VanCOCO Live at the 2012 Ovation Awards!

Yes, you read that correctly! Contralto Natalie Burdeny and Pianist Wenwen Du will be performing an excerpt from our 2011 Hit Show "Trouble In Tahiti" at the 8TH ANNUAL OVATION AWARDS this Sunday January 29th at 7PM at the Vancouver Academy of Music. And why have we been asked to perform? Well it's because we have been nominated for an Award in the category of for Outstanding Ensemble Production!

Contralto, Natalie Burdeny

As the Ovation Awards are a public award you can vote for us! Today is the last day though! Visit the Applause Musicals website and click on the link to take you to the voting ballot! One entry per person! You have until midnight!

Why should you vote for us? Well, this is quite an honour! The Ovation Awards are typically reserved for Musical Theatre productions and the fact that our little "jazz-influence" opera production has made the list is quite impressive. Regardless of the outcome, we are extremely pleased to have hit the radar of this organization and honoured (we said that once already - we know!) to be recognized for our efforts.

Pianist, Wenwen Du

Interested in attending the awards ceremony? You can still get tickets! The ticket price includes an amazing showcase of nominated artists. Doors open at 6:30 followed at 7PM by a revue including performances from various productions and special guest presenters. Cash bar, before and after show. Full details here!

See you there!

2 for 2! Our second review in Opera Canada!

Trouble In Tahiti
Opera Canada Review
Winter 2011

Honestly we could not have asked for a better year! Our inaugural performance of Bizet's Carmen was a sell-out and garnered a gushing review from our industry magazine Opera Canada!

Hot off the press is Opera Canada's Winter 2011 edition and we were elated to see that our second show of 2011, Bernstein's Trouble In Tahiti, received equal praise!

Honourable mention goes out to the entire cast and production team! This is a great start to 2012!

To read the entire review simply click here!

A few more "Shows We Saw" and some audience reaction!

Trio Member Paul Just
rocking it out at Karaoke
Night at the Fringe Bar

Wow! It's hard to believe there are only 3 more days of the Fringe Festival! This has been hands-down one of the most amazing experiences ever. Aside from producing a stellar show, we have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful artists and Fringe-goers alike. If you ever get to be a part of this Festival we can guarantee it will be an experience to remember.

When we're not on the stage, we've been taking in many of the shows on and off island! The plethora of talent is outstanding. Last night, while having a post show celebratory drink at the Fringe Bar (AGRO Cafe on Granville Island) we were trying to decide what late-night show to catch before packing it in when we were approached by charming actor/singer/musician pitching his show "The Illumination of the Grumpy Guitarist". Long story short, he sold us and we quickly guzzled our drinks and skipped over to the Review Theatre to see what the hubbub was about!

In case we needed
directions to the bar! ;-)

Delighted, surprized and thoroughly entertained is all we can say! So much so, that we leapt to our feet at the end. It was a combination of theatre, song and dance by some VERY TALENTED artists! It was a great end to an evening! If you're still trying to decide what to see on these last 3 days of the festival we highly recommend this show! And they have 2 performances left! Friday at 6:45pm and Sunday at 1:55pm. Go check it out!

"The Birdman" was another show we took in a few nights ago. Weird, quirky and strange is all we can say! But the uninhibited dance number at the end was worth the wait! He's at Performance Works!

Tony, our amazing stage manager had this to say about "Under the Mango Tree"... "UTMT was great. Veneesh Dubois is a very talented performer who played several roles in this semi-autobiographical play about her growing up in Fiji ‘Under the Mango Tree’. It was moving and delightful and incorporated film, music and her singing and dancing. I would recommend it her personality is charming and her acting good." You can catch this show at the Firehall (same venue as Trouble In Tahiti!)

As for Trouble In Tahiti, we still have 3 performances to go! Tonight (Friday) and Saturday we've got twilight shows at 11pm and our CLOSING (sniff-sniff) show is on Sunday at 7:15pm. There's still time to get your tickets in advance through www.vancouverfringe.com or at the door (cash only).

Here's a smattering of what we've been hearing from our audiences!

