SUMIDAGAWA & CURLEW RIVER
Two Great Traditions. One Great Story.
May 26, 27, 28 at 7:30 – May 30 at 2:30
Frederic Wood Theatre at UBC – $40.00 general – $26.00 student
FLASH: TICKETS NOW ON SALE AT
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In May we present the 15th-century Japanese masterwork Sumidagawa and the 20th-century chamber opera it inspired, Britten’s immortal Curlew River, in co-production with UBC Theatre and Film, and Blackbird Theatre.
It is the heartbreakingly beautiful story of a mother and the loss of her child. Sumidagawa will be told in a butoh version of the play on which Britten based his opera. Telling one story from two cultural perspectives will provide a thrilling night of theatre – and a Canadian first.
The production is endorsed by explorASIAN, the Japanese Language School and Hall, the National Nikkei Museum and Heritage Centre, the Powell Street Festival, Sikora’s Classical Records, and the UBC Department of Asian Studies, and is supported by Accent Inns, Tom Lee Music, Michael O’Brian Foundation for the Arts, Yoshiko Karasawa, and the McLean Foundation of Toronto.
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Starring as Madwoman in Sumidagawa is the legendary Denise Fujiwara, joining us from Toronto. Her work, drawn from the original Noh play and now given as a one-woman performance, is simply mesmerizing.
Denise Fujiwara/Madwoman Isaiah Bell/Madwoman
Starring as Madwoman in Curlew River is the remarkable young Canadian tenor, Isaiah Bell. Twenty years from now, you will be able to say that you heard Isaiah in his first starring role. He is that good. [audio clip]
John Minagro [audio], who moved audiences as Death in Der Kaiser von Atlantis, will appear as the Abbot, and the splendid baritones Sam Marcaccini [audio] as the Ferryman and Joel Klein [audio] as the Traveller. The male chorus comes to us from the Vancouver Cantata Singers.
John Minagro/Abbot Sam Marcaccini/Ferryman Joel Klein/Traveller
Janet Lea and Nora Kelly are the producers. John Wright directs. Robert Gardiner is the scenographer, Marti Wright the costumier, Bob Eberle our production coordinator, and Charles Barber leads the music. These will be amazing events. Please join us.
Free talks
To promote Sumidagawa & Curlew River we are giving free talks across Metro Vancouver. If you would like a presentation we have DVDs, CDs and print materials, and can offer from fifteen minutes to ninety. Interested? artisticdirector@cityoperavancouver.com
Next talk
Tuesday 9 February, 2pm, Global Civic Policy Society, 319 Main Street.