Pirates of Penzance and Fidelio. Her designs for Edmonton Opera’s South Pacific, The Emperor of Atlantis and The Mikado have earned Sterling Awards for Best Costume Design. Most recently she designed costumes for Edmonton Opera’s production of The Magic Flute. She is excited to collaborate with Camellia Koo and Maria Lamont on a Carmen set in the 1930s.
David Fraser Lighting Designer
Previous designs with the Edmonton Opera include Lucia di Lammermoor, Die Fledermaus, Aida, Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci and Otello. As a Calgary-based artist, David works extensively across the country in theatre, dance and opera. His designs have been seen nationally from the Vancouver Opera to the National Arts Centre, and internationally his work has been presented with choreographers Tania Alvarado and Pam Tzeng. David is currently the production manager at Alberta Theatre Projects in Calgary, and was also the director of production for the English Canadian Exhibition at the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space in June 2015. He has been nominated for a Jessie Richardson Award, two Betty Mitchell Awards and 12 Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards, and he has been the recipient twice for his designs.
Leanne Regehr Repetiteur
Pianist Leanne Regehr earned a doctor of music degree in piano performance from Northwestern University and is currently based in Edmonton, where she serves on the faculties of the University of Alberta and the King’s University. Leanne has been engaged as a repetiteur with Shreveport Opera, Mercury Opera and Edmonton Opera. Her dedication to the development of young singers has been recognized through her work as a faculty member with Opera NUOVA, as a staff pianist for Sherrill Milnes’ VOICExperience Program in Florida, and as a coaching fellow at the Aspen Music Festival. Leanne enjoys her freelance career as a soloist, vocal coach, recital partner and adjudicator.
Ha Neul Kim Stage Manager
2015/16 is Ha Neul Kim’s 14th season with Edmonton Opera. A graduate from the University of Alberta with her BFA degree in technical theatre production specializing in stage management, she has been the Edmonton Opera’s stage manager since 2007. She has been the assistant stage manager for many past Edmonton Opera and Manitoba Opera productions, as well as stage managing for the main stage during the Queen’s royal visit, field stage for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2005 World Masters Games, and has worked in theatres across Canada. She also teaches opera stage management at the University of Alberta.
Anna Davidson
Assistant Stage Manager Anna is so happy to be working on Carmen and Mary Stuart this season. Past Edmonton Opera assistant stage manager credits include Lucia di Lammermoor, The Magic Flute, Barber of Seville, Madama Butterfly, Die Fledermaus, Salome, Eugene Onegin and The Mikado. She has worked as a stage manager or ASM for the Citadel Theatre, Northern Light Theatre, Shadow Theatre, Workshop West, Theatre Network, Concrete Theatre and L’Uni Théâtre. She is a graduate of the theatre production program at MacEwan and is a freelance technician and member of IATSE Local 210.
Gina Moe
Assistant Stage Manager Gina Moe’s recent Edmonton Opera assistant stage manager credits include Lucia di Lammermoor, The Magic Flute and The Tales of Hoffmann. Stage management credits include The Last Five Years and Little One (Theatre Network), Sleuth, The Euphorians, Angels on Horseback, Witness to a Conga and The Occultist’s Holiday (Teatro la Quindicina), Heroine and Victoria Martin: Math Team Queen (Northern Light Theatre), Craniatrium (Firefly Theatre), Enchanted April, The Retreat From Moscow and Trying (Theatre Calgary), and Cooking at the Cookery, Trying, Einstein’s Gift, Wit and Skylight (Citadel Theatre). Gina is a two-time winner of the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes award for Outstanding Achievement in Production.