"Congratulations on all your hard work. I really really enjoyed your production last night. Thanks for bringing such a rare gem to Vancouver audiences." ~ Scott Ashton Swan (Applause Musicals)

"Congrats on a great show. So glad I got to see you all tonight. The street scene duet was just gorgeous. A real success all around." ~ Diane Speirs

"I was at the show last night. LOVED the music. Congratulations to you all!" ~ Susinn McFarlen (Actor/Playwright)

"Let me again congratulate you on Trouble in Tahiti – I thoroughly enjoyed it." ~ James W. Wright (General Director, Vancouver Opera)

"I'm glad I came!" ~ Reviewer (Opera Canada)

Tahiti Musical Director Kathy Gable
with Trio Member Grant Wardlow
relaxing at the Fringe Bar!

The Reviews Are In! And no... there is no naked Sam!

Trouble In Tahiti
September 8 to 18, 2011
Firehall Arts Centre

We have three performances under our belt and five left to go! Yesterday the reviews came pouring in and we are tickled pink with what the critics have had to say. Below are some snippits from the reviews. You'll also find hyperlinks each of the individual reviews should you wish to read the full version.

"Very innovative approach to the Berstein opera, and excellent performance by these five talented opera singers!" - Review Vancouver

“If you’ve wanted to try an opera but never dared go to one because it seemed inaccessible, Trouble in Tahiti is probably the best introduction. It’s in English, it’s accessible and it’s very short (40 minutes).” - Anabelle Bernard Fournier, Hummingbird604

"Contralto Natalie Burdeny carries the lyricism of the aria beautifully and has the maturity to convey the sadness and desperation of trying to get from a bed of weeds to a garden of love and happiness." - Lisa Barrett, Plank Magazine

"The show left me touched and sad, a good sign that the singers conveyed the emotions well. I had a great time and I recommend it to opera newbies and buffs alike." - Anabelle Bernard Fournier, Hummingbird604

"The show scene is a witty triumph itself with a naked* Sam singing about the glories of being a winner." - Lisa Barrett, Plank Magazine

* Just a little clarification on the quote above. There is no actual nudity in this show but maybe a little "teaser" which is what the critic above is referring to. You'll just have to come see it for yourself to understand what that's all about!

We have 5 performances left and 10% of proceeds to to the Vancouver Food Bank on Friday night! Show your support and keep opera at the Fringe!

Tuesday, September 13 @ 7:15pm
Thursday, September 15 @ 7:00pm
Friday, September 16 @ 11:00pm
Saturday, September 17 @ 11:00pm
Sunday, September 18 @ 7:15pm

Tickets Online: Tickets may be purchased online up to 4 hours before showtime.
At the Door: Tickets are available at the door 45 minutes before curtain. CASH ONLY!

Fringe is in full swing!

So the Vancouver International Fringe Festival is in full swing and VanCOCO is having a blast. Over the past few days we have had the pleasure of meeting some really awesome people; both audience members and cast and crew from other shows.

Ed Moran (Sam) and Natalie Burdeny (Dinah)
checking out the Sanny Board Forest
on Granville Island

Thursday night after our final music rehearsal we all headed down to Performance Works on Granville Island to take part in the "Fringe For All". Along with about 40 other presenters we gave the audience a 2 minute accapella snip-it of Trouble In Tahiti to entice Fringe-goers to circle our show in their Fringe Guide and come and experience Opera at the Fringe.

The most exciting news though is that we had our first performance yesterday! We had a great turnout and we were ecstatic to feel the pulse of a live audience laughing and gasping in all the right places! The entire cast and crew left the theatre after the performance pleased as peacocks! Oh, and we even signed a few autographs at the end! FUN!!!!

After the frantic strike we headed down to the FringeBar at Agro Cafe on Granville Island for a much deserved glass of wine, a few beers, and some delicious munchies. Afterward we went our respective ways to go and see the shows that interested us the most.

Ed Moran (Sam) took in an impromptu performance at the Agro Cafe Wild Canyon Stage (???) of "Say Wha" a collection of literature that once read actually insites the words "Say Wha". His favorite quote of the evening was from a magazine that said, "You are the ball bearing rolling around in the glass house inside of me"...Say Wha?

Natalie Burdeny (Dinah) and Kathy Gable (Musical Director) took in two otheer shows that evening: "You are not Dead: A Guide to Modern Living" at the Granville Island Hotel and "This is Cancer" at Performance Works. Both were equally entertaining, however Natalie said that "This is Cancer" was exceptional! She didn't know whether to love it or hate it as she laughed and shed a tear or two. "You'll feel moments of extreme discomfort and joy.... if I were to recommend a show... it would be This is Cancer!", she said.

