SEASON 2019 ‘Give me a laundry list and I’ll set it to music’ – Gioachino Rossini ‘Music begins where the possibilities of language end’ – Richard Wagner ‘When I’m writing a song, I try to be the character’ –Stephen Sondheim WELCOME SEASON 2019 Open up to new horizons Welcome to Victorian Opera’s Victorian Opera continues its Season 2019. The notion of horizons celebration of bel canto and its rich animates this year; a word with many tradition with an evening of Heroic connotations, we explore the idea of Bel Canto, highlighting singing at its goals to be reached, the richness of most virtuosic. possibility, the potential for what lies beyond, and a voyage to such new Quirky adventures into the horizons. This program offers many unknown, and the fruitfulness of chances for your own discovery. self-discovery provide new horizons for our younger audiences with Our season opens with the luminous Alice Through the Opera Glass and beauty of Parsifal, a journey towards a new Australian opera based on the horizon of transcendental Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish Giant. spirituality; a journey made by those on and off the stage, in the pit, and Away from the main stage, we the audience. deliver a diverse range of musical stylings and smaller recitals to From Wagner to Sondheim, we colour and enrich 2019. return to the works of the greatest living composer of music theatre Victorian Opera exists to offer you with A Little Night Music. As the sun unique and remarkable experiences, sets across the horizon, a summer as we reimagine the potential of night’s revelations await; one full of opera, for everyone. I invite you heartbreak and hilarity. to join us and ever expand your horizons. Love-inspired farce and frivolity set the scene for more playful nonsense in Rossini’s most popular opera, RICHARD MILLS The Barber of Seville. Artistic Director, Victorian Opera 4 5 OPERA | New Production FEBRUARY PRESENTING PARTNER Wed 20, Fri 22 and Sun 24 Palais Theatre, St Kilda RICHARD WAGNER PARSIFAL Immerse yourself in the legend of the Composer and Librettist Richard Wagner Holy Grail and the knights who protect it, Conductor Richard Mills and witness the most beautiful quest for Director Roger Hodgman Set Designer Richard Roberts redemption in the literature of opera. Costume Designer Christina Smith From the prelude of Parsifal onwards, you Lighting Designer Matt Scott will be mesmerised by music of sacred Choreographer Elizabeth Hill dimensions; a testament to the mystical Cast Parsifal Burkhard Fritz power of harmony. Wagner traversed Kundry Katarina Dalayman unknown territories of musical writing Gurnemanz Peter Rose with his mythical odyssey, shaping an Amfortas James Roser incomparable world that enthralled Klingsor Derek Welton composers as diverse as Sibelius, Mahler Titurel Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Debussy, and later inspired major film Ensemble featuring: score composers. Carlos E. Bárcenas, Olivia Cranwell, Shakira Dugan, Stephen Marsh, For this exceptional event, we welcome Kathryn Radcliffe, Georgia Wilkinson, some of the world’s greatest Wagnerian Victorian Opera Youth Chorus Ensemble singers; mezzo-soprano Katarina Dalayman (VOYCE), Victorian Opera Chorus and Students from the University of and bass Peter Rose join internationally Melbourne. revered Melbourne baritone Derek Welton, who was acclaimed for his performance of Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) Klingsor at the 2018 Bayreuth festival. 4h plus one dinner break and one interval Director Roger Hodgman guides this new Sung in German with English surtitles production with poetry and simplicity, In association with the Australian Youth following the prophesied odyssey of Orchestra (AYO) Parsifal from blasphemer to saviour. After their celebrated performance TICKETS Premium $169, A-Reserve $129 B-Reserve $89, C-Reserve $39 in The Flying Dutchman, the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) returns with their SUBSCRIBE and save 10%, 20% or 30% typical vigour and vitality under the baton See p. 32 for details. of the intrepid Richard Mills. Patrons’ Interval Drinks Friday 22 February The Richard Wagner Society Inc (Vic) 6 is supporting the role of Klingsor 7 MUSICAL JUNE Thu 27, Fri 28, Sat 29 JULY Tue 2, Wed 3, Thu 4, Fri 5 and Sat 6 Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse Music and Lyrics by A LITTLE STEPHEN SONDHEIM Book by NIGHT MUSIC HUGH WHEELER If anyone can bridge the gap between Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick opera and musicals, it is the incomparable Suggested by a Film by Ingmar Bergman Originally Produced and Directed on Stephen Sondheim. With his characteristic Broadway by Harold Prince wit and indelible musical talent comes the Licensed exclusively by Music Theatre most musical of musicals, based on Ingmar International (Australasia) - All performance Bergman’s 1955 film Smiles of a Summer materials supplied by Hal Leonard Australia. Night. Music Director Phoebe Briggs The summer night smiles three times: Director Stuart Maunder AM Original Designer Roger Kirk AM first on the young, second on the fools Associate Designer Candice MacAllister and third on the old. Over the course of Lighting Designer