TORONTO , S HAW FESTIVAL & N IAGARA (‘’ & Handel’s ‘Ariodante’); Shaw Festival, Niagara Falls Thursday, October 13th through Sunday, October 16th

Toronto on Lake Michigan

“When the curtain went up, opera in Canada wo years ago, we had to turn away a number of entered a new era… Toronto now finds itself disappointed requests to join our sold-out Tour to with one of the finest new opera houses Toronto, which was highlighted by Sondra Radvanovsky anywhere .” Opera as Queen Elizabeth in ‘’ and Ferruccio TFurlanetto in the title role of ‘Don Quichotte’. During the “I strongly suspect – in fact, firmly believe – sparkling weather of Canada’s fall season, we expect a similar that the Shaw Festival at Canada’s Niagara- response to our program this year. Toronto is a preferred on-the-Lake is the best repertory theater on destination this year due to the advantageous rate of the U.S. dollar the entire continent.” New York Magazine Sondra against the Canadian dollar, for independent dining and shopping. Radvanovsky “Sondra Radvanovsky earned a thunderous We have chosen to return to Toronto for the combination of two ovation… her top notes ringing and powerful, not-to-be-missed productions at the Canadian Opera Company her middle range velvety, her coloratura (‘COC’) , where the MET’s ‘bel canto’ diva Sondra nimble and phrasing elegant.” Radvanovsky will offer her acclaimed title portrayal of Bellini’s NY Times, review of the MET’s ‘Norma’, Oct. ’13) Norma opposite the radiant mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as Adalgisa; and Handel’s melodic Baroque masterwork, Isabel Leonard: “The plush, animated Ariodante , will feature Alice Coote and Jane Archibald as the mezzo-soprano is a beguiling Cherubino.” NY Times, Anthony Tommasini protagonists of Ariosto’s romantic tale. A third performance will be a concert by the city’s esteemed Toronto Symphony Isabel Leonard “With his large, ringing tenor, Russell Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall, where guest conductor Thomas managed to bring a tortured yet Krzysztof Urbanski will be on the podium for works by Grieg, determined quality to his portrayal of Pollione Bartok and Dvorak. The remarkable Chinese pianist Yuja Wang in his anguished duets with Norma and will be the soloist. Finally, our long weekend in Canada’s cultural Adalgisa.” Int’l Review of Music capital will also enable you to experience the celebrated George Bernard Shaw Festival in the charming Victorian village of Alice Coote: “A tour-de-force of colouristic Niagara-on-the-Lake , with a visit to the spectacular Canadian display.… This was inevitably Coote’s evening, side of Niagara Falls . Our play at the Shaw Festival will be as well as Handel’s.” Oscar Wilde’s witty period comedy, A Woman of No Importance. The Guardian, review of Handel’s ‘Hercules’ Russell Thomas For North American aficionados of classical music, the 2007 “The coloratura of soprano Jane Archibald as Zerbinetta, who opening of Toronto’s new state-of-the-art Four Seasons Centre stopped the show with her brilliant vocal pyrotechnics…” for the Performing Arts proved a sensational success. Toronto Globe and Mail Designed by the Toronto firm of Diamond and Schmitt 7 Ar chitects, this 2,000 seat jewel in the heart of the city has galvanized the city’s operatic scene. “Acoustics have been designed to showcase the full glory and range of opera. The tiered horseshoe-shaped auditorium is modeled on the best European houses, offering unparalleled intimacy and sightlines.” (C0C). All opera enthusiasts should travel to Toronto to share the enriching experience of a performance in R. Fraser Elliott Hall.

During the past generation, Toronto has emerged as Canada’s leading metropolitan center and the largest city in the country. The population of just over two million is spread over an area of more than 600 square miles and is characterized by a pragmatic conservatism which sociologists claim is the reason for the city’s present state of health. For Toronto is above all a town of many Roy Thomson Hall neighborhoods with small town virtues of decency and orderliness. Unlike many urban sprawls, Toronto is a clean, safe Dvorak’s beloved Symphony No. 9 (‘From and civilized center where visitors feel free to stroll through the the New World’). The young Beijing-born parks and amble through the imaginative shopping areas. Krzysztof Urbanski pianist Yuja Wang is the soloist for Bartok’s challenging concerto. Accommodations for four nights at the deluxe Hilton Toronto , ideally located across the street from the new opera house for On Friday, October 14th, we will discover our performances of the Canadian Opera Company and only a the high thespian standards of the famed few blocks from Roy Thomson Hall. Situated in the heart of the George Bernard Shaw Festival . While the city’s commercial and entertainment district, the Hilton offers Festival is devoted to the prolific Shaw the Tundra Restaurant for award-winning cuisine, Ruth’s canon, it has also achieved remarkable success with a number of musical revivals Yuja Wang ranging from George Gershwin to Stephen Sondheim, the British plays of Terence Rattigan, Somerset Maugham and Oscar Wilde, and American classics by Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. A two-hour morning drive will take us to the splendor of Niagara Falls , at an optimum time of year after the hordes of summer tourists. Our visit to the Falls will be from the preferred Canadian side. We will then continue to the atmospheric Victorian town of Niagara-on-the-Lake on the shores of Lake Ontario, home of the Shaw Festival, where you will have time to enjoy the boutiques and an independent lunch at one of the cafés on the main street. At 2:00 pm, our performance in the Festival Theatre will be Oscar Wilde’s stylish comedy, A Woman of No Importance – “Wilde’s witty and piercing look at a society’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts and the public values and their impact on private lives”. (Shaw Festival). Hilton Toronto The director will be Eda Holmes . We will return to the hotel in the early evening. No performance tonight. Chris Steak House for prime beef and fresh seafood. There is also an inviting Irish pub ( Fionn MacCool’s ) next door for Saturday, October 15th, is left free during the day for convenient light fare and Timothy’s World Coffee on the same independent sightseeing in Toronto. Of particular interest are block. Twenty-four hour room service and a fitness the Royal Ontario Museum , Toronto’s largest and most room/swimming pool area are among the hotel’s outstanding important; the Art Gallery of Ontario , containing the world’s features. The Hilton overlooks Toronto’s expansive University largest collection of the English sculptor Henry Moore; and the Avenue on the corner of Richmond Street West.

