"The majesty of such a wine, is divine..."
I directed a modern English adaptation of Die Fledermaus for Cowtown Opera, an energetic and vibrant company based in Calgary. Setting the Eisensteins' story in 2012, in Cowtown itself, the opera was chalk full of Calgarian references: Prince Orlofsky's ball was a Stampede Celebration, Alfred frequented Ranchman's Cookhouse, and the Act II Ballet was a good old-fashioned line dance. It was exciting to explore the effervescent – but satirical – nature of the piece, through a modern lens. The cast was courageous and playful, and the venue itself - the Canmore Opera House built in the style of a log cabin in 1898 - was a true testament to the Western can-do spirit.
Music Director: Anne Larlee
Cast: Jorge Avilés, Brent Calis, Adam Fisher, Michael Marino, Greg McCombs, Michelle Minke, Cairan Ryan, Audrina Steciw, Lauren Woods
Chorus:
Mezzo-Sopranos: Joanne Gilbert, Colleen Iverson, Kelty Latos, Courney Murias, Rosemary VanDyke, Melanie Zimmer
Tenors: Matt Burd, Stuart Miller, Jeffrey Murias
Basses: Thomas Krasey, Graham Paynter
Supernumeraries: Terry Chung, Kevin McKay, Whitney Mission
Set Designer: Corey Taylor
Costume Designer: Phaedra Vandenbrun
Lighting Designer: Rhys Martin
Production Manager: Steven Morton
Stage Manager: Alan Johnson
Assistant Stage Manager: Osmond Chiu
Lighting Assistant: Aiden Ware
Preview Press:
Cowtown has batty fun with Strauss operetta.Calgary Herald