Trudy Dalgleish a weekend in the country, an entangled Choreographer Elizabeth Hill group of worldly characters rekindle lost Cast love, court new liaisons, and flirt with Madame Armfeldt Nancye Hayes AM romantic possibilities. Desiree Armfeldt Ali McGregor Fredrik Egerman Simon Gleeson Capturing the uncertainties of love with Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm Samuel Dundas playfulness and heartbreaking accuracy, Ensemble featuring: A Little Night Music resonates with Paul Biencourt, Nathan Lay, bittersweet wisdom, and speaks to us all. Michelle McCarthy, Juel Riggall and Sophia Wasley From the romance of the night waltzes to the wistful ‘Send in the Clowns’, music Victorian Opera Chamber Orchestra theatre lovers will rejoice the return of one of Sondheim’s most beloved and 2h20 plus one interval sophisticated musicals. Sung in English Get ready to fall in love with some magical night music as Victorian Opera welcomes TICKETS Premium $175, A-Reserve $135 B-Reserve $95, C-Reserve $39 a cast of musical theatre, cabaret and opera stars, headed by Ali McGregor, SUBSCRIBE and save 10%, 20% or 30% See p. 32 for details. Simon Gleeson, Nancye Hayes, and Samuel Dundas. Patrons’ Pre-Show Drinks Friday 28 June 8 9 CONCERT WITH ORCHESTRA JULY Sun 14 Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall BELLINI, DONIZETTI, ROSSINI HEROIC BEL CANTO The glorious heritage of bel canto: Composers its power of expression, its poetic Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti sensibility and the exhilaration of its and Gioachino Rossini virtuosity have timeless appeal. Conductor Richard Mills Experience an evening of vocal prowess with famous mad scenes, Featuring: great duets, ensembles and thrilling Jessica Pratt, soprano music for the chorus. Hear the most Daniela Barcellona, mezzo-soprano popular characters from the bel canto Carlos E. Bárcenas, tenor repertoire: gallant heroes, star-crossed and guests lovers and beguiling villains, both nasty Orchestra Victoria and humorous. Celebrate the inimitable art of bel 2h plus one interval canto with some of its greatest living Sung in Italian with English surtitles exponents. Australian voices have played an important role in this great tradition, dating back to Melba and Sutherland, and it is continued on TICKETS Premium $194, A-Reserve $144 B-Reserve $104, C-Reserve $39 the most prestigious world stages by today’s stars such as Jessica Pratt. SUBSCRIBE and save 10%, 20% or 30% See p. 32 for details. The toast of Italian opera Daniela Barcellona also co-stars alongside Pre-Show Cocktail Reception company favourite Carlos E. Bárcenas Join us for an Italian themed pre-concert reception with antipasti and aperitivo. in this one-night-only concert. Book online or on your subscription form. Something indescribable happens Numbers are limited. $60pp in addition each time Victorian Opera performs to the ticket price. bel canto masterworks at Hamer Hall. We guarantee another electrifying experience. 10 11 OPERA | New Production NOVEMBER PRESENTING PARTNER Thu 21 Princess Theatre Launceston DECEMBER Thu 12, Sat 14 Melbourne Recital Centre, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall GIOACHINO ROSSINI THE BARBER OF SEVILLE Prepare for an evening of huge laughs Composer Gioachino Rossini with Rossini’s most popular opera, Librettist Cesare Sterbini which offers a delightful romp full of Conductor Richard Mills farcical frivolity. Director and Staging Concept Elizabeth Hill Featuring some of opera’s most Cast recognisable music, this madcap Count Almaviva Brenton Spiteri masterpiece is a paean to impertinence Doctor Bartolo Warwick Fyfe that will make you beam with joy and grin Figaro José Carbó with delight. Fiorello Stephen Marsh Rosina Chiara Amarù Count Almaviva is hopelessly in love with Berta Kathryn Radcliffe the beautiful, young Rosina but first he Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO) must prise her from the clutches of her for the Launceston performance guardian, the lecherous Doctor Bartolo. Orchestra Victoria Lucky for them, the flamboyant and for the Melbourne performances cunning town barber Figaro has a few tricks up his sleeve. 2h25 plus one interval One of Italy’s most renowned Rosinas, Sung in Italian with English surtitles Chiara Amarù joins a stellar Australian TICKETS cast in an essential, made-for-touring Melbourne Premium $149, A-Reserve $129 interpretation of this exuberant opera B-Reserve $89, C-Reserve $39 buffa, in the tradition of commedia Launceston Premium $75, A-Reserve $65 dell’arte. B-Reserve $55, C-Reserve $39 Join us for this timeless work of comic SUBSCRIBE and save 10%, 20% or 30% genius and prodigious musical invention See p. 32 for details - only the Melbourne performances are available on subscription. in Melbourne and Launceston, Tasmania. Don’t miss Rossini at his best with this Patrons’ Pre-Show Drinks hilarious night at the opera. Thursday 12 December 12 13 FAMILY OPERA | New Production JUNE Fri 14* and Sat 15 Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse BIZET, DELIBES, PUCCINI ALICE THROUGH THE OPERA GLASS Peer into the magic looking glass and Composers come on a fantastical journey with Alice Georges Bizet, Léo Delibes and the White Rabbit.