Trouble In Tahiti has 7 more runs and you can get the full schedule on our website (www.vancoco.ca). We invite you to head on down to the Firehall Arts Centre... in the words of the surprise critic who came to our show last night... "I'm glad I came!" Don't miss it!

Take a photo and WIN tickets to Trouble In Tahiti!

Kate Wilkins, Festival Assistant

Today was Artist Check-In at the Vancouver International Fringe Festival tent on Granville Island! We arrived early of course, and there was already a line-up! The ever so friendly and sweet Kate was there to help us get oriented and answer the million and one questions we had!

We claimed our "sanny-board" (#11a) and now we have a challenge for you! In the next few days, the "sanny-boards" will be circulating around Granville Island. If you want to WIN two tickets to a performance of Trouble In Tahiti  all you have to do is:

(a) Find our "sanny-board" (Hint: It's #11a)
(b) Take a photo with you and our "sanny-board"
(c) Email your photo and name to info [at] vancoco [dot] ca by Wednesday, September 14th!

The "Sanny-Boards"

We will randomly draw two winners on Thursday, Sept. 15th for our 11pm shows on Sept. 16 and 17 respectively. Boards will begin circulating in another day or two so be sure to go snap your shot and check out some of the other fantastic Fringe shows both on and off the Island!

Interested in other ways to win tickets? Local social media guru Hummingbird604 is doing a giveaway and you can check it out by clicking "here".

And... to the 100th person who "follows us" on Twitter, we'll be giving away another 2 free tickets!

Can't wait to see your photos! This should be FRINGE-TASTIC!!!!

---UPDATE----

The first photo has been submitted!

Madeline Hannan-Leith!!! Great shot!

Tech Day at the Firehall Arts Centre

We are excited to say we are all moved into the theatre, unpacked and just about ready to go. We spent the majority of the day on Saturday positioning our set and hanging our lights. Sound cues have been worked out and projections are in place. We're in great shape for our dress rehearsal tonight.

We are so glad that we have such an awesome Technical Team. Here is a pic of our Lighting Designer Phil Schulze hard at work in the rafters making sure that you can see our shiny faces on stage. But he is just one of the fantastic team members helping us put together this show.

Joining us again are Anthony Wade-Cooper as our Stage Manager and Wayne Gilbart as our ASM. Corwin Ferguson from Awkward Stage Productions also lent us a hand with our projections, and the folks at the Firehall were also hard at work making us look and sound great!

A big thanks to everyone who has helped along the way! We open in just a few days and we hope that you will all enjoy this show as much as we have enjoyed putting it together.

And... for those who enjoyed our segment on "Paul's Amazing Socks" we thought you'd enjoy this photo! We're not sure how he managed to coordinate this, but Paul's Socks even matched the set. Guess you will have to come and see the show to believe it. And, if you ask nicely, we're sure Paul will gladly lift his trousers to give you a peek at the "Sock-du-Jour". (Note we said "lift" and not "drop"!)

Check out our website for a complete listing of showtimes and ticket information.

Paul's Amazing Socks

We know what you are thinking... What do Paul's socks have to do with Opera, Trouble in Tahiti, or even the Fringe Festival for that matter. The answer is simple... NOTHING! Except that they are just plain awesome!!!

Paul is always dressed like a dashing model for American Eagle, but this week during rehearsals we have been privy to some of his fantastic sock collection and we thought everyone should get the chance to experience Paul's Amazing Socks!

Don't miss your opportunity to see Paul at the Vancouver International Fringe Festival. Maybe if you ask nicely he will show you his AWESOME SOCKS!

Trouble in Tahiti moves into the theatre today, so we will have some sneak peak shots on Monday for those of you who can't wait for the opening night!

Don't forget... we open on September 9th and tickets are available at www.vancouverfringe.com as well as the the Fringe Box Office on Granville Island!

Bright and Early at CBC Radio Studio 3!

Hey VanCOCO Fans! We just wanted to let you know to keep an ear out for our radio spot which will be airing on CBC Radio over the next couple of weeks to promote Trouble In Tahiti at the Vancouver International Fringe Festival. We sang our first notes of the day in CBC Recording Studio 3 and managed to get in a two minute sound byte of music from the show to entice fans over to Firehall Arts Centre. From the looks of it, the cast quite enjoyed the experience.



