The Canadian Opera Firm has invited Opera Revue to carry out at their Free Live performance Sequence. 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 strange 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 usually 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 couple of years.
In the course of the pandemic, Opera Revue created weekly opera parody movies that grew to become a web based hit, and attracted new audiences.
LV talked to Opera Revue members soprano Danie Friesen, pianist Claire Elise Harris and baritone Alexander Hajek in regards to the event.
Opera Revue: The Interview
The notes for the live performance, a part of the COC’s Vocal Sequence, talks about “a thoughtfully curated hour of opera arias, duets, and irreverent genre-adjacent alternatives, 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 kind 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 consists of 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 lots of 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 and marketing premise.
“It’s a distinct power,” Danie says.
Alex notes that the total program hasn’t but been submitted. “It will likely 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 fantastic,” she provides.
Regardless of the formal setting, although, she guarantees they’ll be performing with “our ordinary 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 turn out to be.”
She believes the success of their performances are on account of the truth that opera aficionados and newcomers to the artwork kind alike can take pleasure in them.
“You could have individuals who all the time go in and are educated about opera,” Harris says, “and others who might 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 all the time been necessary 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 anticipate not the same old present,” Danie provides.
Including a contact of the irreverent helps to interrupt the ice, so to talk.
“I’ve been to those preview live shows, and the genteel ambiance…” Hajek says, “I feel, oh Lord, anyone throw a pie or one thing.” A very formal ambiance is just not one thing you’ll expertise at any Opera Revue present. “Half the repertoire is opera comedy.”
It’s a distinction with the same old expectations for opera, with its preponderance of loss of life and tragedy.
“There’s loads of that occurring 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. “Usually, 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 possibly can attain totally different audiences that don’t assume they like opera,” Friesen says.
She compares it to wine. Certain, 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 necessary.” 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 cause this type of singing, this music, has survived.”
As she factors out, even for singers, it’s a singular expertise. “It hits your physique differently than another type of singing,” she says. “It must be launched in a manner 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 can be on individuals’s tongues.” That features present occasions, politics and points like complaining in regards to 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] educating the youthful crowd that opera is just not solely attractive however it’s politically related as of late.”
- 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 a long time, and a inventive writing teacher for Ontariolearn.
