Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto – On Saturday, November 14, 2015, opera fans of all ages can unleash their inner superhero or channel their favourite fairy tale character when the Canadian Opera Company presents two family-friendly operas at the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre. The Bremen Town Musicians and Operation Superpower were created specifically for young audiences and are part of the COC’s 2015 Glencore Ensemble Studio School Tour.
The Bremen Town Musicians and Operation Superpower are each 45 minutes in length and performed in English, making them easily accessible for younger audiences. Each performance concludes with a 15-minute Q&A with the cast and crew, which features the rising young stars of the COC Ensemble Studio, Canada’s premier training program for young opera professionals.
Before each performance, young attendees are invited to participate in hands-on activities, allowing them to engage with the superhero and fairy tale themes explored in each opera.
The Bremen Town Musicians begins at 11 a.m. Based on a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm and written by acclaimed Canadian composer Dean Burry, the opera tells the story of a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster who embark on a journey to find freedom and start a new life after being mistreated by their owners. It best suits children aged four to 12.
At 1:30 p.m. is Operation Superpower, a new COC production originally created by four graduates of The Juilliard School: Armand Ranjbaran, Tobias Greenhalgh, John Brancy and Peter Dugan. This interactive adventure empowers young audiences to identify their own strengths and character traits, or “superpowers,” and encourages them to nurture these powers and use them to help others. It is suitable for children aged four to eight.
Tickets to each opera are $15 for adults and $10 for children, and may be purchased by calling COC Ticket Services at 416-363-8231 or visiting coc.ca/OperaForFamilies. Both operas are performed at the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre (227 Front St. E., Toronto).
Photo: Andrew Haji as Rooster, Iain MacNeil as Donkey (seated), Aviva Fortunata as Cat and Charlotte Burrage as Dog in The Bremen Town Musicians. ©2014 Chris Hutcheson.
2015-10-26
Toronto: Canadian Opera Company presents two operas for young people on November 14