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Edmonton Opera chorus
and supers
Sopranos
Mezzo-sopranos
Tenors
Baritones
Supers
Janine Brémault-Bamford Natasha Da Fonseca Linda Farrah-Basford Jill Hoogewoonink Betty Kolodziej Lydia-Ann Levesque Christina O’Dell Kailee Phillips Cristina Weiheimer
Seang Youn Choi Dilys Kulchitsky Joyce LaBriola Joanne Linden Krista Mulbery Glynis Price Karen Zabinski
Garreth Borgstrom Allan Cabral de Sa Mathew Glen Cameron Douglas Graham Mike Otto Robert Rock Dan Rowley
John Adria Hans Forbrich Andrew Hladyshevsky Nick Horobec Greg Maluzynsky Andrae Marchak Josh Thayer John Yun
Autumn Ballek Mike Boire Fred Deis Adrian Howard Terry Ingraham Markiyan Fedyna Mikhajlena Fedyna Justin Kautz Howard Kowalchuk Jarrett Krissa
Mia Friedenthal Lauren Hanson Cleo Harcus Elyse Merryweather
Faith Merryweather Toby Robinson Sophie Turgeon Ayla Westra
Children Melodie Baker Jessa Clarkson Bibi Compri Sisi Compri
Edmonton Symphony orchestra William Eddins, Music Director Violin 1
cello
horn
Robert Uchida Eric Buchmann Laura Veeze Aiyana Anderson-Howatt Richard Caldwell Neda Yamach Joanna Ciapka-Sangster Anna Kozak Broderyck Olson Susan Flook
Rafael Hoekman Ronda Metszies Gillian Caldwell Derek Gomez Victor Pipkin Ian Woodman
Allene Hackleman Megan Evans Gerald Onciul Donald Plumb
Violin 2 Dianne New Heather Bergen Zoë Sellers Robert Hryciw Tatiana Warszynski Murray Vaasjo Christine Yu Jim Cockell
Viola Stefan Jungkind Charles Pilon Clayton Leung Rhonda Henshaw Jeanette Comeau Leanne Maitland
bass Jan Urke John Taylor Janice Quinn Rhonda Taft Rob Alridge
flute Elizabeth Koch Shelley Younge
Oboe Lidia Khaner Paul Schieman
clarinet Julianne Scott David Quinn
bassoon Matthew Howatt Edith Stacey
trumpet Robin Doyon Frederic Payant
Trombone John McPherson Kathryn Macintosh
Bass Trombone Christopher Taylor
tuba Scott Whetham
tIMPANI Barry Nemish
Percussion Brian Jones John McCormick Brian Thurgood
Harp Nora Bumanis
Orchestra Personnel Manager Eric Filpula
Librarian Aaron Hawn
ESO Production Staff Jerrold Eilander Mike Patton
The building of It takes nature years on end to produce that weatherbeaten, worn look on man-made structures. But for the crews at the Edmonton Opera production facility to achieve the same look when building the new Carmen scenery and costumes? Just a few months. The talent required to make brand-new materials look well-used for this production, set in Spain in the 1930s, results somewhat ironically in high-quality, detailed work, said production and technical director Clayton Rodney. “Although we keep in mind the 40-foot rule — the space from the closest set piece or closest singer to the closest audience member — we still work to be highly detailed,” he said. “We have a lot of patrons who bring binoculars or opera glasses, so they can see a little bit better. We also want to impress our audience with high-quality scenery. We want to make sure they know that this is what they get when a set is built right here in Edmonton. “We also work less than 40 feet away, so each scenery piece pretty much gets finished to the quality of your house, because we’re standing so close to it in the shop, in a really well-lit environment. So the finish quality usually ends up being quite detailed, even if we sometimes unintentionally do it.” Edmonton Opera’s production is set within the tumultuous years leading up to the Spanish Civil War. So over the course of three months, carpenters, welders and painters produced scenery typical of the time period, including scaffolding with the look of weathered, worn wood, sun-baked Spanish walls and the iconic arches and red doorways of Seville’s Royal Tobacco Factory, the supposed original location of Carmen.
