Cast Corner - John Conlon (Baritone)

As the holiday's draw nearer we're trying to make sure you get an introduction to at least half or our talented cast for January's upcoming concert production of Die Fledermaus!

For our 6th Edition, we'd like to introduce Baritone, John Conlon who will be joining the VanCOCO stage as Gabriel von Eisenstein, the character around which the entire story revolves!

John has already graced many of Canada's professional houses, and we are delighted to have him joining us for this production. Originally from Parry Sound, Ontario, John holds a Master of Opera degree from the University of British Columbia and made his professional debut, as Danilo with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in their performance of Lehar’s The Merry Widow.

We had a chance to catch up with John and find out a little more about him. We hope you will enjoy these little tidbits...

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your first experience with Opera?

A. My first experience was playing Ahmal in "Ahmal and the night Visitors" in 1990. It seemed easier then. I was lucky my next opera experience was in the same show as one of the kings 10 years later.

Q. Is there any 'dream role" you'd like to play?

A. MacBeth in Verdi's Macbeth. I have always liked the Shakespeare play and saw it in Stratford Ontario twice when I was in high school and loved it. As a chorus member at Vancouver Opera I was able to be in their production and it was a wonderful experience. Verdi took some liberties with the story but still a great opera.

Q. Could you imagine yourself doing something else besides singing?

A. I really like the building industry especially the home building industry. When I was in opera school I worked for a contractor based lumber yard and I have a lot of background in the industry as well. I could see my self running a lumber yard or even being a home inspector.

Q. Has there been a crossroads in your journey to date? What keeps you going when times get tough?

A: This question is easy. There have been times when it would of been easy to call it quits. What keeps me going is the support from my wife. She has always been the one to push me on to keep going.

We all know that as an artist times get tough, and it is important to have a strong support system. We're pleased that John has a cheerleader in his back pocket, and we're sure you will be one too! We hope you take this opportunity to hear why John keeps forging ahead!

For more information on John, you can visit his website or visit our Artist Page for his full bio! Don't forget... tickets are on sale now and can be purchased securely from our website.

IN BRIEF: Vancouver Concert Opera Society presents Strauss’ Die Fledermaus at Pyatt Hall in Vancouver (834 Seymour St.) on Jan 4 & 5, 2013 at 7:00pm and at First United Church in White Rock (15385 Semiahmoo Ave) on Jan 6 @ 7:00pm. “Concert Opera” sung in German with English dialogue. Tickets starting at $24 can be purchased online at vancoco.ca. CASH ONLY at the door.                                    

Cast Corner - Jessica Wright (Soprano)

Soprano Jessica Wright joins the cast of Die Fledermaus as Yvan (Orlofsky's Valet), the second of two pant rolls in this saucy little operetta. When we heard Jessica in our September auditions, she charmed the pants off us (pun intended!) and so much so, that we had to find place for her on our stage!

Jessica Wright (Far Left)
in The Mikado

Interestingly enough, Jessica is currently finishing a degree in psychology, so if anyone can understand the concept of dual personalities, it certainly would be her! In addition to her studies, Jessica has spent the last five years singing with various companies in the lower mainland including Dragon Diva Operatic Theatre, Opera Appassionata, and UBC's Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

Discovering that her music journey began as a jazz vocalist we were really interested on how she began her transition into classical music...

Q: How did you get started with opera?

A: I had been a jazz vocalist, making the rounds at cafes and restaurants in and around Vancouver. Then about five years ago, I took the plunge and auditioned for The Pirates of Penzance with DragonDiva Operatic Theatre. Pirates has always held a special place in my heart and I took it as a sign. I haven’t looked back since.

Q: What might you say to someone who has never been to an opera before to get them excited about this particular show?

A: When many people think of opera, they often think of grand Wagnerian productions in huge theatres. With VanCOCO, the audience has the opportunity to experience opera in a much more intimate setting. Add to that the gorgeous music of Strauss as well as an English script, and well, what’s not to get excited about?

Q: When you are not immersed in opera, what is your favorite past time?

An annoyed looking Jessica (Centre)
in DragonDiva's HMS Pinafore

A: I love reading, watching films and cycling, but most of all I adore spending time with my two wonderful children. They teach me so much!

Q: Tell us about your first experience with Opera.

