I thought the Barber was a blast too, and enjoyed it more than last year's Met production... the key for me being the less slapsticky production by the COC.
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Urban Shocker
Doyenne
Pelleas et Melisande was a real treat. Everyone was on - Bayrakdarian, Braun, Hunka especially. The band played beautifully, as always. What a mysterious, wonderful work.
The split-level set - a dream landscape with a murky underworld, rather like the have/have not set of From The House of the Dead - worked for me. It reminded me, vaguely, of Van Gogh's Lift Bridge at Arles, or Hiroshige's Bridge in the Rain . An air of menace through strong, overbearing structure.
There were quite a few walk-outs at the break in the first half, and even more empty seats after intermission. Nice to know that an opera written over a century ago still has the power to daze and confuse the bourgeoisie. Met a couple of nice queens at intermission - one introduced me to his husband and we chattered a bit. Both thought last year's productions were stronger. The City Room's such a great place to stagger around in with a drinkie in hand and meet new people.
The split-level set - a dream landscape with a murky underworld, rather like the have/have not set of From The House of the Dead - worked for me. It reminded me, vaguely, of Van Gogh's Lift Bridge at Arles, or Hiroshige's Bridge in the Rain . An air of menace through strong, overbearing structure.
There were quite a few walk-outs at the break in the first half, and even more empty seats after intermission. Nice to know that an opera written over a century ago still has the power to daze and confuse the bourgeoisie. Met a couple of nice queens at intermission - one introduced me to his husband and we chattered a bit. Both thought last year's productions were stronger. The City Room's such a great place to stagger around in with a drinkie in hand and meet new people.
tsunami
New Member
Opera by Request's production of Don Pasquale This Saturday May 24th at 7:30PM
Hi Everyone,
I'll be singing in Opera by Request's production of Don Pasquale!
If you have time this Saturday I would really appreciate your attendance.
Come enjoy an opera that plots to bring two lovers together against the wishes of a very rich old uncle! It is extremely funny, full of twists and ends happily!
Ernesto wants to marry Norina but this infuriates his uncle Don Pasquale so much that he disinherits him, but then suddenly decides he wants to get married himself! Enter the crafty Doctor Malatesta who concocts a plan to unite the lovers while "curing" the aging Don of his crazy desires.
DON PASQUALE ............... RAYMOND ACCOLAS
NORINA ........................ TSU-CHING YU
DOTTOR MALATESTA ........ STEPHEN TARGETT
ERNESTO ....................... BUD ROACH
NOTARY ........................ ANDREW TAM
Under Music Direction of WILLIAM SHOOKHOFF
SUNG IN ITALIAN with projected ENGLISH translations
Tickets are $20 for Adults and $15 for Students/Seniors
Ticket will be at the door and on our website: http://tsuching.com.
Please stay tuned!
Location: College Street United Church (454 College Street West (at Bathurst Street)).
Date: Saturday May 24, 2008 7:30PM
Hi Everyone,
I'll be singing in Opera by Request's production of Don Pasquale!
If you have time this Saturday I would really appreciate your attendance.
Come enjoy an opera that plots to bring two lovers together against the wishes of a very rich old uncle! It is extremely funny, full of twists and ends happily!
Ernesto wants to marry Norina but this infuriates his uncle Don Pasquale so much that he disinherits him, but then suddenly decides he wants to get married himself! Enter the crafty Doctor Malatesta who concocts a plan to unite the lovers while "curing" the aging Don of his crazy desires.
DON PASQUALE ............... RAYMOND ACCOLAS
NORINA ........................ TSU-CHING YU
DOTTOR MALATESTA ........ STEPHEN TARGETT
ERNESTO ....................... BUD ROACH
NOTARY ........................ ANDREW TAM
Under Music Direction of WILLIAM SHOOKHOFF
SUNG IN ITALIAN with projected ENGLISH translations
Tickets are $20 for Adults and $15 for Students/Seniors
Ticket will be at the door and on our website: http://tsuching.com.
Please stay tuned!
Location: College Street United Church (454 College Street West (at Bathurst Street)).
Date: Saturday May 24, 2008 7:30PM
TonyV
Senior Member
I really enjoyed this opera but I think the set probably appeared different to you on the orchestra level than it did to me up in ring 4 (right side of hall). Maybe entirely different, at that.
After two seasons at the new opera I am realizing that the side seats have a slight disadvantage, with respect to stage scenery.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
Yes, both interchange and I have discovered that too, on different occasions.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
I see they had 99% houses again last season - and most of the subscriptions for 08/09 have already gone. Less than a quarter of the ticket inventory ( subscriptions and single tickets ) for 08/09 remains unsold.
War and Peace will run 4 hours+ next season, with one intermission. I'd better restrict my Trius Brut intake for that one. Tim Ring Cycle Albery directs.
The new hall gave subscriptions a nice little bounce. It'll be interesting to see if there will be a fall-off of newbies after a few years.
War and Peace will run 4 hours+ next season, with one intermission. I'd better restrict my Trius Brut intake for that one. Tim Ring Cycle Albery directs.
The new hall gave subscriptions a nice little bounce. It'll be interesting to see if there will be a fall-off of newbies after a few years.
Benc7
Active Member
I've been an on again/off again subscriber to the COC since I first moved to Toronto, way back when Mozart was still a lad. The new opera house was fundamental to my renewing my subscription and my resolve to keeping it. The Hummingbird Centre never FELT right, much less sounded right. Its vastness had only one thing to recommend it; I was able (usually)to pick up a good rush seat ticket the day of the performance, so I was able to "cherry-pick". Not so with the Four Seasons Centre. It FELT right from the first moment I set foot in it and it SOUNDED more than right. According to friends of mine, getting good rush seats became difficult to impossible. So, this time, I'm hanging on to the subscription.