TORONTO , S HAW FESTIVAL & N IAGARA Thursday, October 18th through Sunday, October 21st

Four Seasons Center for the Performing Arts and the Hilton Toronto

Toronto on Lake Ontario

“When the curtain went up, opera in Canada entered a Rufus Wainwright’s Hadrian , set to Daniel MacIvor’s new era… Toronto now finds itself with one of the finest libretto depicting the Roman Emperor Hadrian’s new opera houses anywhere.” Opera devastating grief after his lover Antinous drowns in the Nile. The composer and librettist have been inspired to “I strongly suspect – in fact, firmly believe – that the celebrate this classical same-sex model of eros set in Shaw Festival at Canada’s Niagara-on-the-Lake is 2nd century Rome and immortalized at the arch ae - the best repertory theater on the entire continent.” Karita Mattila ological ruins of Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli. The cast of New York Magazine ‘Eugene Onegin’ will feature Joyce El-Khoury, Joseph Kaiser and Gordon Bintner as the The opera Hadrian: “The highly anticipated world protagonists; and ‘Hadrian’ boasts American baritone premiere from composer Rufus Wainwright and librettist Thomas Hampson in the title role, Isaiah Bell as the Daniel MacIvor features the company debuts of opera young Antinous, and veterans Karita Mattila and Ben legends Thomas Hampson and Karita Mattila … and Heppner among the principals. the return out of retirement of heldentenor Ben In addition to the operas, a third performance will be a Heppner .” Canadian Opera Co. concert by the city’s esteemed Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall, where guest Joyce El-Khoury: “Blessed with old-school vocal and Thomas Hampson conductor Thomas Sondergard will be on the podium physical glamour and a richly-coloured, flexible for works by Thomas Adès, Britten, Poulenc and soprano…” Presto Classical Debussy. Finally, our long weekend will also take us to the acclaimed George Bernard Shaw Festival in the Gordon Bintner: “He is tall, slim, handsome, moves charming Victorian village of Niagara-on-the-Lake , well on stage, musicality and charisma to burn, has a with a visit to the spectacular Canadian side of Niagara glorious baritone… This guy has the complete package.” Falls . Our performance at the Shaw Festival will be La Scena Musicale Shakespeare’s blistering anti-war history play, Henry V . “Tenor Isaiah Bell gives a performance of haunting For North American aficionados of classical music, the beauty… with glowing vocal skill.” NY Times Ben Heppner 2007 opening of Toronto’s new state-of-the-art Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts proved a he Canadian cultural capital of Toronto remains sensational success. Designed by the Toronto firm of among our most popular fall destinations, when Diamond and Schmitt Architects, this 2,000 seat jewel the new musical and theatrical season combines in the heart of the city has galvanized the city’s with the October weather for an ideal long operatic scene. “Acoustics have been designed to T weekend. This year, we are drawn to the showcase the full glory and range of opera. The tiered Canadian Opera Company (COC) for a pair of not- horseshoe-shaped auditorium is modeled on the best to-be-missed productions. First will be Tchaikovsky’s European houses, offering unparalleled intimacy and Russian masterpiece Eugene Onegin in the romantic sightlines.” (C0C). All opera enthusiasts should travel Robert Carsen staging originally created for the MET. Isaiah Bell to Toronto to share the enriching experience of a Second will be the eagerly awaited world premiere of performance in R. Fraser Elliott Hall. 19 Toronto is a preferred destination for Saturday evening at 7:30 pm, our first opera at Americans due to the advantageous rate of the the Four Seasons Center for the U.S. dollar against the Canadian dollar, for Performing Arts will be the Canadian independent dining and shopping. Opera Company’s performance of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin . Based Accommodations for four nights at the deluxe on Pushkin’s ironic poem depicting aristocratic Hilton Toronto , ideally located across the life in St. Petersburg during the Romanov era, street from the new opera house for our ‘Onegin’ remains Tchaikovsky’s most popular performances of the Canadian Opera Company opera by virtue of Tatyana’s soaring ‘Letter and only a few blocks from Roy Thomson Hall. Scene’, Onegin’s aria rejecting the virginal Situated in the heart of the city’s commercial love of Tatyana, the poet Lensky’s haunting and enter tainment district, the Hilton offers aria of farewell before he is killed in the duel, the Tundra Restaurant for award-winning and several waltzes during celebrations in the cuisine, Ruth’s Chris Steak House for prime country and St. Peters burg. Toronto’s cast is beef and fresh seafood. There is also an headed by an all-Canadian trio of principals: inviting Irish pub ( Fionn MacCool’s ) next soprano Joyce El-Khoury as Tatiana opposite door for convenient light fare and Timothy’s bass-baritone Gordon Bintner as Onegin, World Coffee on the same block. Twenty-four and tenor Joseph Kaiser as the romantic poet hour