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.
Throughout the pandemic, Opera Revue created weekly opera parody movies that grew to become 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 choices, all offered with Opera Revue’s typical mix of accessibility, humour, and coronary heart.”
“We’re going to be doing an entire mixture of issues. Which is type of what our model is,” says Friesen. “We don’t do full operas, so it’s an excellent 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 premise.
“It’s a unique power,” Danie says.
Alex notes that the complete program hasn’t but been submitted. “Will probably be listed historically,” he says. “Individuals will assume, I do know that piece, however there shall 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 great,” she provides.
Regardless of the formal setting, although, she guarantees they’ll be performing with “our regular twinkle within the eye”.
“I feel at this level, we will’t not,” laughs pianist Claire Elise Harris. “It’s what we do and what we’ve develop into.”
She believes the success of their performances are because of the truth that opera aficionados and newcomers to the artwork kind alike can get pleasure from them.
“You may have individuals who at all times go in and are educated about opera,” Harris says, “and others who could be launched.”
She factors out that the lunchtime live performance sequence is free for viewers members.
“It assume it’s nonetheless accessible,” Claire provides. Making the artwork kind 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 accessible to everybody has at all times been vital 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 in every of their reveals.
“Fairly a couple of individuals have approached us and wandered in to [one of our shows],” Friesen says. They later find yourself on the 4 Seasons.
“The extra individuals we will share what we love with the higher,” provides Claire.
“I feel individuals can are available and count on 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, someone throw a pie or one thing.” An excessively formal environment just isn’t 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 demise and tragedy.
“There’s loads of that happening exterior,” Hajek notes. “Opera doesn’t should be so dour.”
“We honour the artwork kind, however we additionally don’t thoughts difficult it,” Danie says. “On the whole, opera has been shifting a bit in how they’re approaching audiences.”
Opera Revue’s reveals embody crossover materials, and including burlesque dancers to opera efficiency.
“You’ll be able to attain completely different audiences that don’t assume they like opera,” Friesen says.
She compares it to wine. Positive, there are wine snobs. “However you don’t must spend some huge cash and know all about it. Bringing opera again to that’s actually vital.” As soon as they’ve been launched to it, the great thing about the artwork kind will do the remainder of the persuading. “There’s a motive this type of singing, this music, has survived.”
As she factors out, even for singers, it’s a novel expertise. “It hits your physique differently than another type of singing,” she says. “It must be launched in a method that it’s for everybody.”
Alex notes that their audiences are multi-generational. Opera Revue takes that under consideration.
“For the youthful crowd, particularly with our parodies, we attempt to attain out with issues which are on individuals’s tongues.” That features present occasions, politics and points like complaining concerning the transit system, or the worth of homes in Toronto.
“We don’t must promote opera to the older generations,” Hajek says. “[It’s about] instructing the youthful crowd that opera just isn’t solely beautiful however it’s politically related lately.”
- 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 many years, and a inventive writing teacher for Ontariolearn.