INDEPENDENT NEWS

Tragedy, comedy and history underpin 2012 opera season

Published: Wed 5 Oct 2011 03:53 PM
MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by The NBR New Zealand Opera
EMBARGOED until 2pm, Wednesday 5 October 2011
Tragedy, comedy and history underpin 2012 opera season
The NBR New Zealand Opera has announced its 2012 Season, revealing an exciting and diverse programme for audiences.
Three operas will be staged in 2012: two main-stage productions in Auckland and Wellington – a new production of Verdi’s much-loved Rigoletto, and Smetana’s comic masterpiece The Bartered Bride; and Hōhepa, a new opera, having its world première at the New Zealand International Arts Festival in Wellington.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
HŌHEPA
(15 – 18 March, Wellington)
The true story of the friendship between Maori chief Hōhepa and Pakeha settler Thomas Mason during the New Zealand Wars is told in Jenny McLeod’s ground-breaking new work Hōhepa, premièring at the New Zealand International Arts Festival in Wellington.
Jenny McLeod, widely respected as one of New Zealand’s foremost composers, took up the task of writing the libretto and music of Hōhepa in the late ’90s. Since then, her research has been extensive, based on recorded, personal and oral histories, and the result is a warm and at times humorous opera, epic yet very human at heart.
General Director of The NBR New Zealand Opera, Aidan Lang, says: “In the early days of our discussions with Jenny, we envisaged Hōhepa as being a chamber opera. Now, through the support of the New Zealand International Arts Festival, we are thrilled to be able to present Hōhepa on a much larger scale, to incorporate dance, as well as a large cast of singers, and to do justice to this important New Zealand story.”
Bringing Hōhepa to life on stage is New Zealand director Sara Brodie with Tony de Goldi designing the set and costumes. Alongside them are video artist Louise Potiki-Bryant, lighting designer Jeremy Fern, assistant director and choreographer Taiaroa Royal, and cultural advisor Paraone Tai Tin. With this creative team, audiences can expect a dynamic production.
A high-calibre cast, comprising almost entirely New Zealand talent, has been secured. Returning from the UK to sing the title role is The NBR New Zealand Opera’s PwC Dame Malvina Major Young Artist, Phillip Rhodes. Alongside him are fellow New Zealanders Jonathan Lemalu, Jenny Wollerman, Martin Snell, Deborah Wai Kapohe, Eddie Muliaumaseali'i and Robert Tucker. A further ten singers take the remaining roles and form the ensemble.
Hōhepa will be accompanied by players from the Vector Wellington Orchestra, conducted by Marc Taddei.
HŌHEPA by Jenny McLeod
Presented by The NBR New Zealand Opera and the New Zealand International Arts Festival
CREATIVE TEAM
Conductor MARC TADDEI
Director SARA BRODIE
Production Designer TONY DE GOLDI
Video Designer LOUISE POTIKI BRYANT
Lighting Designer JEREMY FERN
Assistant Director/Choreographer TAIROA ROYAL
Cultural Advisor PARAONE TAI TIN
CAST
Hōhepa PHILLIP RHODES
Jane Mason JENNY WOLLERMAN
Thomas Mason/Carver NICKY SPENCE
Te Kumete/Blackie JONATHAN LEMALU
Te Rai/Kui DEBORAH WAI KAPOHE
Te Tokotoko/Te Waha RAWIRI PARATENE
Governor Grey/Warder Imrie/Settler MARTIN SNELL
Kaparatehau EDDIE MULIAUMASEALI’I
Prout/Army Major/Reporter/Settler ROBERT TUCKER
Settler EMMA ROXBURGH
Te Pau/Puaha MOSES MACKAY
Delphina/Maori ELISHA FAI
Settler/Soldier ANDREW GRENON
Settler BIANCA ANDREW
Ensemble EMMA FRASER
Ensemble STEPHEN DIAZ
Ensemble AMITAI PATI
HŌHEPA
Wellington – The Opera House
Thu 15 & Sat 17 March – 7.30pm, Sun 18 March – 5pm
RIGOLETTO
(19 – 26 May, Wellington; 7 – 17 June, Auckland)
“Rigoletto is full of soaring music which makes one feel one's heart is going to burst. Dramatically [the title role] is to an opera singer what Hamlet or King Lear is to an actor. It is the zenith of the Verdi baritone repertoire.” – Warwick Fyfe, Rigoletto
Opera doesn’t get more melodramatic than Rigoletto, Verdi’s heart-breaking tale of love and deception. Rigoletto is also a firm favourite with audiences, and amid a flow of glorious melody features one of opera’s most recognisable arias, “La donna è mobile”.
Aidan Lang says “Rigoletto is an emotionally charged opera and this new, New Zealand Opera production will be a Rigoletto of our times; it will be topical.
“Our style is to offer a judicious re-examination of the operas we perform. We make old war horses come alive again. And under the direction of Lindy Hume, whose 2007 Lucia di Lammermoor so thrilled its audiences, this Rigoletto will certainly be alive. Lindy’s productions are always intelligent and well thought out theatrically. Her approach enables her to achieve exemplary performances from her singers, and with the line-up in this production, she’ll produce some great results.”
