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TORONTO THEATRE NEWS
Royal Opera Canada New Season
(Sunday, April 18, 2004)
Last season, Royal Opera Canada extended their performances to North Toronto at the Toronto Center for performing arts (formerly Ford Center). In the new season, ROC will continue their mission to serve both Mississauga and North Toronto with four traditional opera performances scheduled to play at the Living Arts Center and the Toronto Center for performing arts consecutively.
The season start off with Verdi’s La Traviata. The opera, originally staged in 1854, is about a tragic love story between Violetta, a courtesan, and Alfredo, the offspring of a reputable family in Paris. La Traviata will be staged in Mississauga and Toronto by ROC in September/October.
In November, ROC will present Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. First performed in 1879, Eugene Onegin is a romantic opera about a girl, Titania, who falls for the handsome Eugene Onegin. Tatiana writes a letter to him to reveal her passion for him but Onegin rejects her. Many years later Tatiana is married to a rich and noble husband. She reencounters Onegin, and, now, he wants her.
In February and March, ROC will present two one act double bill opera performances about love and infidelity, Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci.
Cavalleria Rusticana, composed by Pietro Mascagni, sets the story in a mountain village, Vizzini, on the island of Sicily. Turiddu, recently returned from the army, finds out that Lola, who was betrothed to him before he left the army, is married to a teamster, Alfo. Turiddu consoles himself by making love to another village girl, Santuzza. But Turiddu soon betrays and abandons Santuzza. Alfo frequently leaves his wife alone at home, and Lola starts seeing Turiddu secretly. Alfo finds out and he challenges Turiddu a duel.
I Pagliacci, composed by Ruggiero Leoncavallo, tells the story of a troup of itinerant players who arrive in a village called Calabria. The troup leader, Canio, is a very coarse and jealous man. Nedda’s lover, a rich young farmer, Silvio, urges Nedda to run away with him. Canio discovers his wife’s infidelity. During a play where Nedda plays a faithless wife and Canio plays an outraged husband, Canio forgets the play and speaks his lines from real emotion. Canio stabs Nedda to death, and also kills Silvio who tries to come to her rescue.
The season will close up with Puccini’s love tragedyMadama Butterfly. The opera, first performed in 1904, tells the story of a US Navy Lieutenant, Pinkerton, who marries a young Japanese geisha girl, Cio-Cio-San. Pinkerton takes his vow lightly, but Cio-Cio-San remains faithful even after he leaves her to go back to America. She gives birth to a child and continues to believe that one day, Pinkerton will come back. Pinkerton returns years later with his American wife, prepared to take his child to America. Madama Butterfly will show in April/ May 2005.
The season start off with Verdi’s La Traviata. The opera, originally staged in 1854, is about a tragic love story between Violetta, a courtesan, and Alfredo, the offspring of a reputable family in Paris. La Traviata will be staged in Mississauga and Toronto by ROC in September/October.
In November, ROC will present Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. First performed in 1879, Eugene Onegin is a romantic opera about a girl, Titania, who falls for the handsome Eugene Onegin. Tatiana writes a letter to him to reveal her passion for him but Onegin rejects her. Many years later Tatiana is married to a rich and noble husband. She reencounters Onegin, and, now, he wants her.
In February and March, ROC will present two one act double bill opera performances about love and infidelity, Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci.
Cavalleria Rusticana, composed by Pietro Mascagni, sets the story in a mountain village, Vizzini, on the island of Sicily. Turiddu, recently returned from the army, finds out that Lola, who was betrothed to him before he left the army, is married to a teamster, Alfo. Turiddu consoles himself by making love to another village girl, Santuzza. But Turiddu soon betrays and abandons Santuzza. Alfo frequently leaves his wife alone at home, and Lola starts seeing Turiddu secretly. Alfo finds out and he challenges Turiddu a duel.
I Pagliacci, composed by Ruggiero Leoncavallo, tells the story of a troup of itinerant players who arrive in a village called Calabria. The troup leader, Canio, is a very coarse and jealous man. Nedda’s lover, a rich young farmer, Silvio, urges Nedda to run away with him. Canio discovers his wife’s infidelity. During a play where Nedda plays a faithless wife and Canio plays an outraged husband, Canio forgets the play and speaks his lines from real emotion. Canio stabs Nedda to death, and also kills Silvio who tries to come to her rescue.
The season will close up with Puccini’s love tragedyMadama Butterfly. The opera, first performed in 1904, tells the story of a US Navy Lieutenant, Pinkerton, who marries a young Japanese geisha girl, Cio-Cio-San. Pinkerton takes his vow lightly, but Cio-Cio-San remains faithful even after he leaves her to go back to America. She gives birth to a child and continues to believe that one day, Pinkerton will come back. Pinkerton returns years later with his American wife, prepared to take his child to America. Madama Butterfly will show in April/ May 2005.
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