Mathematical details As the technical director, Rodney received thumbnail sketches from scenery designer Camellia Koo in June. Once the design and concept presentation was made in August, Rodney sourced the cost of materials and drafted technical drawings for the shop crews; by midSeptember the production was taking shape. The scenic carpenters started with the largest, most critical and most expensive piece first, Rodney explained, which meant that the plaster wall was at the top of the list. The sun-baked wall is the backdrop to acts I and II, in slightly different configurations. Its curvilinear shape is also carried through other scenery pieces in the rest of the acts. “What [director Maria Lamont] and I were both interested in doing was trying to create a visual throughline, through all the acts,” Koo said. “It’s also the notion of fate, Carmen’s fate and everyone else’s fate … no matter what her choices are, no matter what other people’s choices are, she’s going to end up down this path.” A curved path where the angled degrees went well into the decimals, specifically. Using faceted sections, the curve of the red slat fence came from the angled joints of each straight section meeting. So to get the curve that Koo wanted, Rodney drafted trapezoidal posts, causing headaches for the scenic carpenters who don’t normally work with such precise measurements, nor have the shop equipment to easily make the cuts. Had Rodney rounded to the nearest whole number, however, the fence wouldn’t end up in the proper place on stage. Its upstage direction gives the illusion that the set just keeps going, Rodney explained — as it is, some of the pieces continue so far into the wing that the side door into the stage shop has to be left open. He’s also modified the backstage masking of the black drapes to accommodate that.
We also want to impress our audience with high-quality scenery. “We want to make sure they know that this is what they get when a set is built right here in Edmonton. ” – Clayton Rodney
Edmonton Opera production & technical director
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Luckily, when he took the curved problems to his students at MacEwan University, where he also teaches drafting in the theatre production program, he made it a bit simpler.
all the same challenges that we do in theatre, in a way — it’s a theatrical experience.”
“We didn’t give them quite the degree of 90.4 angles [for example], but we did make sure they got the experience — very similar to what I would do [at EO],” Rodney said. “And by bringing that information to them and saying, ‘Well, this is what the designer wants,’ they’re getting an opportunity to listen to what would happen at an actual professional company.”
Lighting designer David Fraser ties the whole theatrical experience together, Rodney continued, by adding to the set design and the director’s staging, as well as augmenting the storytelling by setting the mood, indicating the time of day, the location and foreshadowing, all while making sure the audience can see who is singing.
A theatrical experience Since the opera takes place in four different locations, the curved trajectory of the scenery brings it together, Koo said. For her part, costume designer Deanna Finnman said it’s also united by seasonal change. “In Act I, it’s the heat of summer, so there’s sun-bleached cottons and the idea that they’re hot and sticky,” Finnman said. “Act II is dark, in a tavern, and I sort of think of it as early fall, the last hot days, and hopefully that gets reflected in the costumes — they’re darker, richer colours. “By Act III, there’s a passage of time, Carmen and her girlfriends have joined this posse of smugglers and been on the lam for the last few months. So it’s cold, they’re in the mountains, and they’re in all these scarves and woolens and jackets. “And then I think of the bullfight in Act IV as being spring. Carmen has moved on, she’s with Escamillo who has opened this new world of wealth for her, and so it’s kind of a bright, sunny moment. She comes out and she’s supposed to look incredible, basking in that sunlight.”
“If I can’t see them I can’t hear them, and often times after the final dress rehearsal we have to come in early before the opening performance to tweak a few lighting cues based upon our feedback from the sample audience and Tim [Yakimec, artistic director],” said Rodney, adding that while Fraser is a part of the process from the very beginning, his first chance to realize his designs on stage happens only days before opening night. “When David lights a show I’m always amazed at how he can tie all the elements together and really make the show cohesive and true to what everyone has been envisioning.”