The NBR New Zealand Opera’s Director of Music, Wyn Davies, conducts a top-notch cast including Warwick Fyfe in the great central role of Rigoletto. Emma Pearson returns from her triumphant Susanna in 2010 to sing his daughter Gilda, and Rafael Rojas plays the philandering Duke of Mantua. Egyptian bass baritone Ashraf Seweilam takes the role of Sparafucile, and New Zealanders Kristen Darragh and Rodney McCann sing Maddalena and Count Monterone respectively.
RIGOLETTO by Giuseppe Verdi
CREATIVE TEAM
Conductor WYN DAVIES
Director LINDY HUME
Production Designer RICHARD ROBERTS
Lighting Designer JASON MORPHETT
CAST
Rigoletto WARWICK FYFE
Duke of Mantua RAFAEL ROJAS
Gilda EMMA PEARSON
Sparafucile ASHRAF SEWAILAM
Maddalena KRISTEN DARRAGH
Count Monterone RODNEY MACANN
Count Ceprano JAMES CLAYTON
Matteo Borsa DEREK HILL
Cavaliere Marullo MATTHEW LANDRETH
Countess Ceprano EMMA FRASER
Giovanna WENDY DOYLE
The Usher MOSES MACKAY
Accompanied by the Vector Wellington Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
With the Chapman Tripp Opera Chorus
RIGOLETTO
Wellington – St James Theatre
Sat 19 May (7.30pm), Tue 22 May (6pm), Thu 24 May (7.30pm), Sat 26 May (7.30pm)
Auckland – ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre
Thu 7 Jun (7.30pm), Sat 9 Jun (7.30pm), Wed 13 Jun (7.30pm), Fri 15 Jun (7.30pm), Sun 17 Jun (2.30pm)
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
THE BARTERED BRIDE
(22 – 29 September, Auckland; 13 – 20 October, Wellington)
“... the show zips along, joyfully, liberatingly. Pure heaven.” – The Times, UK
“… one of the most vivaciously animated productions in years.” – The Guardian, UK
Bedřich Smetana’s dream to establish a Czech national opera was realised with The Bartered Bride, his second opera, and the first Czech opera to become a worldwide hit.
An effervescent, comic look at Bohemian life, The Bartered Bride is a tale of true love prevailing despite the best efforts of a scheming marriage broker and a couple of social-climbing parents.
Aidan Lang says he is excited to be presenting The Bartered Bride to New Zealand audiences, particularly as it is the highly acclaimed Opera North production directed by Daniel Slater.
“This is a thoughtful and highly engaging production,” he says; “it’s a comedy, but with an edge to it. Daniel directs it at a very human level and paints clearly the dilemmas the characters go through. He takes the piece at face value, deliberately moving away from a folkloric look and instead dealing with real people in real situations.
“The result is a potent piece of comedic theatre.”
A largely New Zealand cast has been secured with principal roles taken by Anna Leese, Conal Coad, Patricia Wright, Helen Medlyn, Richard Green and Andrew Glover.
And returning following critical acclaim as conductor of 2011’s Cav & Pag is Oliver von Dohnányi, Director of the State Opera of Prague and the original conductor of this production when it was performed in the UK.
“With a famous overture that promises an even madder day than The Marriage of Figaro – and delivers on that promise – our Bartered Bride is a political comedy featuring polkas, fights, excessive amounts of Czech beer, a brilliant anti-Communist circus and a dancing Russian bear.”
– Daniel Slater, Director
THE BARTERED BRIDE by Bedřich Smetana
CREATIVE TEAM
Conductor OLIVER VON DOHNÁNYI
Director DANIEL SLATER
Associate Director/Choreographer TIM CLAYDON
Production Designer ROBERT INNES HOPKINS
Lighting Designer SIMON MILLS
CAST
Mařenka ANNA LEESE
Jenik PETER WEDD
Kecal CONAL COAD
Vašek ANDREW GLOVER
Esmeralda TARYN FIEBIG
Krušina RICHARD ALEXANDER
Ludmila PATRICA WRIGHT
Micha RICHARD GREEN
Hata HELEN MEDLYN
Accompanied by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and the Vector Wellington Orchestra
With the Chapman Tripp Opera Chorus
THE BARTERED BRIDE
Auckland – ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre
Sat 22 Sep (7.30pm), Tue 25 Sep (6.30pm), Thu 27 Sep (7.30pm), Sat 29 Sep (7.30pm)
Wellington – St James Theatre
Sat 13 Oct (7.30pm), Tue 16 Oct (6pm), Thu 18 Oct (7.30pm), Sat 20 Oct (7.30pm)
The NBR New Zealand Opera receives core funding from Creative New Zealand and Auckland Council through the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Act
ENDS
Further information: www.nzopera.com

Next in Lifestyle

Malicious Melodrama - Todd Haynes’ ‘May December’
By: Howard Davis
The Austerity Of Quiet Despair - Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days’
By: Howard Davis
View as: DESKTOP | MOBILE © Scoop Media