Early Thursday evening, October 13th, a cocktail reception will provide an opportunity to meet other members of the Tour. Our party will be in a private entertainment suite of the hotel.

At 8:00 pm on Thursday, we will enjoy a concert by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in Roy Thomson Hall , a comfortable walk from our hotel. The Polish conductor Krzysztof Urbanski , currently Music Director of the Indianapolis Symphony, will be the guest conductor. He has announced a program of Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Bela Bartok’s Piano Concerto No. 3, and Antonin Niagara-on-the-Lake 8 McMichael Canadian Col - lection , a rustic timbered gallery a few miles north of the city, displaying works by the Canadian ‘Group of Seven’ painters formed in l920. Or you may wish to browse along Toronto’s ‘uptown’ Bloor Street , where a number of designer shops and boutiques offer excellent value for the U.S. dollar.

Saturday evening at 7:30 pm, our first opera at the Four Seasons Center for the Performing Niagara Falls Arts will be the Canadian Opera Company’s performance emotional expression.” (New Grove Dictionary of Opera). The of Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma . Premiered at La Scala in 1831, cast will feature British mezzo-soprano Alice Coote in the ‘Norma’ is acknowledged to be the pinnacle of ‘bel canto’ opera ‘trouser’ role of Ariodante and Canadian soprano Jane and is still revered above all the works of this school (Rossini, Archibald lending her dazzling coloratura to her portrayal of Donizetti and Bellini). “The title role is one of the most taxing Ginevra. The ensemble will also include and wide-ranging in the entire repertory: a noble character Varduhi Abrahamyan as Polinesso, the whose tragedy lies in her fatal love for an enemy of her people. Duke of Albany, Ambur Braid as Dalinda The many different aspects of Norma’s temperament are (Ginevra’s attendant), Owen McCausland marvelously drawn by Bellini.” (New as Lurcanio (Ario- Grove Dictionary of Opera). Tonight’s dante’s brother), and brilliant cast is headed by the riveting François Lis as the singing-actress Sondra Radvanovsky as King of Scotland. Norma, following her triumph this season The conductgor is in all three of Donizetti’s Tudor Queen the COC’s Music Alice Coote operas at the MET. American mezzo- Director Johannes soprano Isabel Leonard , already a Debus , and the stag - favorite of MET audiences, will portray ing is by director Norma’s rival Adalgisa. The male Richard Jones with contingent is headed by tenor Russell sets by London’s Thomas as the Roman consul Pollione (a Olivier Award-win- role he made his own in Los Angeles last ning designer Ultz . season), and Russian bass Dimitry Sung in Italian with Ivashchenko as Norma’s father, the high Toronto old town English surtitles. A co- Jane Archibald priest Oroveso. The production is directed production with Aix- by Kevin Newbury with scenic designs en-Provence, Amsterdam, and Chicago’s by David Korens , and the conductor is Lyric Opera. Stephen Lord . Sung in Italian with English surtitles. A co-production with San Independent departures should be on Francisco, Chicago’s Lyric Opera, and Monday morning, October 17th. Barcelona’s . IMPORTANT: Please be advised that you On October 16th, a Sunday brunch will should bring your PASSPORT for entry be planned at one of the several into Canada and departure at the Toronto restaurants in the Hilton complex Airport. convenient to the opera house. Royal Ontario Museum Sunday afternoon, we will return to the opera house for the 2:00 pm matinee of George Frideric Handel’s Toronto: Ariodante . A Baroque landmark of melodic lyricism, ‘Ariodante’ is based on cantos from Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso depicting the Price per person, based on double occupancy $ 2,870 tribulations and eventual happy ending of the vassal prince Single room supplement $ 595 Ariodante and Ginevra, daughter of the King of Scotland. “One of Handel’s most appealing operas: the story is romantic and Airfare NOT included. unusually straightforward, and the characters are portrayed with warm humanity. It is also one of his greatest; the music is of consistently high quality… and covers a remarkable range of 9