vancouver opera – Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION.

Verdi’s Rigoletto

If real life were an opera, conversations would be sung with soaring high notes for joy, brooding bass lines for frustration, and for sadness you’d collapse on a velvet chaise and lament your fate in Italian. Life would be louder, lusher, and far more fabulous. You’d live for the drama, die for the applause, and probably come back for an encore.

Last night I attended the opening night of Verdi’s Rigoletto which also happened to be the opening of the 2025-2026 Vancouver Opera season at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. And, turns out it was also World Opera Day. So, a triple crown day so to speak. Of course I love the word “crown.”

What I like about opera is that the costumes and sets are visually stunning and the voices, well…they’re like vocal acrobatics. It amazes me that anyone can hit such notes and hold it for so long…in a dramatic, powerful, and grand way. I think that’s the word I’m looking for – Grand! While I don’t love every opera, I certainly appreciate the talent and scope of work that goes into every production.

Sarah Dufresne as Gilda and Michael Chioldi as Rigoletto in Vancouver Opera’s 2025 production of Rigoletto. Photo by Emily Cooper

Every opera is unique but what each have in common is the classic theme of love, secrets, regret and revenge. Someone always tragically dies and usually it’s not the person you expect who dies. If it wasn’t “over-the-top” it wouldn’t be opera. Opera is like a rollercoaster in overdrive where emotions are amplified, drama condensed, in a fast-paced setting of ultimate highs and lows.

The basic storyline: Rigoletto is opera’s ultimate cautionary tale: a snarky court jester mocks everyone but hides a secret – his beloved daughter. When a womanizing duke seduces her, Rigoletto plots revenge with a hired assassin. But in true operatic fashion, the plan backfires spectacularly, and heartbreak hits a high note. Think: curses, disguises, betrayal, and one of the catchiest arias ever – “La donna è mobile.” (woman is fickle) It’s drama steeped in tragedy, with a side of soaring vocals.

Heather Molloy as Monterone’s Daughter with members of the Vancouver Opera Chorus and supernumeraries. Photo Emily Cooper

With my very knowledgeable 0pera friend Rosa.

Tickets are selling fast. To book:

https://www.vancouveropera.ca/whats-on/rigoletto/

RUNNING TIME Approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one 25-minute intermission.

Art & Culture

MADAMA BUTTERFLY

Puccini’s Madama Butterfly opened up last Thursday night to a sold-out crowd in Vancouver, at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.I went with Rosa, my regular opera date, as she’s an opera-enthusiast and knows all, or at least most, of the arias. It’s always a pleasure to attend with her and we always do a toast before the show.

This opera was my first ever opera that my late husband took me to years back. The title then was only one vowel difference; Madame (instead of Madama) Butterfly. The difference between the names is primarily the title and adaptation of the story. Madame Butterfly refers to the original short story by John Luther Long, which inspired Puccini’s opera, but Madama Butterfly is the correct Italian title.

Okay; I’m glad we got that straight!

Karen Chia-ling Ho as Cio-Cio-San in Vancouver Opera’s 2025 production of Madama Butterfly. Photo by Emily Cooper Photography.

Another gut-wrenching story; Madama Butterfly is widely considered one of the greatest works in operatic history. Puccini’s deeply emotional story and music is moving and steers us through all the operatic elements of love, heartbreak, hope, and tragedy.

The opera tells the tragic story of Cio-Cio-San, a young Japanese geisha, who falls in love with Lieutenant Pinkerton, an American naval officer stationed in Nagasaki. They marry, but for Pinkerton, it’s only a marriage of convenience, a touristic fantasy abroad before he finds himself a “real” (American) bride. Cio-Cio-San remains devoted to him, only to be abandoned, leading to a heartbreaking conclusion. You might want to bring kleenex.

Karen Chia-ling Ho as Cio-Cio-San and Adam Luther as Pinkerton in Vancouver Opera’s 2025 production of Madama Butterfly. Photo by Emily Cooper Photography.

Vancouver Opera’s 2025 production of Madama Butterfly. Photo by Emily Cooper Photography.

The themes of love, betrayal, and cultural clashes have made Madama Butterfly one of the most frequently performed operas worldwide.

