Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto, March 1, 2016… VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert is pleased to announce that Newfoundland tenor Michael Barrett will be Osiris in the World Premiere of the Togni/Singer opera ISIS AND OSIRIS at the St Lawrence Centre on April 1 & 3, 2016. Barrett is an alumnus of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble and was featured in COC productions of LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN, DIE ZAUBERFLOTE and ARIADNE AUF NAXOS. Further credits for the tall imposing tenor include Calgary Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Edmonton Opera, and Vancouver Opera where he appeared in Sondheim’s SWEENEY TODD. No stranger to performances of the music of our time, he starred in John Beckwith’s TAPTOO and gave a chilling portrayal of Peter Quint in Against the Grain Theatre’s production of TURN OF THE SCREW. “I am pleased that Michael can join us for this important project”, stated General Director Silva-Marin. “At short notice, he has agreed to step in for his colleague Ernesto Ramirez, who was obliged to withdraw for personal reasons.”
A Juno and ECMA nominated artist, composer Peter-Anthony Togni makes his first foray into the world of opera with ISIS AND OSIRIS. This full scale work, set to a libretto by the highly esteemed poet Sharon Singer, will incorporate his famed genius for choral writing, this time combined with solo voices and an eclectic instrumental ensemble all conducted by Robert Cooper at the service of an epic struggle for the fate of mankind in the Egypt of pre-history.
As previously announced Isis will be sung by Lucia Cesaroni, who makes her Italian debut later this year at the Spoleto Festival as Susanna in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO conducted by James Conlon. The treacherous brother Seth will be baritone Michael Nyby, heard recently with Edmonton Opera as Danilo in THE MERRY WIDOW. His sister and wife, Nepthys, will be mezzo-soprano Julie Nesrallah, known to CBC fans as the host of Radio 2’s Tempo. Rounding out the all-Canadian cast are soprano Leigh–Ann Allen as Sennefer, Stuart Graham as Khamet, the Grand Vizier and Christopher Wattam as Imhotep, the High Priest. Music Director and Conductor Robert Cooper C.M.is the Founding Director of the VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert Chorus as well as Artistic Director of Chorus Niagara in St. Catharines and Toronto’s Orpheus Choir.
ISIS AND OSIRIS - Gods of Egypt encompasses quintessential themes for the lyric stage: Love, redemption, betrayal and the perverse allure of power. Isis and Osiris are Queen and King, brother and sister, husband and wife, facing the envy of their brother Seth and the birth of evil within humanity. The first known operatic attempt to bring life to this mythic tale, Togni and Singer have created a full scale work that balances the intimacy of lovers with the grandeur of court life in this ancient realm. These two performances are the culmination of a project that began in 2013 with a preview at the Art Gallery of Ontario and a full workshop at The Edward Jackman Centre in 2015.
VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert is supported by the Jackman Foundation, J. P. Bickell Foundation, Nancy’s Very Own Foundation, Strategic Charitable Giving Foundation, and Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council. Single tickets are available from the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts’ Box Office, 27 Front St. East, by phone 416-366-7723 or 1-800-708-6754 or online at www.stlc.com. The theatre is wheelchair accessible and close to public transit and municipal parking. Performances: Friday, April 1 at 8 pm; Sunday, April 3 at 2:30 pm at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.
Photo: Michael Barrett.
2016-03-01
Toronto: Michael Barrett takes on the role of Osiris in world premiere of "Isis and Osiris"