room service and a fitness room/ - Lensky. Moldavan bass Oleg Tsibulko will be swimming pool area are among the hotel’s Niagara Falls heard as Tatyana’s husband, Prince Gremin. The conductor is outstanding features. The Hilton overlooks Johannes Debus , and the production on loan from the MET Toronto’s expansive Univer sity Avenue on the corner of Richmond (originated by director Robert Carsen ) will be staged by the Street West. team of director Peter McClintock with sets designed by Early Thursday evening, October 18th, a cocktail reception will Michael Levine . Sung in Russian with English surtitles. provide an opportunity to meet other members of the Tour. Our On October 21st, a Sunday brunch will be planned at one of the party will be in a private enter tainment suite of the hotel. restaurants in the Hilton complex convenient to the opera house. At 8:00 pm on Thursday, we will enjoy a concert by the Toronto Sunday afternoon, we will return to the opera house for the 2:00 Symphony Orchestra in Roy Thomson Hall , a comfortable pm matinee of Rufus Wainwright’s opera, Hadrian . The young walk from our hotel. The Danish conductor Thomas American-Canadian singer, songwriter and composer achieved Sondergard will be the guest conductor for a program of British previous success with his opera ‘Prima Donna’. He has now and French works including Thomas Adès’ Dances from the collaborated with Canadian actor, director and playwright Daniel opera ‘Powder Her Face’, Benjamin Britten’s Violin Concerto, MacIvor for the world premiere of ‘Hadrian’ for the Canadian Francis Poulenc’s Les animaux modèles, and Claude Debussy’s Opera Company (COC). The first-century A.D. Roman emperor La Mer . The Latvian violinist Baibe Skride is the soloist for was among the earliest gay figures of antiquity, and anyone who Britten’s challenging concerto. has visited Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli will remember the poignant On Friday, October 19th, we will discover the high thespian history of his love for the young Antinous. In this ground- standards of the famed George Bernard Shaw Festival . While breaking opera, “Emperor Hadrian is devastated after his lover the Festival is devoted to the prolific Shaw canon, it has also Antinous drowns in the Nile River. While matters of state achieved remarkable success with the Shakespeare canon and a encroach on his grief, and advisors clamour for war, Hadrian number of musical revivals ranging from George Gershwin to slips out of time to reencounter the vision and reality of Antinous Stephen Sondheim, the British plays of Terence Rattigan, – and learn the truth about what happened on the Nile.” (COC). Somerset Maugham and Oscar Wilde, and American classics by The company’s Music Diretor Johannes Debus will conduct, Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. A two-hour morning drive and he has assembled a brilliant cast headed by American will take us to the splendor of Niagara Falls , baritone Thomas Hampson in the title role, at an optimum time of year after the hordes Finland’s riveting dramatic soprano Karita of summer tourists. Our visit to the Falls will Mattila as Hadrian’s adoptive mother be from the preferred Canadian side. We will Plotina, Canadian tenor Isaiah Bell as then continue to the atmospheric Victorian Antinous, and Canada’s legendary helden - town of Niagara-on-the-Lake on the shores tenor Ben Heppner returning to the stage of Lake Ontario, home of the Shaw Festival, out of retirement as Dinarchus. The director where you will have time to enjoy the is Peter Hinton , and the set designer is boutiques and an independent lunch at one of Michael Gianfrancesco . Sung in English the cafés on the main street. At 2:00 pm, our Joyce El-Khoury Gordon Bintner and Latin, with English surtitles. performance in the ideally intimate venue of Independent departures should be on Monday morning, October the Festival’s Studio Theatre will be William Shakespeare’s 22nd. Henry V . Under the direction of Tim Carroll and Kevin Bennett, “This imaginative spin on Shakes peare is a powerful exploration of IMPORTANT: Please be advised that you should bring your what it means – and costs – to fight for king and country.” We will PASS PORT for entry into Canada and departure at the Toronto return to the hotel in the early evening. Airport.

Saturday, October 20th, is left free during the day for independent Toronto, Stratford & Niagara sightseeing in Toronto. Of partic ular interest are the Royal Ont - ario Museum , Toronto’s largest and most important; the Art Price per person, based on double occupancy $ 2,985 Gallery of Ontario , con taining the world’s largest collection of Single room supplement $ 650 the English sculptor Henry Moore; and the McMichael Airfare NOT included. Canadian Collection , a gallery a few miles north of the city, Air fare: Prices are subject to change depending on time of displaying works by the Canadian ‘Group of Seven’ painters booking. Please contact our agent Linda Botros for (back-page formed in l920. Or you may wish to browse along the designer cover) for lowest current fares. shops and boutiques of Toronto’s ‘uptown’ Bloor Street . 20