Manitoba Opera historic 50th season closes out with a Canadianized version of Mozart’s comedic look at the silliness of young love, Così fan tutte (Cosy fan toot tey), presented April 22, 25, and 28 at the Centennial Concert Hall. Re-imagined to be set in a resort hotel in the Canadian wilderness in the 1930s, this production will feature Mounties and log drivers (lumberjacks) replete with plaid shirts, suspenders, and rubber boots.
David Watson Feb. 2014
Last presented by the company in 2003, this version will feature two Winnipeg vocal icons: the incomparable coloratura soprano Tracy Dahl as Despina, the nosy resort staffer, and the talented baritone David Watson as Don Alphonso, the cynical hotel owner who gets the comedy ball rolling with a wily wager about fidelity.
The young lovers will be sung by Jamie Groote (Fiordiligi), Danielle MacMillan (Dorabella), Johnathon Kirby (Guglielmo), and Jean-Philippe Lazure (Ferrando), with the Manitoba Opera Chorus, and WSO conducted by Tyrone Paterson. The production will be directed by Winnipegger Rob Herriot. Set concept/design is by Sheldon Johnson.
Tracy Dahl
In this Canadianized version of Mozart’s comic masterpiece, it is pre-war 1930s and Fiordiligi and her sister, Dorabella, two young, very stylish Italians have come to Canada on vacation. Upon arriving at their hotel – a rustic, yet elegant resort – they fall immediately head over heels for two dashing Mounties – Ferrando and Guglielmo. When the young men decide to take the bet that these women will easily fall for different men behind their backs, the two Mounties leave and return disguised, determined to seduce the young ladies. Suffice to say that there will be some unexpected surprises and much fun.
Mozart’s Così fan tutte, written at the height of his musical prowess, remains a testament to the wit and skill of one of the world’s finest composers. It premiered just a year before his premature death. Mozart deftly balances the comic elements of the plot with shades of melancholy that mask the true heartbreak that pervades the story.
Will the sisters be that easily fooled? And once the deceit is unmasked, can their lives really go on as before? There’s a lot to be learned from this opera about the give and take of relationships and how to laugh at yourself.
For tickets and more info, go to mbopera.ca or call 204-944-8824. Seniors discounts available.