The cast was unbelievably talented. The live VSO orchestra is also a treat to behold and we’re lucky to have them.

On until May 4^th, 2025. Get your Tickets here:

https://www.vancouveropera.ca/whats-on/Butterfly/

RUNNING TIME Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one 25-minute intermission.

Art & Culture

Bizet’s CARMEN

Saturday was the opening night of a sold-out performance to one of the most popular operas of all time; CARMEN.

Sarah Mesco (Carmen) & Alok Kumar (Don Jose). Emily Cooper Photography

Congratulations to Vancouver Opera for celebrating 65 years with an awesome 2024-2025 lineup.

Once again, with my friend Rosa, at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver to enjoy an evening of revered arias sung in French with projected English subtitles, interesting colourful characters, spectacular costumes and set design. My first time seeing it and her third time; once at the Met in New York. Of course I’d heard about it but didn’t really know the story until now.

The good thing about going with an opera buff friend (as opposed to opera buffa or buffoon) is that they already know about the story, the composer and the arias. They can tell you which ones are “must-sees.” This was one of them. Like everything else, some are much better than others.

In the lobby of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Photo Credit: a Stranger

It was probably the most enjoyable opera I’ve seen in a long time, if even a bit too long as it has four acts with a 25 minute intermission after the second act. I can’t believe how much detail goes into the making of a production of this scale. No small feat for the choreographer (Cydney Uffindell-Phillips). The actors suited their respective roles and gave magnificent performances. With so many actors on the stage all at once in several scenes, it makes you wonder how they all manage to get it together backstage. It must be organized chaos. It’s a grand undertaking that went seemingly seamless.

Emily Cooper Photography courtesy of Vancouver Opera.

The short synopsis tells the story of a hopeless soldier, Don José, who is seduced by Carmen, a fiery gypsy woman with an appetite for smuggling. As operas tend to go it’s full of infatuation, passion, jealousy, class conflict and gender inequality. Carmen; the dominant force here uses her beauty to get what she wants. Men fall in love with her at first glance and she knows it and uses it to manoeuvre her way in and out of situations. Oh; to have that much power in beauty alone. But she’s also cunning and a little dangerous. Men be warned! Blinded by her charm, they ignore the signals.

Nathan Keoughan (Escamillo the Toreador) at finale. Photo: d. king

The Acts are too long to describe here, but I suggest if you adore opera or want to learn more, check out the link below for tickets.

If you’re new to opera and want a brief description of popular opera terms check this out:

You’re at the opera house. You open the program book or you’re listening to the opera snobs talk, and you can’t understand a word — or at least some words. To get a handle on what they all mean, here’s a chart:

aria: An emotion-expressing song in an opera; the big number.	opera buffa: Funny opera, especially from the 18th century. Think Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.”
bel canto: A style of sweet singing, taught to singers even today, that emphasizes breath control, a beautiful tone, and great flexibility in dynamics (going from loud to soft, for example).	opera seria: Formal, serious opera, especially from the 18th century.
cadenza: A moment near the end of an aria for the singer alone, with lots of fast, high, difficult notes, designed for showing off.	prima donna: The singer who plays the heroine, the main female character in an opera; or anyone who believes that the world revolves around her.
coloratura: A singer (usually soprano) with an extremely agile, light, pure-sounding voice, capable of easily singing fast, high notes.	recitative (“ress-it-uh-TEEV”): Speech-singing, in which the singer semi-chants the words, imitating the free rhythms of speech.
dynamics: The loudness or softness of a musical composition, or the markings in the sheet music that indicate volume.	Singspiel (“SING-shpeel”): A German opera with spoken dialogue (instead of recitative) between arias.
Leitmotif (“LIGHT-mo-teef”): A little melody that plays every time a certain character or object appears; invented by Richard Wagner.	trouser role: A man’s part played by a woman.
libretto: The script of an opera.	verismo: A realistic, “documentary” style of opera that depicts the seamy underbelly of life.

CARMEN: April 27 – May 5, 2024 7:30PM

Queen Elizabeth Theatre

For Tickets: https://www.vancouveropera.ca/whats-on/carmen/

Header photo: Emily Cooper Photography, courtesy of Vancouver Opera.