In her research, Finnman captured an overall idea of what people were wearing in the 1930s, before starting to look at individual characters. She has also read a lot about matador jackets — Bizet coined the term toreador from the Spanish word toreo, which references all the people involved in bullfighting, including the main role of matador — and though Finnman said she’s far from being an expert, the intricacies of the jacket are extraordinary. “They have to look beautiful, and there’s a lot of history in them, but they also have to perform functionally,” Finnman said. “[The matadors] have to be able to move in them, wear those tight pants and be able to do lunges and kicks, and apparently it’s a challenge to get the blood out. So they have
carmen 33
Bill Hole’s opera career as a super spanned four productions in the 1970s and 1980s. Now, he and his brother Jim Hole support Edmonton Opera in a different way — with donations of flower arrangements in the Jubilee Auditorium lobby for every production, created by Hole’s Greenhouses.
“I remember [my mother Lois Hole] listening to the opera from New York on Saturdays,” said Bill, co-owner of Hole’s Greenhouses. “And then when you go to the opera, you hear the music again and you realize, ‘Oh yeah, we were in that opera.’ So in essence, it closes the loop. “I understood more about it and could talk a little bit about various operas, which always shocked a few people. I don’t think they were expecting guys who were playing football at the University of Alberta to be in the opera.”
Client First Delivery Certainty We Do What We Say Family Business, Family Values Nobody Gets Hurt
It was Dave Salloum, a fellow teammate, who got other players involved, Bill said. Then-stage-manager George Cotton had approached Dave at the gym, as George needed athletic males to play the extra roles of bare-chested soldiers in Salome (February 1977). It wasn’t always easy — Bill remembered someone tripping over a spear and the black puddles that would pool at his feet as he washed out hair dye — but it gave them a glimpse behind the scenes, making the brothers realize how intricate and complex the productions are. “One of the ladies in the green room always brought food and took really good care of everyone,” Bill said. “And Irving Guttman was extremely good to us. He treated us with respect and never diminished us, even though we didn’t necessarily know a lot about opera.” Bill and Jim played roles in Carmen (March 1982), and while they won’t be on stage in 2015/16, the arrangements by Hole’s Greenhouses — likely red and including roses for Carmen, Bill said — will be admired in the lobby all season long. “Arts need support, no matter what. There’s groups that can support with money, but my mother always said no event is ever complete until you can give them flowers or something to decorate the area; that’s the finishing touch,” Bill said. 36 carmen
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Both the lead characters and the artists
Remarkable sopranos, monarchs in costume drama
in the costume drama Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots are remarkable — two monarchs in an explosive rivalry portrayed by two sopranos currently experiencing acclaimed careers.
As director Maria Lamont worked her way through biographies, novels, television programs and documentaries, she kept coming back to the Tudor-era portraits of Elizabeth I (sung by Keri Alkema) and Mary Stuart (sung by Kathryn Lewek). “They are extraordinary women living in an extraordinary period of time. Their fates were inexorably linked, and this makes for fantastic storytelling,” Lamont said. The production is set in a gallery in an old Tudor mansion, where the museum staff are preparing an exhibition on the two queens. Over the course of the story, the design team — including Carmen scenery designer Camellia Koo — played with the idea that art becomes life, and life becomes art. Edmonton Opera closes its 2015/16 season with another of Donizetti’s masterpieces, after the critically acclaimed success of Lucia di Lammermoor in 2014/15. “Mary Stuart and other operas by Donizetti are undergoing a welldeserved revival these days because they are singers’ operas,” Lamont said, adding that the story moves along in a very theatrical and exciting way.
�ary �tuart
“In Lucia the great tragedy of the opera is the family tragedy between Lucia and her brother. In Mary Stuart the tragedy is played out in a love triangle between the two queens and Leicester, but actually it is between the two queens and the British throne. “The most important thing when casting Mary Stuart is not only the high quality of both singers, but that they vocally complement each other.” Having previously performed roles in Anna Bolena, the first of Donizetti’s Three Queens operas, Alkema will arrive in Edmonton fresh from her Seattle Opera performances of Elizabeth I. Her voice has been described as “an appealing brew of dark and creamy colours,” while Lewek is known for her flawless fiery technique, bringing “virtuosity and control to coloratura fireworks.” The Alberta premiere of this bel canto work is at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium April 16, 19 and 21. Tickets start at $40 and are available at edmontonopera.com or 780.429.1000.
