The Canadian Opera Firm has invited Opera Revue to carry out at their Free Live performance Collection. The live performance takes place on October 14, 2025 at midday hour on the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre of the 4 Seasons Centre.
The standard opera venue is a step out of the abnormal for the indie opera firm.
Opera Revue was based in 2017 by soprano Danie Friesen, who added pianist Claire Elise Harris in 2018, and baritone Alexander Hajek in 2021. They sometimes carry out month-to-month in a mixture of non-conventional venues (for opera) which have included bars, breweries, and extra, constructing a following and group over the previous few years.
In the course of the pandemic, Opera Revue created weekly opera parody movies that turned an internet hit, and attracted new audiences.
LV talked to Opera Revue members soprano Danie Friesen, pianist Claire Elise Harris and baritone Alexander Hajek concerning the event.
Opera Revue: The Interview
The notes for the live performance, a part of the COC’s Vocal Collection, talks about “a thoughtfully curated hour of opera arias, duets, and irreverent genre-adjacent picks, all offered with Opera Revue’s typical mix of accessibility, humour, and coronary heart.”
“We’re going to be doing a complete mixture of issues. Which is form of what our model is,” says Friesen. “We don’t do full operas, so it’s a very good gateway for individuals who don’t know opera.”
It begins with classical opera, and contains the music of Kurt Weill and others. “We’re additionally going so as to add in a few of our operatic parodies that we’re fairly well-known for now.”
Whereas not a parody per se, Opera Revue carried out for a whole lot of the opera curious as a part of a promotion for the Dr. Oetker Suprema pizza launch. The imaginative trio managed to make a melodious Italian-style opera quick from a advertising and marketing premise.
“It’s a special vitality,” Danie says.
Alex notes that the complete program hasn’t but been submitted. “It is going to be listed historically,” he says. “Folks will suppose, I do know that piece, however there can be some new… context,” he laughs.
“We’re fairly thrilled to be doing this live performance,” Danie provides. “Most of what we’re doing has been in informal settings. We’re actually thrilled to be in a extra classical formal setting.”
She notes that the superior acoustics within the COC’s Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. “It’s acoustically fantastic,” she provides.
Regardless of the formal setting, although, she guarantees they’ll be performing with “our common twinkle within the eye”.
“I feel at this level, we are able to’t not,” laughs pianist Claire Elise Harris. “It’s what we do and what we’ve turn out to be.”
She believes the success of their performances are resulting from the truth that opera aficionados and newcomers to the artwork type alike can take pleasure in them.
“You’ve got individuals who at all times go in and are educated about opera,” Harris says, “and others who will be launched.”
She factors out that the lunchtime live performance sequence is free for viewers members.
“It suppose it’s nonetheless accessible,” Claire provides. Making the artwork type accessible been one of many firm’s mandates.
They’re hoping to see a few of their bar and brewery followers present as much as the tonier COC venue.
“A few of our followers have solely heard opera in breweries and pubs,” Alex says.
Spreading The Phrase About Opera
Making opera out there to everybody has at all times been essential to Opera Revue. They report that many individuals have advised them they’ve gone on to purchase tickets to a full size manufacturing after experiencing one among their exhibits.
“Fairly just a few folks have approached us and wandered in to [one of our shows],” Friesen says. They later find yourself on the 4 Seasons.
“The extra folks we are able to share what we love with the higher,” provides Claire.
“I feel folks can are available and anticipate not the standard present,” Danie provides.
Including a contact of the irreverent helps to interrupt the ice, so to talk.
“I’ve been to those preview concert events, and the genteel environment…” Hajek says, “I feel, oh Lord, anyone throw a pie or one thing.” An excessively formal environment shouldn’t be one thing you’ll expertise at any Opera Revue present. “Half the repertoire is opera comedy.”
It’s a distinction with the standard expectations for opera, with its preponderance of dying and tragedy.
“There’s loads of that happening outdoors,” Hajek notes. “Opera doesn’t need to be so dour.”
“We honour the artwork type, however we additionally don’t thoughts difficult it,” Danie says. “Basically, opera has been shifting a bit in how they’re approaching audiences.”
Opera Revue’s exhibits embrace crossover materials, and including burlesque dancers to opera efficiency.
“You may attain totally different audiences that don’t suppose they like opera,” Friesen says.
She compares it to wine. Certain, there are wine snobs. “However you don’t have to spend some huge cash and know all about it. Bringing opera again to that’s actually essential.” As soon as they’ve been launched to it, the great thing about the artwork type will do the remainder of the persuading. “There’s a purpose this fashion of singing, this music, has survived.”
As she factors out, even for singers, it’s a singular expertise. “It hits your physique another way than every other type of singing,” she says. “It must be launched in a manner that it’s for everybody.”
Alex notes that their audiences are multi-generational. Opera Revue takes that into consideration.
“For the youthful crowd, particularly with our parodies, we attempt to attain out with issues which are on folks’s tongues.” That features present occasions, politics and points like complaining concerning the transit system, or the value of homes in Toronto.
“We don’t have to promote opera to the older generations,” Hajek says. “[It’s about] educating the youthful crowd that opera shouldn’t be solely beautiful nevertheless it’s politically related nowadays.”
- Discover particulars on the free efficiency October 14 [HERE].
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Anya Wassenberg is the Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. Beforehand, she was a contract author with a specialty in tradition and journey for 3 a long time, and a artistic writing teacher for Ontariolearn.