A: My father is a big fan of classical music and opera. One of my earliest childhood memories is making up dances to the operas of Bizet, Offenbach and Verdi.

Q: Could you imagine yourself doing something else besides singing?

A: Currently I am working on my degree in order to become a psychologist. But I will be a singing psychologist! Most singers will tell you that singing is a part of their soul. I’ll never give it up!

Will Jessica be too big for these "britches"? We think not, but we know that she will breath new life into Yvan the Valet!

For more information about Jessica please visit our Artist Page for her full bio! Don't forget... tickets are on sale now and can be purchased securely from our website.

IN BRIEF: Vancouver Concert Opera Society presents Strauss’ Die Fledermaus at Pyatt Hall in Vancouver (834 Seymour St.) on Jan 4 & 5, 2013 at 7:00pm and at First United Church in White Rock (15385 Semiahmoo Ave) on Jan 6 @ 7:00pm. “Concert Opera” sung in German with English dialogue. Tickets starting at $24 can be purchased online at vancoco.ca. CASH ONLY at the door.

Cast Corner - Linda Baird (Mezzo)

"Imagine that you were living in Europe 250 years ago? What did people do for entertainment? Go to a movie? Turn on the radio? Play a video game?  Not then. You might have read a book (if you could read), played an instrument (if you were lucky enough to have one), or listened to another perform (if you had a talented friend). Life was quite a silent existence.  To hear a group of instruments or voices together would truly have sounded like heaven. Going to plays were a favourite pastime, but live music could not be played at the same time as the actors spoke. There were no microphones. Their voices would be drowned in the musical drama, but it is the music that creates the real drama. Imagine Star Wars without the music. To bring acting and music together, voices were needed that were powerful enough to project above an entire orchestra of instruments. Ah yes, there is actually a reason why opera singers sing so loudly! Opera was the only medium of the day that brought together instruments, singing, dancing, drama, artistic sets, costumes, poetry, and so much more."

This is what Mezzo Soprano Linda Baird had to say when asked the question "What might you say to someone who has never been to an opera before to get them excited about this particular show?" 

Linda, originally from North Vancouver, but who has recently relocated to Seattle, WA with her husband, is also a music educator, which is not suprizing given her thought provoking answer above. She will be joining the cast of Fledermaus as the Russian Prince "Orlofsky". Here are a few more tidbits that will help you get to know Linda a little better!

Q: When you are not immersed in opera, what is your favorite past time?

A: I love to socialize, especially with family and good friends, but really,... I’ll talk to almost anybody.

Q: What is the most bizarre thing you've done or seen on stage?

A: In 2006, I sang in Vancouver Opera’s production of Faust. During the carnival scene, the staging director assigned me to kiss with Stephen Bell for me most of that scene. Everyone around us was singing and dancing, but Stephen and I were against a wall pretending to make out for about 15 minutes every night.

Vancouver Opera
Pirates of Penzance (2012)
Adam Kozak & Linda Baird

Q: What will a successful opera career look like for you?

A: In opera, it’s easy to measure success by naming roles we’ve sung, venues we’ve sung in, conductor’s we’ve worked with, but for me that has not been what drives me. My view of success in opera is in how I sound and express myself. If I can bring a stranger to tears or laughter or any other emotion, then I know that they are feeling what I feel and what the composer feels. I sing because it feels so good and I love it when I can share that. That is success to me.

We're really looking forward to seeing and hearing Linda bring Prince Orlofsky to life! After seeing her quirky portrayal of this character in her audition, we're certain you will walk away smiling and thinking "Chacun à son goût!". To read more about Linda and to get your tickets to this event, visit our website!

IN BRIEF: Vancouver Concert Opera Society presents Strauss’ Die Fledermaus at Pyatt Hall in Vancouver (834 Seymour St.) on Jan 4 & 5, 2013 at 7:00pm and at First United Church in White Rock (15385 Semiahmoo Ave) on Jan 6 @ 7:00pm. “Concert Opera” sung in German with English dialogue. Tickets starting at $24 can be purchased online at vancoco.ca. CASH ONLY at the door.

Cast Corner - Robin Eder-Warren (Soprano)

For our 4th edition of this season's Cast Corner we are pleased to introduce Soprano, Robin Eder-Warren. Quite possibly our youngest cast member to date, we've had the pleasure of watching Robin develop over the years and were pleased to be able to offer her the role of Ida for this production of Die Fledermaus.