We are also very excited that we finished the day with our Designer Run where fellow actor/director Andy Maton, our Lighting Designer Phil Schulze, and the rest of our crew showed up to watch the show and provide us with some audience feedback and a fresh perspective on the production that we have been preparing for our new Fringe Audience. We managed to squeeze in two top-to-bottom runs yesterday and it was so exciting to see the continued energy and breath being put into this living work of art.

Don't forget... we open on September 9th and tickets are available at www.vancouverfringe.com as well as the the Fringe Box Office on Granville Island!

Check back tomorrow for a feature on Paul's Socks!

Creative Team :: It started with a photo...

A few months back I was wasting the usual amount of time checking out the newsfeeds on my Facebook account when I stumbled across some really cool promo photos from one of my connections. Much to my surprize, my buddy Vince Hemingson had taken up photography! He was already a talented writer and notorious blogger, so why should I be surprised that he was now delving into the art of photographic imagery? He's obviously creative, right?

The photos I stumbled on were part of a "Fashion Editorial" project for his course at Langara College. When I saw them I knew immediately the Vince was exactly the right person to shoot our promo-photos for Trouble in Tahiti! So I popped off a quick email and much to my surprize he responded almost immediately with a resounding, YES! Thank you Vince!

We booked the shoot the following week and to make it even more special, Vince contacted the very talented stylist Scarlett Ballentyne to help us with the shoot - incidentally she was the stylist for the "Fashion Editorial" so I was pretty chuffed that we scored both of them! The entire process took about 2 hours from make-up to modelling and Vince made it so fun and easy! I think the proof is in the pudding as they say!

I've included a link here to Vince's Fashion Editorial because I think these are amazing shots and you should check them out. You can also visit his website to see all his "Tattoo" images and read a little more about the man behind the camera.

Scarlett also has a great website/blog. Not only is she a great stylist, but she's a top representative for hip jewelry line called Stella and Dot. Need some swag? Scarlett is the lady to call! 

Shows We Like :: 4th Edition!

Veenesh Dubois
Under The Mango Tree

It would seem that the inspiration for most theatre comes from adversity or struggle. Trouble in Tahiti centres around a married couple who are struggling to get back to the magic of love that they experienced when they first met. This is not an uncommon topic and segways nicely into the next installment of "Shows We Like".

Producer, playwright and actor Veenesh Dubois is no stranger to the Fringe stage. Her show, Under the Mango Tree is returning to the Vancouver International Fringe Festival after its successful debut in 2009. Since then she has toured the show on numerous Fringe stages (Winnipeg, Edmonton, Toronto) along with many other independent theatres to rave review.

Under The Mango Tree is about a daughter's love and yearning for her father. The father lives in a small village and wants to find fame, fortune and better opportunities, so he leaves his family behind and emigrates to Canada. The story follows the letters that the daughter and the father exchange between one another.

This play is inspired by Dubois' own personal experience of being a young girl who grew up on a dirt floor hut in Ba, Fiji and being abandoned by her father who emigrated to Canada to make a better life for his family. While her father eventually sent for her, the play explores Dubois' own feelings around being abandon in Fiji and her family's immigration story to Canada.

Under The Mango Tree would appear to be another example of the complexity of family. The play itself has garnered rave review, described as "A tremendously told story" (Edmonton Sun), "Evocative & Entertaining" (Eye Weekly Toronto), and "An Emotional Roller Coaster" (NorthWest Interviewer - Sheryl McKay).

We can't wait to see Dubois in action! And this shouldn't be difficult as she is sharing the stage with us at the Firehall Arts Centre for the duration of the 2011 Vancouver Fringe Festival.

For more information about Dubois and Under The Mango Tree visit her website! And stay tuned for highlights from Day 2 of Trouble In Tahiti rehearsals. Staging starts today!

Website: vancoco.ca
Blog: vancocoblog.blogspot.com

Facebook: facebook.com/VanCOCoOp

Twitter: @VanCOCoOp

eMail: info@vancoco.ca

Trouble In Tahiti :: Rehearsals :: Day 1

2/3 of our Trio!
Grant and Katherine
getting cutesy!

Wow, what a day! We just completed our first day of rehearsals and this show is going to be magical! After a productive and inspiring "Day 1" we thought it might be interesting to share with our readers a little bit about the rehearsal process in the "World of Opera".

In the "World of Opera", singers are expected to arrive on the first day of rehearsals fully prepared and ready to begin staging. This means you are completely studied, memorized and have sorted out your own dramatic intent on the day you arrive. This is quite different from the "World of Theatre" where actors are encouraged to arrive with an idea of the framework not to the point where the organic process can't take place. When there is music involved things just have to happen differently!