Opera chart taken from:

https://www.dummies.com/article/academics-the-arts/music/voice/opera-for-dummies-cheat-sheet-209080

Art & Culture

Vancouver Opera’s Don Pasquale

The Queen Elizabeth Theatre is the stage for Donizetti’s madcap masterpiece set in 1960’s Rome.

A whacky story about inter-generational jealousy, deception and reconciliation This opera is bursting with vivid colour, engaging melodies, fun characters and plenty of cats.

Told in 3 acts, it’s on the lighter side of opera but not without a comedic element of cruelty. After all, what would opera be, if not deprived of a little misfortune? The amusing story and cast of characters will appeal to everyone.

The title character is Don Pasquale, a wealthy bachelor getting on in years, who has grown tired of his lazy, sole-inheretor nephew, Ernesto. Worried that his wealth will be squandered, he has chosen a bride for Ernesto. Ernesto, who is currently in love with a young widow named Norina whom Pasquale has never met, asserts that he won’t marry a woman of his uncle’s choosing.

So Pasquale determines to find himself a wife instead. A mutual friend of his & Ernesto’s named Dr. Malatesta, suggests his beautiful younger sister Sofronia, as Pasquale’s prospective bride. A thrilled Pasquale asks his friend to arrange a meeting at once. Pasquale tells Ernesto to move out of his pensione and announces his own marriage plans. Astonished, and with prospects of an inheritance slipping away, Ernesto sees his dreams evaporating. A further hurt: he learns that his confidant Malatesta has arranged Pasquale’s marriage.

Meanwhile, Norina confidently reflects on her ability to be able to charm a man. When Dr. Malatesta arrives, they decide to concoct a plan together. Norina will pose as Sofronia and marry Pasquale in a mock ceremony. Norina is keen to play the role of wife if it will result in her and Ernesto being together.

However, Ernesto is unaware of their scheme.

Don Pasquale is impatient to meet his prospective bride. When Norina (as Sofronia), the distinctly feline young lady turns up, he is instantly smitten. He decides they should get married immediately.

However; having a wife is not quite as straightforward as he expected…

Be careful what you wish for. In addition to her new shift in attitude, “Sofronia” has started living extravagantly, blowing through Pasquale’s money. Servants arrive carrying more of her purchases, and Pasquale, at wit’s end, angrily resolves to assert his rights as husband.

Can’t give it all away. The ending you’ll have to see for yourself!

February 10^th-18^th.Tickets still available for matinee and evening performances:

https://www.vancouveropera.ca/whats-on/don-pasquale

A very enjoyable opera.

Art, Architecture, Culture

Night at the Opera: The Flying Dutchman

What a privilege it was attending the opening night of the very last show of the 2022-2033 opera season – Richard Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” presented by Vancouver Opera; the largest opera company in Western Canada.

There is only one show left -on May 7th. See link below for tickets.

The performances always take place at the spectacular *Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The theatre is a perfect setting to complement the range of productions that are staged here with an atrium that has sweeping staircases, gorgeous chandeliers and reflective surfaces. Snacks and wine are available to purchase before the show and during intermission.

Sidenote: you guessed it – the theatre was named after its most famous patron, the late Queen Elizabeth II, who attended a concert here when the theatre opened in July 1959.

Turbulence at Sea

The Flying Dutchman is a haunting story based on a European maritime legend about a sailor and his daughter who encounter a ghost during a storm at sea.

The Dutchman, who has been condemned to wander for eternity, is searching for a bride to finally bring him peace. This tragic tale of love and sacrifice is the composer’s first masterpiece and features magnificent orchestration of Wagnerian proportions.

Not to jump ahead but I’m really looking forward to next season’s productions which will begin with Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” followed by “Don Pasquale” and finally the towering opera classic “Carmen.”

With my friend Rosa who is an avid opera enthusiast. I can always count on Rosa to be my plus-one for an opera date and we enjoy a glass of wine before the show and a late night snack afterwards – usually at Joey’s on Burrard (fyi: the kitchen there closes at 1:30 am)

*Built in 1959 as part of an international design competition, the Queen Elizabeth Theatre served as a prototype for more than a generation of theatre complexes across Canada and the U.S. The architects’ vision was to create a “strong, unitary building” that gave “maximum delight and spatial excitement”.

