Franz Lehár

THE MERRY WIDOW

Get ready to indulge in the Viennese torte known as Franz Lehár'sThe Merry Widow (Die Lustige Witwe) in this wonderfully lavish Art Nouveau production directed by Canadian Kelly Robinson (last at Vancouver Opera as director of the hit production of Evita). Set in the heart of vibrant fin de siècle Paris, the wealthy widow, Hanna Glawari, sung by Italian-Canadian Lucia Cesaroni, schemes to win the heart of dashingly handsome Count Danilo, interpreted here by tenor John Cudia, recently at VO as Cassio in Verdi’s Otello. The story unfolds on a stage packed with elegant ladies, eligible bachelors, and Maxim’s famous can-can dancers. Franz Lehár’s charming score, last performed at VO in 1990, is filled with lush waltzes and ballads. Susan Memmott-Allred’s costumes and Michael Yeargan’s sets evoke the Belle Epoque period with winning style. Rising star conductor Ward Stare will direct the Vancouver Opera Orchestra.

Sung in German with English dialogue and English SURTITLES™

October 20, 25, & 27 at 7:30pm
October 28 at 2:00pm
Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Giacomo Puccini

LA BOHÈME

This new production of La Bohème is – literally – an enormous vintage picture postcard of Paris. The curtain rises on a modern-day flea market with sellers touting their wares and an accordion duo entertaining the crowd. A present-day tourist discovers a stall specialising in objects d’art from the 1920s. Amid the bustle, a lone visitor puts a record on a vintage gramophone and we hear the opening bars of a very famous opera, transporting the audience back in time. Canadian designer and director duo André Barbe and Renaud Doucet – the team behind Turandot in 2017 – have created a gloriously extravagant production. Set in the interwar years when artists and writers flocked to Paris to live the bohemian life, Café Momus is full of flamboyant jazz-era figures, including a glamorously exotic Musetta. Canadian conductor Judith Yan makes her Vancouver Opera debut. A refreshing look at a much-loved opera.

Sung in Italian with English SURTITLES™

February 14, 16, 19, & 21 at 7:30pm
February 24 at 2:00pm
Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Charles Gounod

FAUST

Gounod’s Faust is the pinnacle of 19th century French opera, it’s full of rich characterization, it’s dramatically exciting, and it’s exuberantly evocative. Faust, an aged and bitter man, sells his soul to Méphistophélès in return for youth and the love of Marguerite, an innocent young woman. By trying to have it all, he loses everything. Gounod’s sensuous and sublimely melodic masterpiece will be presented in a production not seen before in Vancouver. This all Canadian cast features east-coast native David Pomeroy and Marianne Fiset, who gave a wonderfully moving interpretation of Liù in the 2017-2018 season opening production of Turandot. Making his Vancouver Opera debut is Toronto native Robert Pomakov, who appears regularly in the world’s greatest opera houses. Jonathan Darlington returns to conduct the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

Sung in French with English SURTITLES™

April 27 | May 2 at 7:30pm
May 5 at 2:00pm
Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Gioachino Rossini

LA CENERENTOLA

In Rossini’s masterpiece, La Cenerentola (Cinderella), the evil stepmother trades places with a malevolent stepfather, the fairy godmother is a philosopher, and the legendary glass slipper is replaced with a bracelet. Nonetheless, the essence of the fairy-tale remains: a magical journey from rags to riches. The opera will be presented in the more intimate Vancouver Playhouse. Led by Maestro Leslie Dala, the orchestra will perform the re-orchestration of Rossini’s score. A refreshingly youthful cast will be directed by Jessie Richardson Award winner Rachel Peake who directed Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro for Vancouver Opera in 2017. Vancouver native Simone McIntosh, praised for her beautiful, gleaming high mezzo-soprano voice, sings the title role of Cinderella. This popular opera hasn’t been seen at Vancouver Opera since 1981!

Sung in Italian with English SURTITLES™

April 27 | May 12 at 2:00pm
April 30 | May 2 at 12:30pm
May 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, & 11 at 7:30pm
Vancouver Playhouse

DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT

All donations matched until June 30

For over 60 years Vancouver Opera has been staging world-class opera and doing our part to make our community a lively and resilient place with opera for all. Our latest project Requiem For a Lost Girl, a chamber opera about a girl lost to the streets—is an example of the transformative power of opera, music and partnership. Now we need your help to continue our community outreach activities and to support our new initiatives. The simple act of giving a donation changes you from an observer to a participant.

Three generous donors have agreed to help us reach our fundraising goal by matching all gifts made before June 30.