Trouble in Tahiti is a very ensemble driven show and because of this, we are taking time at the beginning of our rehearsal period to make sure that the show is flowing the same for everyone. We need to ensure that we are all breathing in the same energy and that our emotion flows from a very organic speech-like space. Our music director, Kathleen Lohrenz Gable, has arrived equipped to assist in making this happen, by encouraging us to deliver our text in the same dramatic shape in which we would speak them; ensuring that we are not merely singing the right notes, with the right rhythms, at the right time. Basically she is pushing us all to bring our individual and collaborative performances to the next level and to YOU our audience.

We accomplished a lot today! So it's time for some rest as tomorrow begins our first day of staging rehearsals.

Don't forget we open on September 9th! You can get your tickets at www.vancouverfringe.com!

"STRUT"-ing our stuff! Tahiti Cast Member Grant Wardlow visits the iMambo Studios!

On Friday morning we had a unique opportunity to shoot a STRUT video! Trouble in Tahiti Cast Members Grant Wardlow and Natalie Burdeny headed down to the iMambo studios at 910 Richards Street with a script in hand. We were greeted by Kim Elton, CEO of iMambo and Fringe Executive Director, David Jordan.

While we waited, we got to hear a professional shoot for a local sports-caster and were able to catch up on our hockey news - an interesting update on Sidney Crosby of the Vancouver Canucks. Grant jokingly commented... maybe we should get him to do this for us!

But NO! Grant was a trouper. It took only 3 takes to get it down and the STRUT staff made it super easy! Meanwhile, Natalie managed to snap a couple of shots we thought you might enjoy!

Grant getting some quick tips on how to deliver the STRUT!

The STRUT cameraman making sure Grant looks just right!

Not only did this guy run the camera...
he had one hand running the script for the
teleprompter at the same time! Glad
we came prepared with USB stick in hand!

Grant in action! Perhaps he just found another calling!
At minimum we'd love Grant to STRUT with us again!

As soon as the STRUT video becomes available we'll let you know! Now if only we can get our hands on the blooper reel!

Now for the plug! If you've got a website, you need a STRUT! Go check out the iMambo/STRUT for more information. It's actually quite reasonable and really fun too!

Choreography is in the Bag

Our Choreo Genius!
Andrea Rabinovitch

Well, we spent the last two days working out our step-cross patterns and our step-ball-changes with Andrea Rabinovitch and we can't wait to show you our new grooves in the Firehall.

Below we have a dance step we call, "I am praying that I make it through rehearsal week." I am thinking this may be all the dance craze this coming fall.

Katherine... you are late for High-Tea!

And a "Family Picture second to none"!

We poke fun, but seriously we are soooo happy with the hard-work and effort that our trio put in for the last two days and just know our audiences are going to love your new dance moves.

Don't forget! We open on September 9th at the Firehall Arts Centre (280 East Cordova). Opening night is half-price night so if you're counting your pennies, you can't go wrong with a $6 ticket!

Buy them here!

Stay tuned for tommorrow's blog installment of "Shows We Like"... where you'll get a chance to meet the wonderful Susinn McFarlen and learn about her show "Since You Left Us!".

Introducing our Music Director Kathleen Lohrenz Gable

We just can't explain how excited we are that Kathleen Lohrenz Gable will be joining us as our Music Director for Trouble In Tahiti! In just five short days she arrives to share with us her expertise at the keyboard and to help us shape and nuance this sparkling, yet darkly dramatic score that Mr. Bernstein has given to us.

Kathleen is joining us from Saskatoon where she currently teaches Applied Piano and is the Music Director for the Music Theatre Ensemble at the University of Saskatchewan. Most of us in the cast however, know her from our fond days of Opera NUOVA (Newly United Operatic Vocalists Association), Edmonton's national level opera training program.

Kathleen is very busy trying to catch all of her university students up so that she can join us here in Vancouver for the Fringe Festival, but she had some time to tell us about an exciting encounter she had personally with Leonard Bernstein.