Similar to Soprano, Stephanie Domingues (Adele), Robin began her training at a very young age and her motives for getting started can only be described as "adorable"!

Q: How did you get started with opera? 

A: I fell onto the operatic stage almost by accident, it seems. I started taking voice lessons at age 10 to follow a boy I had a crush on from school into a musical theatre summer camp, and when it was over, made the fateful decision to keep up the lessons. I never stopped. Four years later, it felt like I looked around and discovered that I had begun singing in operas. I never looked back!

Q: What excites you most about this show? 

A: I finally get to spend time with some of my favourite music! My whole family is Austrian; these are tunes I’ve been humming and dancing to in one form or another since I was very small. There’s something like coming home to music like this, for me.

Q: What is the most bizarre thing you've done or seen on stage? 

A: I had to do trapeze work onstage once in the Bahamas after having had only one crash-course in the apparatus. Good thing I was only about nine or ten, and the audience expected my failure to be adorable and applauded loudly anyway.

While our show won't have any trapeze work in this production, we may try to convince our nimble and ambitious little Ida, who is now a Certified Yoga Instructor and has started her own opera company (Opera Mariposa), to see if she can incorporate downward facing dog into her performance!

Don't forget... tickets are limited and ON SALE NOW on our website where you can also read more about Robin!

IN BRIEF: Vancouver Concert Opera Society presents Strauss’ Die Fledermaus at Pyatt Hall in Vancouver (834 Seymour St.) on Jan 4 & 5, 2013 at 7:00pm and at First United Church in White Rock (15385 Semiahmoo Ave) on Jan 6 @ 7:00pm. “Concert Opera” sung in German with English dialogue. Tickets starting at $24 can be purchased online at vancoco.ca. CASH ONLY at the door.

Cast Corner - Mark Pepe (Tenor)

Our third installment of Cast Corner features, Tenor Mark Pepe. While Mark bears no direct relationship to the famous French Skunk "Pepé Le Pew", his self-proclaimed mastery of Italian cuisine and "delicious" Bolognese Sauce reminded us of this legendary cartoon character!

Joking aside, Mark will be joining the cast of Die Fledermaus this January as Dr. Blind (The Lawyer). Apparently drawn to "sleazy roles", this should be as fun for Mark as it will be for us to see him bring Dr. Blind to life!

Here's a few little fun Q & A's from Mark...

Q. Is there any 'dream role" you'd like to play?

A. Fellow singers always look at me funny when I say this, but Don Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro. He’s such a sleazebag, and his music is fun to sing. But I do hope one day I can get to a level to sing Cavaradossi in Tosca or Otello.

Q. What might you say to someone who has never been to an opera before to get them excited about this particular show?

A. You’ll know the music! Remember when Tom and Jerry fought to conduct it once?

Q. What is your most embarrassing moment on stage?

A. Back in high school, I was Merryman the Butler in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Ernest. As the curtain rose to begin the second act, I was on stage alone pruning a bush. I bent over, with my back facing the audience, and split my pants. It was a long…slow…rip. I then slowly turned and began to prune the bush from the other side.

We're pretty sure you won't see any "pant-splitting" in this show, but you may split a side or two! Mark will be appearing in all 3 of our performances this coming January, so no matter which date you choose, you'll be privy to his antics and beautiful tenor!

Don't forget tickets are limited and ON SALE NOW on our website where you can also read more about Mark!

IN BRIEF: Vancouver Concert Opera Society presents Strauss’ Die Fledermaus at Pyatt Hall in Vancouver (834 Seymour St.) on Jan 4 & 5, 2013 at 7:00pm and at First United Church in White Rock (15385 Semiahmoo Ave) on Jan 6 @ 7:00pm. “Concert Opera” sung in German with English dialogue. Tickets starting at $24 can be purchased online at vancoco.ca. CASH ONLY at the door.

Cast Corner (International) - Joel Cummings (Tenor)

For our second installment of Cast Corner we are happy to introduce one of our two Alfreds. One of a handful of our "International Guests", Seattle based Tenor, Joel Cummings will be joining us for the first time on the VanCOCO stage!

