Stage Door News

Toronto: Summer Lyric Opera Theatre presents three operas from July 29-August 7

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Summer Opera Lyric Theatre continues its tradition as the only performance haven for Toronto’s opera lovers in late summer. Since 1986, Guillermo Silva Marin has led aspiring young artists through an intensive 8-week course of study concentrating on character development in opera through text and music. These weeks culminate in a series of performances showcasing the young artists. New this year, the festival will be held at the Alumnae Theatre, 70 Berkeley St. at Adelaide just west of Parliament. The only summer course of its kind in the Greater Toronto Area, alumni include Kristina Szabo, David Pomeroy, Nora Sourouzian and Joshua Hopkins, all currently enjoying national and international careers.

The season opens with Menotti’s The Consul on Friday - July 29 (8 pm) with further performances on Wednesday - August 3 (2 pm), Thursday - August 4 (8 pm) and Saturday - August 6 (8 pm). Performances of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel are on Saturday - July 30 (8 pm), Tuesday - August 2 (8 pm), Saturday - August 6 (2 pm) and Sunday - August 7 (2 pm). Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro takes the stage on Saturday - July 30 (2 pm), Sunday - July 31 (2 pm), Wednesday - August 3 (8 pm) and Friday - August 5 (8 pm). “This summer we concentrate on works that reflect the socio-political concerns of our present day, the comedy and tragedy found in these great operas and the lessons we can learn about ourselves and the diverse world around us,” Silva-Marin commented recently from the rehearsal hall at the Edward Jackman Centre.

The SOLT participants for this summer have been chosen after extensive auditions and come from hometowns, conservatories, and universities across Canada. Suzy Smith, Kate Carver, Jo Greenaway, and Silva-Marin comprise the Creative Team for the summer and guest lecturers include Renee Salewski, Colin Ainsworth, Diane Loeb, Larry Beckwith, Kathy Domoney, Derek Bate and Henry Ingram.

NEW THIS YEAR!! All performances take place at the historic Alumnae Theatre at 70 Berkeley St - at Adelaide just west of Parliament. Subscription packages and single tickets are available by calling 416-366-7723 or visiting: www.solt.ca. There are discounts for students and seniors. The theatre is air-conditioned, completely wheelchair accessible and convenient to public parking and transit. King St or Queen St TTC stops at Parliament are a three-minute walk from the theatre. Parking is available at 123 Berkeley St., 348 King St East and 323 Richmond St East.