A Sunday at the Opera: Manon opens Calgary's season

Calgary Opera gave its patrons a sneak-peak of its season-opener last Sunday, as the cast of Manon performed recital-style in The Petroleum Club. The first of three “opera brunches”, the event allowed guests to feast on an expansive buffet before company members took the stage one at a time to sing a song of their choosing. On the menu were: eggs two ways, Belgian waffles, toast, three types of salad, fruit (strawberries, raspberries and lots of melon), bacon, sausage, potatoes, grilled veggies, brownies, cookies, cakes, croissants and more. Tickets were $65 per person.

Bob McPhee, the CEO widely credited with keeping Calgary Opera financially stable through uncertain times, acted as master of ceremonies, first introducing accompanist Gordon Gerrard. In September, Gerrard was awarded the Enbridge Arts Award for Emerging Artist at the Mayor’s Evening for Business and the Arts, an event which McPhee co-chaired with Jim Stanford, former CEO of Petro-Canada .

M.C. McPhee also welcomed special guests in the audience: artistic director of Edmonton Opera Brian Deedrick was in attendance, having been appointed the stage director for Manon, as well as vocal coach Michael McMahon, resident conductor of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Mélanie Léonard, and former Toronto Star music and dance critic William Littler.

Matthew Cassils, a baritone from Montréal and a new member of the Emerging Artist Development Program, opened the show. Then came the widely celebrated Peter McGillivray, who sang “Avant de quitter ces lieux” from Faust. Michelle Minke, Lauren Phillips, and Michel Corbeil all gave charming performances. The two stars of Manon, however, certainly stole the show.

American tenor Richard Troxell has joined the cast as des Grieux, the handsome and impetuous horseman who falls in love with Manon at first sight (and in the first act), and compels her to dodge life in the nunnery in favour of eloping to Paris. At the brunch, Troxell opened with an amusing story of bear-sighting in Alberta before launching into a heart-breaking version of “Oh, Danny Boy” - proving he could sing Happy Birthday and have an audience in tears. Nathalie Paulin, who plays Manon, sang “La Vie en Rose” while pulling McMahon from the audience for a brief dance. Paulin and Troxell have both performed with l’Opéra de Montréal (Troxell as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly Poulin as Mélisande in Debussy’s Pélléas et Mélisande), in addition to appearances around the world. For the finale, the singers performed a duet from Carmen, leaving no doubt their version of lovers in Manon will be phenomenal.

Calgary Opera’s Manon begins November 21; the next opera brunch will be held in January with the cast of Mark Adamo’s Little Women.

Opera and audience meet for brunch

Can something still be considered a city’s “best kept secret” if 300 people know about it? That’s a question some regulars of the Calgary society circuit are asking after last Sunday’s Opera Brunch at the trendy Hotel Arts.

Guests included the Honourable Mr. Peter Lougheed and his wife Jeanne Lougheed, Harold and Marilyn Milavsky, Pat and Sherrold Moore, Andrea Brussa, George Leitch, Bill Kerr, Iris Richards, Denise Dunn McMullen of Brunet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP, and David Tavender of Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP.

“It’s an extraordinary event,” says Mrs. Moore, “I can remember when it was just a handful of people at the Palliser Hotel, many years ago. It’s really grown.”

As it grew, the brunch moved to The Petroleum Club, where attendees would regularly squeeze into a roundish, multi-tiered room to feast on a formal brunch and listen to cast members from the upcoming production sing a piece of their choosing. This was the first week for the event to be held in the even more spacious Hotel Arts.

“It’s kind of interesting to see the singers in their civilian clothes just get up and sing something they like,” says Mr. Moore, “It gives you a different feeling for them as a performer and an artist. After this brunch, when you then see the opera, it’s like you know them a little bit.”