A graduate of the North England Conservatory (Masters of Music), Joel already has a plethora of credits to his name including Giuseppe (La Traviata), Fernando (Cosi fan tutte), and Tamino (Die Zauberflöte) just to name a few.

Joel with his beautiful bride Jaci.

In speaking with Joel we were pleased to discover that he is a true singing actor and is digging deep to bring to an honest and realistic character to the stage.

We always want to know what makes an opera singer tick and so we are always interested in the answer to this question...

Q: How did you get started with opera?

A: During my freshman year at Pacific Lutheran University, I attended the Opera Workshop performance of Die Fledermaus. The Rosalinda was Angela Meade, who made her Metropolitan Opera debut a couple years ago and is now an international star. She was good back then too. I was so blown away, and after talking with my teacher, I decided I was "all in", and the rest is history.

Q: We all have a guilty pleasure when it comes to our listening tastes, what do you enjoy listening to that we might find surprising? 

A: Renee Fleming singing Over the Rainbow.

Q: What excites you most about this show?

A: The play between the characters, specifically in the Jail Scene at the end. I just love ad-libbing on stage and playing with my stage colleagues, and this show calls for that quite a bit. 

Last question Joel... (for now anyway)

Q: Who are your musical mentors (Teachers, coaches, etc) and what is it about them that inspires you?

A: My current teacher is Erich Parce, who had a great career internationally as a baritone, most notably at The Metropolitan Opera. He has turned to directing now, and I love how obsessed he is with honesty as a singer. Sometimes we can get caught up in the act of singing and think we're fooling our audience with big, loud notes, but in reality when we are honest and truly feel the music and the character, that's when we get the best response.

Joel is "happy and excited" to be bringing to life the the wit and charm of "Alfred the Opera Singing Tenor" and we can't wait to get to know him through the rehearsal process and to share his beautiful tenor voice with our audience. We're confident our audience will leave this show humming a tune or two and thinking to themselves... Wow! Those characters were alive and vibrant!

Don't miss your chance to hear Joel make his VanCOCO debut! He will be performing the role of Alfred on Friday, January 4th (in Vancouver) and on Sunday, January 6th (in White Rock). 

And remember that Opera Tickets make great Stocking Stuffers! 

Click HERE to get yours today! 

Cast Corner - Stephanie Domingues takes the People's Choice Award at the MET Regionals!

We are happy to bring you the first installment of our "Cast Corner" series for our upcoming production of Die Fledermaus! Over the next month will be introducing you each of our cast members.

Our featured artist for this first installment is Soprano, Stephanie Anne Domingues who was just awarded the People's Choice award at the Metropolitan Opera National Audition Competition in the Western Canada District this past weekend! We're not at all suprized that Stephanie was the crowd pleaser as she simply WOW'd us in her audition in September! That said, we'd like to congratulate her on this important stepping stone in a singers career.

Stephanie, who will be singing the role of Adele this January, was gracious enough to answer a few questions about her life as a singer. Here's what she had to say...

Q. How did you get started with Opera?

A. When I was younger, I sang in a choir. My mom asked me if I wanted to go to a "Choir Camp" during the summer and I thought it sounded fun. While I was there, the conductor of the camp, Ann Coper Gay, of the Canadian Children's Opera Company, asked me if I wanted to join her choir.  I remember looking at my mother and saying "No! I don't know how to sing opera!" After listening to some recordings and talking with Ann, I accepted.  Throughout grades 7 to 10 I commuted two hours twice a week to Toronto to sing in the choir and through the CCOC, I also got the opportunity to perform with the COC and for some amazing people in Toronto. While I was singing at the COC, Peter Barrett told my mother that I should apply to this program in the USA called "Tanglewood". I looked into it and applied. I remember really wanting to get into the program, and I did. I atteneded the program in 2005 and 2006.

Q.  What might you say to someone who has never been to an opera before to get them excited about this particular show?

A. It's kind of like when you were a child and went into your mother's closet and put on her most beautiful gown and heels and her makeup. Then, you danced around the house pretending you were at themost hip A-List event in town!

Last question Stephanie...