When my husband and I were on our honeymoon to New York City we had an opportunity to observe Leonard Bernstein as he conducted the Portland Youth Orchestra who were sitting first chair beside the New York Philharmonic. We watched a rehearsal in the afternoon when the harpists was having difficulty with the score. Berstein was working hard with him and it was a tense moment. We decided to attend the concert later that evening. At the concert the harpist absolutely played his part perfectly and Bernstein gave him kudos with an OK sign in his conducting pattern. As a teacher of many students of this age this gesture greatly affected me. I was very emotional and decided that I was going to meet Mr. Bernstein. We simply walked past all of the check-points where people had security passes and tickets to meet Leonard Bernstein. We had no such documentation and felt that our only hope was to march straight past the check-points. We walked up to his dressing room and knocked on the door. He called out to come in. We entered and there were about thirty people in the room. I waited in line and in a couple of minutes he talked to me. I told him that I was a teacher and how the day and concert had affected me especially because I was passionate about working with young people. He took my head in his hands and told me to keep doing what I was doing because I was doing very important work. I have NEVER forgotten a moment of this encounter. What a privilege!!

What a privilege indeed! And thank you so much for sharing that story with us! Mr. Bernstein was right, the thing that you are doing is very important and we are so proud and honoured to have you come to Vancouver and share your passion with us!

If you didn't get a chance to read the previous blog post "Bernstein - A compulsion to share!", now is the time to do so. Kathleen's story is living proof that Bernstein truly believed in education and people!

Tahiti-toids! Indulge your mind...

We thought it was time for a few little factoids, or "Tahiti-toids" as we like to call them, about the show.

Trouble in Tahiti is a one-act opera in seven scenes composed by Leonard Bernstein with an English libretto by the composer. The opera received its first performance on 12 June 1952 at Berstein's Festival of the Creative Arts on the campus of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts to an audience of nearly 3,000 people. The work is about 40 minutes long. The NBC Opera Theatre subsequently presented the opera on television in November 1952; a production which marked mezzo-soprano Beverly Wolff's professional debut in the role of Dinah. Wolff later reprised the role in the New York City Opera's first staging of the work in 1958. Bernstein's later opera, A Quiet Place (1983), incorporates Trouble in Tahiti in the form of an extended flashback, and both versions are regularly performed worldwide. (Source: Wikipedia)

Premiere:      6/12/1952

                      Waltham, Massachusetts

                      Elliot Silverstein

                      Conductor: Leonard Bernstein

                      Company: Brandeis University

Moods:          Comic, Romantic

Subjects:       Contemporary, Relationships, Society

Style:             Musically, Bernstein indulges in many of the styles he is most recognized for. The heroine's first aria has a wistful melancholy reminiscent of Aaron Copland's earlier vernacular works and of Bernstein's later writing in West Side Story, while the jazzy interludes harken back to the score Bernstein wrote for On the Town.

Vernacular:    Bernstein tried to make his opera as real as possible. He wanted everything about it to be believable. He even went to great lengths to write in language that would be heard in everyday speech during that time. “All the music [in Trouble in Tahiti] derives from American vernacular roots, as do the words. And the words are very carefully set so that they will sound in the American cadence and with the American kind of syncopated, almost slurred quality”.

Inspiration:    While it was rumoured that the troubled young couple was based on Leonard Bernstein himself and his new bride, Felicia Monealegre, there is another, perhaps more plausible, theory that the story is based on the relationship of Bernstein’s own mother and father.

Do you know any interesting facts about Bernstein or Trouble in Tahiti? If so, we'd love for you to let us know! Simply leave a comment below!

Cast Corner: The Fabulous Katherine Landry

We are so excited to have the fabulous Katherine Landry filling out our trio for Trouble in Tahiti. Here is some interesting tid-bits she had to share with us.

Q: Vancouver Concert Opera Co-Operative is a "Concert Opera Company" what do you think the advantage is of branching into the staged world of the Fringe Festival?

A: Opera is meant to be a 'complete' art form: not only heard but seen as well. This is an opportunity for us to go beyond great music and provide audiences with a truly theatrical experience.

Q: We are the first opera at the 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: I hope opera will become a regular addition to the Fringe! I recently performed in one of a series of short operas premiered in a salon style setting called "The Opera Project". This was an opportunity for local composers to try their hand at opera for the first time in a condensed setting. These short works were outstanding and I think the Fringe would be perfect for further experiments!

Q: One last question, what is the most bizarre thing you've done or seen on stage?