Indeed, the affair remains an intimate one, despite the impressive ticket sales. Many guests are long-time patrons of the Calgary Opera, and friends. Tables of eight are positioned around the room, with enough privacy to be cozy yet the proximity of a private dinner party. At the front of the room, well-spaced between the two long buffets, is a grand piano and circular stage. After guests have their fill of a mouth-watering breakfast buffet, the performance begins.

Calgary Opera’s next production will be Strauss’ play-within-a-play comedy, Ariadne Auf Naxos, opening January 31. Nine members of the cast individually performed selections from that opera and others, including The Marriage of Figaro, Romeo and Juliet, and the French-Canadian musical Notre Dame de Paris. Mezzo-Soprano Rebecca Hass sang a hilarious piece in English, lamenting the fate of the Alto singer who rarely has a chance to “wear the prettiest dresses and make out with the lead male” on stage. The performances were all brilliant and engaging, wrapping the audience in their melody and plot lines.

“We have one of the most adventurous opera programs in Canada,” says Grant Reddick, an actor and theatre coach for the Opera. He will appear on stage in An Ideal Husband in March.

Apparently, that edict applies on and off the stage. The Calgary Opera website lists some helpful etiquette tips for first-timers, including a suggestion to remove your cowboy hat so people behind you can see the stage. Reddick seems happy that the opera is attracting a diverse following.

“Calgary is a very permissive town,” he says smiling, “People here are very supportive and encouraging of the arts.”

Published in National Post, January 24 2009

Gangsters 'n' ghosts come out to howl

It is the best party of the year, according to a skeleton, two pirates, Ghandi and a rag doll. Apes, angels, queens, and dinosaurs agreed. The assortment of sensational figures came together for Calgary Opera’s Grave Gala, a yearly costume fundraising gala. Many guests said they attend every year, attracted by the costumes, food, and music.

The scene was set in Hotel Arts and its Raw Bar, a trendy spot nestled south of the downtown core. A small room swathed in white linens and filled with swirling fog provided the entrance. Pink-haired “muses of sin” lounged on plush sofas and enticed guests with seductive looks and gestures. Beyond this gateway were further temptations in the form of delicious canapés and an immense throbbing dance floor, complete with cage dancers. Catering was provided by Hotel Arts and included mini beef burgers, spring rolls, chicken bruschetta, and lobster salad crostini. Although no one seemed to need the encouragement, several cash bars were available to dispel any lingering inhibitions. Further along a corridor, linking the hotel’s ballroom to its lounge, was the VIP reception. Along the way, large glass walls provided a view of the outside courtyard, where costumed guests sipped cocktails and smoked around a grand steaming hot tub.

Mingling in the VIP area were Kristine Eidsvik, chair of Alberta Ballet's board of directors and Justice of the Queen’s Bench, Bev Foy, chartered accountant with Collins Barrow Calgary LLP and past chair of the Calgary Opera board of directors, Duncan Ly, executive chef of Raw Bar and Saint Germain restaurant, Sean Halliday, president of Imagine eDock Systems, Bart Hribar, president of City Core Commercial Contracting, Christopher Mayell, an emerging artist with the Calgary Opera, Andrea Obermeier of Skyservice Airline, Shawn Calafatsi of Twin Butte Energy, Mark Pierson of Penn West Energy Trust, Brad MacDonald of EnCana, Ryan McCrae of Calvalley Petroleum Inc., and lawyer John Roggeveen.

Talking about her double duty as provincial judge and ballet jury, Eidsvik was rueful.

“You never know, some of these people could end up in my courtroom tomorrow!” she said, surveying the buoyant crowd.

Costumes and conversations followed the night’s theme – seven deadly sins. A seductive but vengeful Madusa, other wise known as managing optician Trudi Flagler of Eye-Q on Kensington, won the prize for best female costume. The elaborate headdress, sequined bikini top and flowing skirt were hand-made by her mother.

The Grave Gala sells out every year, with a maximum of 700 tickets available at $90 each. Its production of Faust begins Saturday, November 8 and runs a mere two weeks.

Published in National Post, November 1 2008