BC opera
Vancouver Opera to kick off season with opera version of West Side Story
When you’re an opera you’re not necessarily an opera all the way. Such is the case with West Side Story – best known as a Broadway musical and subsequent movie musical. But there’s an operatic version of the Leonard Bernstein classic, and such a production will open Vancouver Opera’s 2011-2012 season. The story of a white [...]
The patron of the opera, Alice Choi helps keep Cantonese art form alive in Vancouver with her performances and funding
A great deal of truth is contained in the crude slogan “form follows funding“: All the world’s great art traditions were paid for somehow, by someone. In the European context those some-ones were the church and/or the aristocracy, before governments somewhat reluctantly inherited the role of patron of the arts. Most of us are accustomed [...]
Victoria: Opera loses director to Calgary: David Shefsiek to become head of Alberta Theatre Projects
The loneliness of a long-distance relationship has Pacific Opera Victoria searching for a new executive director. After four years, David Shefsiek will leave the opera in mid-September to become managing director of Calgary’s Alberta Theatre Projects. “The decision to accept this new position in southern Alberta was not easy, but will ultimately provide a better [...]
Opera for a sex goddess: Sooke poet’s words about Marilyn Monroe become libretto
The creation of a new opera, a big deal even in a major musical centre, counts as a very big deal in a moderate-sized city like Victoria, especially when the stature of the artists involved, and the subject, guarantee it will attract international attention. Such is the case with Anyone Can See I Love You, [...]
White Rock: Actress to show off her operatic chops
When Shadan Saul – known to local audiences for her acting in such White Rock Players Club shows as Communicating Doors and Madonna – returns to Coast Capital Playhouse tonight (Wednesday), it will be in a much different role. While she loves acting, it’s her operatic side that will be showcased this time, in an [...]
Why Nixon in China was worth the risk: Producing an expensive, elaborate contemporary opera during a recession tested the company and community
There has been much debate recently about the effectiveness and long-term benefits of the Cultural Olympiad, especially in a time of significant cuts in provincial arts funding. The irony of this timing, and the fear it has created, is much on the minds of arts administrators, artists, audiences and community leaders across the province. Vancouver [...]