Photos: Tim Matheson

Some tickets still left for closing show @ https://www.vancouveropera.ca/

Art, Architecture, Culture

Night at the Opera

On Saturday I attended the opening night of “The Pearl Fishers” – George Bizet’s 1863 opera taking place at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver.

I went with my friend Rosa, who is an opera buff and always fills me in on what is good and what is not. The Pearl Fishers; a good Opera, is here in Vancouver until October 30^th.

The opera is an aquired taste. Going to the opera is either a love or hate relationship for most people – unlike the storyline involved in most operas where love and hate coexist. I’m somewhat in the middle. If the sets are beautiful, if the costumes are exotic and the music is wonderful (and of course the singing is always excellent) then I’m happy. But like going to a foreign film where you have to read the subtitles to know what they’re talking about, in an opera our eyes tend to wander up and down between the stage and reading the lines high above the stage to find out what exactly they’re trying to convey. Things happen fast in opera land. It’s emotionally charged and super dramatic. Obviously over the top to make sure the point gets across, but with soulful song and dance. And simply gorgeous costumes.

If you want my simple synopsis of this opera, think Popeye the Sailor Man and his old muscular navy buddy Bluto whose friendship ends due to their rivalry over Olive Oyl. Maybe this is how bullying began – on the account of a woman.

Emily Cooper Photography

If you want the real synopsis here is the overview taken from the opera website:

The Pearl Fishers returns to Vancouver Opera for the first time in nearly 30 years. Directed by Vancouver favourite Rachel Peake, this dramatic opera tells the tale of two devoted friends and the woman that comes between them. The famous “friendship duet”, Au fond du temple saint, is one of the most beautiful and recognizable pieces in the opera repertoire. Be swept away by the lush orchestration and Bizet’s trademark melodies.

Do you see the similarity but different?

To purchase available tickets please visit:

https://www.vancouveropera.ca/

Art & Culture

Vancouver OPERA presents Madama Butterfly

Don’t miss Vancouver Opera’s gorgeous production of Puccini’s MADAMA BUTTERFLY – a beautiful story of honour, love, heartbreak and sacrifice.

As they say; Fall in love at the OPERA.

Middle: Mihoko Kinishita as Cio-Cio-San (Butterfly). Photo: Tim Matheson

I went to the opening last night and thoroughly enjoyed the gorgeous set, incredible voices and achingly beautiful music brought to life by two of the world’s most in demand sopranos. There were many women fittingly dressed up in stunning Kimonos.

Mihoko Kinoshita as Cio-Cio-San (butterfly), Gregory Dahl as Sharpless, Richard Trotell as Pinkerton. Photo: Tim Matheson

About the Performers:

Sharing the role of Cio-Cio-San (Butterfly) for alternating performances will be Jee-Hye Han and Mihoko Kinoshita. Jee-Hye Han will be making her VO début. Mihoko Kinoshita was last seen in VO’s 2010 production of Madama Butterfly. Tenors Adam Luther and Richard Troxell will sing opposite them, sharing the role of Pinkerton.

Madama Butterfly is onstage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, corner of Georgia and Hamilton Streets,Vancouver, B.C. for only 6 performances, March 5 – 13, 2016.

Good seats still remain but are selling quickly for all performances, with the best availability at the Friday, March 11 and Sunday March 13 performances.

Not a kimono but at least it was colourful.

The Vancouver Opera Orchestra conducted by Leslie Dala. Photo: Tim Matheson

Dates:

Sunday, March 6 • 2:00pm matinée

Thursday, March 10 • 7:30pm

Friday, March 11 • 7:30pm

Saturday, March 12 • 7:30pm

Sunday, March 13 • 2:00pm matinée

Madama Butterfly will be sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage.

Approximate running time: 2 hours and 40 minutes, including 1 intermission.

Tickets are available exclusively through the Vancouver Opera Ticket Centre: 604-683-0222 or www.vancouveropera.ca. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted. Special pricing for groups of at least 10, and for families, is available by phone.

Follow Vancouver Opera on Twitter and Facebook for exclusive offers such as VO’s Get O.U.T (Opera Under 35) program, with $35 tickets for patrons aged under.

GODERE!

ENJOY!