Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto, ON (March 14, 2012) - Opera Atelier’s 2011-2012 season continues with a magical production of Jean-Baptiste Lully’s Armide, the supreme operatic masterpiece of the 17th century. Following its Toronto run at the Elgin Theatre in April, the production tours to the magnificent Royal Opera in Versailles, France, and the prestigious Glimmerglass Festival in New York. The Muslim and Christian worlds collide in Armide, in which the invincible Christian knight Renaud and the Muslim warrior princess Armide play out their doomed love affair against a backdrop of hopeless obsession, jealousy and magic. The production runs April 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 2012, at the Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge Street. All performances begin at 7:30 pm, with the exception of the Sunday, April 15 3:00 pm matinee.
“We are thrilled to be revisiting and revitalizing one of our favourite operas, and to be embarking on one of the most prestigious tours in our company’s history,” says Opera Atelier Founding Co-Artistic Director and Armide director Marshall Pynkoski. “It is an incredible honour to be personally invited to be part of the seasons of both the Royal Opera of Versailles and The Glimmerglass Festival, and these invitations are a testament to Opera Atelier’s growing international reputation. This incredible opportunity affords both our company and our artists a chance to make our mark on the world stage.”
Armide is a haunting, magical tale about unlikely lovers from two different worlds – he is the invincible Christian knight leading his army to victory in the Crusades, and she is a Muslim warrior princess fiercely determined to protect her homeland. Both are powerful leaders renowned as much for their victories in battle as for their otherworldly charisma. Armide has power over the heart of any man, but soon finds she cannot control her own: her hatred of her nemesis Renaud quickly turns to longing and she cannot bring herself to conquer him. As the story unfolds, our two heroes prove to be more alike than different – though each falls hopelessly in love with the other, both are determined to set aside personal happiness in the name of duty and valour. First performed in 1686, Armide is composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully with a libretto by Philippe Quinault based on Torquato Tasso’s epic poem Jerusalem Delivered.
Armide reunites soprano Peggy Kriha Dye (as Armide) and tenor Colin Ainsworth (as Renaud), who played the title roles in Opera Atelier’s 2007 production of Orpheus and Eurydice. Armide also features bass João Fernandes as Hidraot, tenor Aaron Ferguson, bass-baritone Vasil Garvanliev, soprano Carla Huhtanen, bass-baritone Olivier Laquerre, soprano Meghan Lindsay, and bass-baritone Curtis Sullivan as well as the full corps of Artists of Atelier Ballet. The creative team for Armide includes director Marshall Pynkoski, choreographer Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg, set designer Gerard Gauci, and lighting designer Bonnie Beecher. Opera Atelier’s Music Director David Fallis conducts the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir. Armide will be sung in French with English Surtitles. Armide will run at The Royal Opera in Versailles, France, May 11-13 2012, and at The Glimmerglass Festival in July and August 2012. The Glimmerglass Festival’s partnership has enabled Opera Atelier to add major design elements to Armide, making it the most sumptuous production in OA history.
Tickets for Armide start at $35 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 1-855-622-ARTS(2787) or www.ticketmaster.ca, or at the Elgin Theatre Box Office (189 Yonge Street). $20 Operatix tickets may be purchased by patrons under 30 in person at the Elgin Theatre Box Office or online with the code OPERATIX. (Subject to availability. Valid I.D. required at pick-up.) Group discounts (10+ people) are available by calling 416-703-3767 x222. For more information, visit www.operaatelier.com.
2011-2012 Season Sponsor: Sun Life Financial
Armide Production Sponsor: BMO Financial Group
Opera Atelier also gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of The Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Creative Trust, and the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.
Opera Atelier is Canada’s premier baroque opera/ballet company, specializing in opera, ballet and drama from the 17th and 18th centuries. While drawing upon the aesthetics and ideals of the period, Opera Atelier goes beyond “reconstruction” and infuses each production with an inventive theatricality that resonates with modern audiences. Over the past twenty-five years, lead by founding artistic directors Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg, Opera Atelier has garnered acclaim for its performances at home as well as in the United States, Europe and Asia.
2012-03-14
Toronto: Opera Atelier’s “Armide” kicks off international tour in Toronto April 14