Stage Door News

Toronto: Single tickets now on sale for the COC’s 2022 productions

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Single tickets are now on-sale for all of the Canadian Opera Company’s 2022 in-person programming.

Two productions will be performed at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, located at 145 Queen St. W.; La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi celebrates the return to live opera with a spectacular feast for the eyes and ears, while The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart marks 70 years since the COC first staged the classic opera, featuring some of the best young Canadian opera artists.

Newly added for 2022 are two exciting productions, to be performed at the Canadian Opera Company Theatre, located at 227 Front St. E., as part of the company’s Front Street Stage: Fantasma, a COC-commissioned world premiere by composer Ian Cusson with libretto by Colleen Murphy, as well as The Queen In Me, a new co-production from the Canadian Opera Company, Amplified Opera, Theatre Gargantua, and Nightwood Theatre, created by Teiya Kasahara 笠原 貞野 (they/them).


LA TRAVIATA by Giuseppe Verdi

April 23, May 1, 3, 7, 12, 18, and 20, 2022

Sung in Italian with English SURTITLES™

A COC production, Co-production with Houston Grand Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago

Violetta is the most captivating courtesan in all of Paris—but when she falls in love with a handsome young gentleman, Alfredo Germont, she dares to embrace a different type of life and love. This acclaimed revival is led by American theatre director Arin Arbus who returns to bring 1850s Paris to lavish life with spectacular party scenes, gorgeous period costumes, and show-stopping arias. Egyptian-born New Zealand-based soprano Amina Edris is one of the most exciting up-and-coming voices on today’s operatic stage; she stars as Violetta alongside internationally renowned American tenor Matthew Polenzani as Alfredo. COC Music Director Johannes Debus conducts the COC Orchestra through one of Verdi's most celebrated and popular operas.


THE MAGIC FLUTE by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

May 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 19, and 21, 2022

Sung in German with English SURTITLES™

A Canadian Opera Company production

Mozart’s fairytale opera centres on the timeless search for wisdom, truth, and love. As Tamino sets out alongside hilarious bird-catcher Papageno to rescue the kidnapped Princess Pamina, their journey brings them face to face with armed men, enchanted animals, and evil henchmen—lucky for them, a magical instrument proves to be their secret weapon. Turkish-born, Austria-based tenor Ilker Arcayürek stars as Tamino, with two recent COC Ensemble Studio graduates also leading the cast: soprano Anna-Sophie Neher is Pamina and bass-baritone Gordon Bintner takes on the role of Papageno. Canadian Ashlie Corcoran returns to direct the playful audience favourite, with German conductor Patrick Lange also returning to the COC podium.


FANTASMA, by Ian Cusson and Colleen Murphy

March 9 and 10 (7:30 p.m.), and March 12 (1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)

Sung in English

A Canadian Opera Company world premiere

While visiting a boisterous, old-fashioned carnival, best friends Léa and Ivy stumble upon a dark secret. Their ghostly discovery confronts them with an age-old dilemma: when faced with another person’s suffering, do you turn away, or try to help? This new opera, by recent COC Composer-in-Residence Ian Cusson with libretto by acclaimed playwright Colleen Murphy, explores themes of death, violence, compassion, and the courage to insist on being heard.

Former COC Director/Dramaturg-in-Residence Julie McIsaac joins the creative team as director and dramaturg, along with a number of current Ensemble Studio artists cast in leading roles; these include: sopranos Jamie Groote and Midori Marsh as Léa and Ivy; tenor Matthew Cairns as the carnival worker Emile; and soprano Charlotte Siegel in the role of Léa’s mother Manon. Set design and costumes from Camellia Koo, executed by Design Coordinator Jung-Hye Kim, and lighting by Mikael Kangas infuse the atmosphere with whimsy, nostalgia, and mystery in this haunting, contemporary ghost story.


THE QUEEN IN ME, by Teiya Kasahara 笠原 貞野

June 2, 3, and 4, 2022 (7:30 p.m.)

Sung in Italian, French, German, and English

A new co-production from Canadian Opera Company, Amplified Opera, Nightwood Theatre, and Theatre Gargantua

Combining comedy, drama, and plenty of opera, this exuberant show by interdisciplinary artist Teiya Kasahara 笠原 貞野 (they/them) explores the many ways that gender and sexuality are policed in the opera industry. Through the lens of iconic opera characters, the show reclaims space for the multitudes of women, trans, and non-binary individuals excluded from the stage, daring to imagine new narrative possibilities for the art form. Featured music includes selections from: Esclarmonde, La Bohème, Lucia di Lammermoor, Macbeth, Madama Butterfly, Manon Lescaut, Rigoletto, Salome and The Magic Flute.


For tickets visit www.coc.ca.