I’m always shocked when it’s show day with Essential Opera. Months and months of planning…then POOF time to perform! Actually, it’s more like a BAM than a POOF. But every time I wake up on a show day, I feel really excited and grateful.

My colleague and friend, Erin Bardua, and I first started talking about Essential Opera–well, at the time, just about doing one show: Figaro–in 2010. I remember us saying something to each other about naming the company just IN CASE we ended up doing more shows. After our inaugural Figaro, we did Massenet’s Cherubin, Handel’s Alcina (twice! and with chamber orchestra!), Weill’s Threepenny Opera, and a double bill with Donizetti’s Il campanello and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi.

I honestly can’t believe that this is our 6th show and the start of our 4th season. We’ve purposefully been all over the map, not limiting ourselves to one particular time period or genre within a genre. We really want to present and perform works that are essential–works that express and explore the intimacy of relationships. We have exciting works coming up after our season opener, so stay tuned for those!

The Haydn opera we’re presenting tonight is a rare gem: It’s gorgeous, elegant music by Haydn, and an exploration of relationships between me (Silvia) and Costanza; Silva and a newly discovered object of affection (Enrico); Enrico and his bromance partner Gernando; Gernando and his long lost/abandoned Costanza.

If you have the chance during your noon hour or post-work commute, (or during work?!…I know many of you freelancers would welcome squeezing in 5-min. break), I recommend heading over to our blog page and checking out our trailer, by Alison J. Gray, and checking out some notes on the show, written by Maria Murphy. For more fun and follies, check out us on FacebookTwitter, and YouTube. Thank you for the shares, likes, RTs, MTs, shout-outs, donations, ticket purchases, and cheerleading.

 

I’m so excited to perform this for you tonight. See you there!

Nov. 8, 7:30 PM
Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave., Toronto, ON
Tix $20 at the door or online via www.essentialopera.com