Q.  Could you imagine yourself doing something else besides singing?

A.  Of course not. I am a strong believer in doing something you love and following your dreams and passion, this way, it doesn't feel like you're working. I can honestly say, every time I perform, every hour I have spent in the practice room, or sitting in a class throughout my Bachelors and Masters degree, I have enjoyed it all. Yes, it has been a challenging road, but it has all lead me to new opportunities, new challenges, and always keeps me happy.

We are very proud of Stephanie and all of the rest of our cast members who competed this past weekend in the Metropolitan Opera Competition. Bravi tutti! And... if you'd like to read more about Stephanie, you can read her full bio on our website!

Stay tuned for our next installment of Cast Corner and all of our other upcoming gems!

Celebrate the New Year Viennese Style with VanCOCO

It's official! Vancouver Concert Opera Society (VanCOCO) will be opening it's Third Season with Johann Strauss Jr's classic gem Die Fledermaus. We have gathered an exceptional International team of artists that will bring the sparkle and the charm of this holiday favorite to you this coming January with performances in Vancouver (January 4th and 5th) and in White Rock (January 6th)!

The story behind "the bat"... The best of friends play pranks on each other, but when Eisenstein abandons Falke in the middle of the town square dressed as a bat, Falke swears revenge. With Prince Orlofsky's permission the stage is set and Falke has invited everyone to a grand ball at the Princes' summer palace where Falke will once and for all strike his revenge. Fast forward to the next morning where the entire party finds itself in the town jail and all swear that it was Champagne, the King of effervescence, who is to blame.

As our mandate says, VanCOCO is all about the music and as such we will be performing this work in its original german language but we will be delivering our witty and charming dialogue to you in English.

You won't want to miss these performances and we want you to stay tuned to our blog and social media in the coming weeks so that we can share with you the cast of amazing singers that we will be featuring in these performances and a little bit of what makes them tick as opera singers. We might even throw in a few holiday treats along the way.

For more information and advance tickets please visit www.vancoco.ca!

To stay up to date on special offers and performance updates, link to us on Twitter and Facebook!

Cast Corner - Keith O'Brien

Back again with our "Cast Corner" series, we are excited to introduce you to the talented artists that will be hitting the stage in February for our production of Verdi's Rigoletto.

What do you get when you cross a surfer, an oarsman, an architect, and an opera singer?  You get Toronto based Baritone Keith O'Brien! We have known Keith for a long time and are extremely excited to have him joining us in the Title Role of Rigoletto.

As always, we like to give our audience a view of the performer that you might not see from the stage. Here are a few questions to wet your appetite for our show.

(Q) How did you get your start in opera?

(A) I started out as a trumpet player in high school, and went on to McGill in the jazz programme. But I had always been involved with theatre in high school, and so it seemed like opera was a perfect way to combine music and theatre. I had done some singing in high school, so I made the switch to opera in my second year of university. I've done plenty of music theatre along the way, but opera is far more edifying musically as well more intense dramatically. 
 

(Q) What is the most exciting aspect of Rigoletto for you?

(A) Baritones rarely get to play the lead role, so that alone makes this production very interesting for me. In addition, this is a Verdi role, which puts Rigoletto in a special category. Verdi understood and wrote so well for a particular subset of the baritone fach. Since his writing essentially created the category, it became known as the Verdi Baritone. The vocal demands of Verdi's writing for his baritones are far greater than any composer previous to him. The choice to cast the baritone as the lead means that the dramatic demands are greater than usual, but Verdi was always good at creating multifaceted characters for the baritone in all of his operas. Even when he casts the baritone as the villain, which is most of the time, there is a multidimensionality there that goes beyond the simple archetype.

(Q) When you are not immersed in opera what is your favorite pastime.

(A)  I work as an Architect in Toronto when I'm not singing.  During my undergrad at McGill and my Masters at University of Toronto I was an oarsman on the varsity rowing team and I enjoyed many chances to compete internationally all over North America, Europe and Asia. Nowadays, my new athletic passion is surfing. Living in the centre of Canada means that I only get a chance to surf when I'm on vacation, so lately I can't imagine taking a vacation anywhere that doesn't offer excellent surfing.

Don't miss this rare opportunity to hear Keith as he debuts the role of Rigoletto with VanCOCO and stay tuned for more from Keith and the rest of our cast!

Take advantage of advance ticket pricing and click here to buy your tickets today!

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!!!

