Cast Corner - Natalie Burdeny (Contralto) on Tahiti and "Fropera"

So we had a little time in our busy schedule to catch up with Ms. Burdeny our Founding and Artistic Director and ask her a few questions about the upcoming run of Trouble in Tahiti at the Firehall (Sept 8-18th). Here is what she had to say:


Q: What do you think is significant about the characters in this show?

A: I think the fact that the story is completely transportable into the “now” even though it was written in the 1950’s is significant. A lot of the times we experience opera as sort of a fantasy, when in actual fact, these characters could be people you know today, or maybe there are characteristics about them that is reflected in our own personalities. Even thought the trio seems to be a little nonsensical at times, I equate them to today’s vision of the media… if Facebook could sing, it would be our “Greek Chorus”… the mundane events that keep us entertained and sculpting the world before our eyes; albeit our singing Facebook Trio sounds quite beautiful!

Q: VanCOCO is producing the first Opera at Vancouver International Fringe Festival, do you think that Opera can be a regular part of the Fringe Festival? If so what other "Operas" do you think might fit in well with the regular Fringe crowd?



A: The answer is YES YES YES! The Fringe format lends itself well to one-act and experimental opera. This alone is a reason to keep opera as a part of the Fringe. With a one-act you have the challenge of telling a story in a very condensed amount of time which means we, as artists, have to be very clear of our intention. From a dramatic development standpoint, this is a great avenue for the singers to grow as actors. Not to mention, that we’re bringing the art form to a broader audience. Who knows… maybe someone who has never seen an opera will leave saying… “I want more… where do I get it?”!

Check back frequently to hear what the rest of our creative team has to say in the weeks leading up to our performances at Firehall Arts Center!!!