Tapestry Opera presents a timely tale of racial internment on stage in Toronto
Tapestry Opera’s production of Naomi’s Road at St. David’s Anglican Church is moving, and eerily timely. The opera is based on a book by Joy Kogawa and tells the story of a family torn apart by the internment of Japanese-Canadians during WWII from the perspective of the family’s youngest member, a little girl named Naomi. Written about ten years ago, the work was developed for children and has toured schools in British Columbia, to great critical acclaim. This is the first time the opera has been performed in Toronto. Continue reading Review: Naomi’s Road (Tapestry Opera)→
Thangan, the family’s patriarch, was a journalist in Sri Lanka during the civil war, imprisoned for his political writing. Torture while incarcerated has left him with extensive scarring on several areas of his brain, resulting in daily, debilitating epileptic seizures.
Dido and Aeneas wows Toronto stage vocally, but leaves a bit to be desired story-wise
I was somewhat surprised by Opera Atelier’s decision to mount Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas as their fall 2016 production. From start to finish, this opera is about an hour long, and most opera goers are looking for more than an hour worth of bang for their buck.
Opera Atelier mounts historically informed productions of opera from the 17th and 18th centuries. Their productions are always exceptionally well-researched, and Dido and Aeneas was the very first opera the company ever mounted, in 1985. Artistic Director Marshall Pynkoski and Choreographer Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg took advantage of their extensive knowledge of this work to craft a full evening’s entertainment. Continue reading Review: Dido and Aeneas (Opera Atelier)→
Tapestry Opera presents a timely tale of racial internment on stage in Toronto