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Gifts of shares to Edmonton Opera in 2006, the federal government eliminated capital gains on gifts of publicly traded securities to registered charities and foundations. Publicly traded securities are all securities listed on Canadian and major international exchanges. Such securities include stocks, trust units, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and warrants. The elimination of capital gains tax on such publicly traded securities donated to Edmonton Opera provides donors with two significant tax-saving opportunities: there will be no capital gains tax on the gift, and you will receive a charitable receipt from Edmonton Opera, tax deductible to the full amount of the gifted securities. However, note that when you make the donation it must be a direct transfer of the security itself, not the cash proceeds from a sale of the security. This exemption can be applied to income tax returns up to five years after the gift has been made, as with any charitable contribution. This tax savings also applies to gifts designated in a will, if the donor arranges for their estate to transfer securities instead of the cash proceeds. To explore this type of donation and the possible tax benefits, you can visit the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency website at cra-arc.gc.ca for further assistance, or contact the Edmonton Opera.
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Rob hood fund The Edmonton Opera is the grateful recipient of a generous gift from the Rob Hood Fund. Mr. Hood’s direction was that these legacy funds be used to attract operatic singers of the highest calibre. In the 2015/16 season, Géraldine Chauvet brings her worldrenowned performance of Carmen to Edmonton thanks to a gift from the Rob Hood Fund; appearances by fellow artists Jeffrey Gwaltney (Don José) and baritone Gregory Dahl (Escamillo) are also funded through this gift. In April 2016, gifts from the Rob Hood Fund will be applied to the three principal artists in Mary Stuart: Keri Alkema (Elizabeth I), Diego Silva (Leicester) and Kathryn Lewek (Mary Stuart), who is considered the world’s reigning Queen of the Night. Previous gifts from the Rob Hood Fund have been awarded to Metropolitan Opera stars Angela Brown and Carl Tanner (Aida, October 2012) and Anne-Sophie Duprels (Madama Butterfly, April 2014).
Dr. Irving Guttman, artistic director emeritus of the Edmonton Opera (1928 – 2014), shared his memories of Mr. Hood. “I first met Robert when he joined our chorus in 1965. Two things were clear between us — we both loved opera and while he was serious and dedicated about his singing, we agreed that it was important to pursue one’s passions but not necessarily aspire to singing on the Met stage. He contributed to Edmonton Opera as both a board and guild member. That said, I believe his work in our chorus was seminal to his fine appreciation of the power and presence of the human voice. With his personal experience as a bass, his respect grew for the voices of the operatic greats of the time. He liked to call it ‘fine singing!’ “Rob was very principled in his belief that there were certain ways to do things, which extended to being a rather private person, to dressing properly and to being immensely loyal to his friends and colleagues. “Aside from his avocation, Rob was well placed in his work with the Alberta government’s culture portfolio. He was always committed to high standards, personally and professionally, and I am certain those were valued qualities in his work, thus making him known and respected in the arts community in the province and beyond.”
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Edmonton Opera Magazine is published four times per year by Playhouse Publications Ltd. The contents of Edmonton Opera Magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved by Playhouse Publications Ltd.