 

"Doa--Daa--Day--Day"

There are only a handful of recordings of Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti including a couple of film versions. Our favourite is the BBC film version taped in 2001 that features Stephanie Novacek as Dinah and Karl Daymond as Sam. If you love MAD MEN you'll likely LOVE this.

Prelude ("Doa--Daa--Day--Day"), Scene 1 and 2



Scenes 2 and 3



Scene 4, Interlude, and Scene 5



Scene 6 ("What a Movie!...Island Magic")



Scene 7



We hope you enjoy these clips as much as we have!

All Things Tahiti!

Okay, so we've been remiss! But it's time to fix that! With the 2011 Vancouver International Fringe Festival only weeks away, VanCOCO is in high-gear with planning for our production of Leonard Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti.

Our cast and crews are set, our promo materials are ready, rehearsals are scheduled and we're just tickled to be stepping out onto the Fringe Stage!

Over the next few weeks, we'll be blogging some interesting (well, we hope it's interesting) factoids and information about the upcoming show.

For now, we hope you will enjoy our MUSICAL TRAILER!



Advance ticket sales have begun and you can purchase your ticket on the Vancouver Fringe website - just click here!

Fringe Dates Announced!

Trouble In Tahiti
Suburban Opera for the 21st Century
A One-Act Opera by Leonard Bernstein
Featured presentation at the 2011 Vancouver International Fringe Festival

A suburban opera for the 21 century. Join our hip Greek chorus as they observe a day in the life of Sam and Dinah, two Vancouverites who are desperately unhappy, lonely for love, and unable to communicate. Will they find a way to resolve their issues and live happily ever after? The jazz influenced score by Leonard Bernstein, creator of West Side Story, will leave you… Come and find out!

8 Performances from September 9 to 18, 2011
Firehall Arts Centre - 280 East Cordova Street, Vancouver, BC

Friday, September 9 @ 5:00pm
Saturday, September 10 @ 6:45pm
Sunday, September 11 @ 9:30pm
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

Featuring:
Natalie Burdeny (Dinah)
Ed Moran (Sam)
Katherine Landry (Trio)
Grant Wardlow (Trio)
TBA (Trio)

Tickets available on the Fringe website:
www.vancouverfringe.com

More info at:
www.vancoco.ca

Say you heard them when! Kudos to our stars!

Vancouver Concert Opera Co-Operative is committed to promoting Canada's emerging professionals and this is the time of year where people are "getting stuff". As singers send off applications, audition for roles / residencies / young artist programs, it's about this time that we start hearing all the good news!

That said, VanCOCO sends out congratulations and kudos to the following talented singers who have graced our stage so far:

Mezzo Soprano Katherine Landry will sing the role of Mother in Vancouver Opera In Schools (VOIS) touring production of Engelbert Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel this Fall.

Soprano Arianna Sovernigo is yet again a Jeunes Ambassadeur! She will be representing Canada at the "Città di Alcamo" International Singing Contest in Alcamo, Italy this coming September!

Baritone Ed Moran will grace the stages of Parksville again this Fall where he will join Vancouver Island Opera as Dulcamara in their production of L'elisir d'amore (The Elixir of Love), an opera by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti.

Contralto Natalie Burdeny has been selected to participate in the Professional Masterclass Series at the Buck Hill-Skytop Music Festival in Pennsylvania under the direction of Maesto Peter Mark, Founding General and Artistic Director of Virginia Opera (1975-2010), and of the International Opera Alliance, as well as the the new LYRIC OPERA VIRGINIA.

Young Dramatic Soprano Sarah Vardy is undeniably the busiest of all our singers and is set up to cover just about everything that Mozart has to offer. Late this spring she will attend Portland Spring Opera Workshop (PSOW) where she will sing Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro. In July, she will tackle the roles of Dritte Dame in Die Zauberfloete with Vancouver Summer Opera Workshop and then Fiordiligi (Cosi fan tutte) with Vancouver Summer Opera Studio (wwww.vansos.com). August will take her abroad to Germany where she will sing Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro and Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte. Both with Lyric Opera Studio of Weimar. And before all of this she will debut the role of Mercedes with VanCOCO!

You have the chance to hear all these singers in May during our Encore Performances of Carmen in Vancouver and Victoria! Visit www.vancoco.ca for full details and be able to say... I HEARD THEM WHEN!