A: I suppose this isn't really so bizarre as funny. I was in the chorus for the first time with Vancouver opera for their last production of Aida in 2002. One evening I was waiting in the wings for my 'Ethiopian Slave' entrance and we heard laughter and light applause from the audience. As we were shoved out on stage by the 'soldiers', I saw the tenor trying not to laugh as he looked up stage towards us. Apparently the horse he rode in on had decided to poo right there on the stage - luckily a costumed supernumary was on hand to sweep it up before we slaves made our entrance and had to kneel in it!

Make sure you check back tomorrow for our fun and unusual TAHITI-TOIDS!

Cast Corner - Ed Moran (Baritone) on Trouble in Tahiti

Baritone Ed Moran will sing the role of Sam in our upcoming production of Trouble in Tahiti. As one of the show's Co-Producers we thought you might find it interesting to hear some of his thoughts on the show and what his experience has been thus far as a Co-Producer.

Q: What excites you most about this show?

A: I performed in this show a hundred years ago during my undergrad at the University of Alaska and believe it or not I actually sang the Tenor part in the trio. Trouble in Tahiti was the first Opera I was ever in and it has excited me ever since. The music is stunning particularly because of the juxtaposition of the trio, which is very jazzy, against the two main characters Sam and Dinah who sing with a very operatic lyricism. The interaction between Sam and Dinah is very exciting and yet also very puzzling to me. At times I look at them and think, they really do love each other they just argue like any other couple, then at other times wonder, how are these two still together? I guess because I am an optimist, I look for the happy ending in this show and see the drama as just an average day in the life of Sam and Dinah.

Q: Is there a defining moment in your life when you decided that Opera was your lifes calling.

A: Yes, very much so. While I was in my undergrad at U.A.A. I began to sing in the Chorus with Anchorage Opera. My second or third show with them was Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera. In this production the scene just before the ball took place in front of the curtain. While this was happening the chorus, in all of their fanciest ball costumes, took the stage behind the curtain. As the curtain swiftly rose, the entire Chorus took two giant steps directly towards the audience. At this precise moment there was an audible gasp from the audience and the energy that ensued gave me goosebumps. Later on in the act, after Renato had be assassinated, I had the good fortune of being placed very close to the front of the stage. Each night I could look past the "4th wall" and see the audience sobbing in their seats. I decided at this moment that this would be my path. I absolutely adore that I get to take people away from their own world for a few hours and bring them into a world of beautiful music and drama. There isn't anything better for me on this earth.

Q: Can you give us a little sneak peak of what your show is going to look like?

A: Well... I suppose I can give you just a little sneak peak...  I really wanted to show how Sam and Dinah's life together (or at least this particular day in it) is shallow and one dimensional. For this reason we are playing around with silhouette's. The scenes with Sam or Dinah will be projected onto a flat surface and everything with be as deadpan and flat as possible. To experience the entire vision you will simply have to come and see the show.

Cast Corner - Paul Just (Tenor) on Tahiti and Opera

Tenor Paul Just was next on our list to catch up with. Here are a few interesting tid-bits about our Trio Man #1.

Q: What excites you about this opera?

A: For me, this opera walks that very fine line between musical theatre and opera. It has all those exciting syncopated and jazzy rhythms and crunchy, yet satisfying chords that you find in the musical theatre of this era, but the arching, grandiose lines that you so often associate with opera are found here, as well; most often heard in the scenes with Dinah. The juxtaposition of the two very distinctive styles is blended wholly and so very organically by Bernstein. It can satisfy the palate of most any music-theatre goer.

Q: Tell us about your first experience with Opera.

A: My first experience hearing an opera was when I was two when my father would play Minnesota Public Radio for me when they laid me down to sleep in my crib. Even as a two year old, I still have memories of laying in my crib and hearing the first chords of Bizet's CARMEN and my parents told me that I didn't fall asleep until the final chords of the opera. That should have been a telling factor about my choice of career. Fast forward to my first year of university when I was cast as Ben Budge in Benjamin Britten's re-imagining of John Gay's THE BEGGAR'S OPERA. It was a great show. Lots of good, fun, rollicking music for the Men of the Road. Britten has never been my favorite composer to sing or listen to, but his re-working of this opera opened my mind to him, if only a little. But, being on the stage, working as a unit with fellow-singers, a conductor, orchestra - it was something that I never forgot and I love it today as much as I did then. Well, perhaps a little more.

Keep checking back to hear more news and info about our upcoming performances of Trouble in Tahiti as part of the Vancouver International Fringe Festival.

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!!!