Inquiries should be made to: Playhouse Publications Ltd. • 10177 - 105 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 1E2 Ph: 780-423-5834 • Fax: 780-413-6185 • www.playhousepublications.ca PLAYHOUSE PUBLICATIONS LTD. President & Publisher: Rob Suggitt Art Director & Designer: Christine Kucher Advertising Sales: Barry Powis, Glenda Dennis, Kerri Anderson Administration: Amber Grmek Edmonton Opera Magazine is a product of Playhouse Publications Ltd., an affiliate of Suggitt Publishers. President & CEO: Tom Suggitt • President & CFO: Rob Suggitt
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edmonton opera board of directors 2015-2016 season Garner Beggs Robert Bessette Danisha Bhaloo Jennifer Brown
Richard Cook, Chair Francis Price, Vice Chair Ken Keenleyside, Treasurer Irv Kipnes, Past Chair
Mary Clonfero Craig Corbett Mary-Lou Hamilton
Melanie Nakatsui Bernie Robitaille Robert Rock
edmonton opera staff Executive Tim Yakimec, General Manager & Artistic Director*
Finance Debra King, CFO Serene Yau, Accountant
Community Relations Cameron MacRae, Senior Manager, Marketing Lauren Tenney, Marketing Coordinator
Fund Development Neil Hayes, Director of Major Gifts Gwen Horvath, Director of Fund Development Jennifer Hinnell, Grants Officer Lauren Hyatt, Events Coordinator & Donor Relations Celyne Runzer, Fund Development Assistant
Box Office Joanne Madeley, Box Office Manager Katie Gallin, Box Office Clerk
Artistic Administration Ha Neul Kim, Artistic Manager & Resident Stage Manager* Peter Dala, Resident Conductor & Chorusmaster*
Production and technical Clayton Rodney, Production & Technical Director* Greg Brown, Head Scenic Carpenter & Shop Supervisor Deanna Finnman, Head of Wardrobe & Resident Wardrobe Designer* Megan Kumpula, Head of Properties Theresa Grant, Assistant Head Properties Richard (Buck) Stevens, Assistant Head Scenic Painter Melanie (Raevn) Brasch, Scenic Painter Kathy Cooper, Assistant Head Carpenter
Kris Aasen, Production Coordinator Mikael Gustafsson, Scenic Carpenter Jeff Howe, Scenic Carpenter Ivan Siemens, Head Welder Vincent Meseck, Assistant Head Welder Brenda Inglis, First Assistant Wardrobe* Ava Siemens, First Stitcher* Judith Darough, Cutter Kathleen Mulder, Dyer Kathryn Neuman, Stitcher Viola Peters, Stitcher Genevieve Savard, Stitcher*
Production and technical Stage Crew Geoff Bacchus, Head Stage Carpenter* Kathy Cooper, Assistant Stage Carpenter Al Kliss, Head Fly* Alison Hardy, Head Electrics Joseph Race, Assistant Electrics Megan Kumpula, Head of Properties Theresa Grant, Assistant Properties Danine Regenwetter, Head Wardrobe Dresser* Kathryn Neuman, Assistant Wardrobe Dresser* Cathy Nicoll, Head Make-up* Noreen Jani, Assistant Make-up Judy Morley, Head Wigs & Hair* John Horn, Wigs & Hair Nancy Horn, Wigs & Hair* Rachel Dawn Woods, Supertitle Cuer Lauren Acheson, Assistant to the Designer
Nanc Price, Volunteer Photographer *10 years or more of service to Edmonton Opera. carmen 45
�pcoming Feb. 11, 2016
Opera is alive and in living Technicolour at the annual Valentine’s Gala. We invite you to join us for a romantic evening with dinner and entertainment at the Shaw Conference Centre.
March 30, 2016
Join us at CKUA, in the beautifully restored Alberta Hotel at 9804 Jasper Ave., for refreshments and a casual discussion about Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots during Opera 101 at 7 p.m. This is a complimentary event but please RSVP your space ahead of time.
April 3, 2016
Have some eggs with your arias and a view of the river valley during the Sunday Opera Brunch (11 a.m.) at the Royal Glenora Club, with performances by the cast of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots.
April 14, 2016
events
The education dress rehearsal allows students to experience opera firsthand. Teachers can contact education@edmontonopera.com to arrange tickets for the 7 p.m. rehearsal.
April 16, 19 & 21, 2016
Both the characters and artists in the costume drama Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots are remarkable — two monarchs in an explosive rivalry and two sopranos currently experiencing acclaimed careers.
For more information or to purchase tickets to any of these events, please call 780.429.1000 or visit edmontonopera.com.
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