La rondine : 16, 18 and 20 November
Cape Town Opera thanks all donors for their support of the 2021 Opera season, with special thanks to the City of Cape Town, Western Cape Government and the National Arts Council.
When Puccini accepted a commission from Vienna’s Carltheater in 1913, he embraced the opportunity to incorporate elements of Viennese operetta into his trademark late-Romantic idiom. The bittersweet plot of La rondine mixes Lehár-style intrigue with the pathos of Verdi’s La traviata; the ‘swallow’ of the title refers to the courtesan Magda de Civry, who longs to ‘fly south’ to find true love and happiness. “Who cares about wealth, if bliss flourishes in the end?” she sighs. “Oh golden dream, to be able to love like that!”
Cape Town Opera’s production of La rondine is set in Paris following World War I, in an apartment similar to that of American author Gertrude Stein, a famous gathering place for the best and brightest artists of the age. This is a proudly in-house Cape Town Opera production, featuring members of the Young Artist Programme and the Cape Town Opera Chorus, with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by our very own Marvin Kernelle. Brittany Smith sings the role of Magda alongside guest tenor Lukhanyo Moyake in his debut as Magda’s lover, Ruggero. The production is directed by Christine Crouse, with set design by Michael Mitchell, costumes by Maritha Visagie and Rabia Davids and lighting design by Faheem Bardien.
Cape Town Opera thanks all donors for their support of the 2021 Opera season, with special thanks to the City of Cape Town, Western Cape Government and the National Arts Council.
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La bohème : 25, 27 and 28 November
Acclaimed touring production as seen in sold-out shows in East London, Gqeberha, Graaff-Reinet and Oudtshoorn.
The beautiful yet tragic story of La bohème reflects on the bohemian life of a group of young friends – Rodolfo, Marcello, Colline and Schaunard who live together. Marcello and Musetta are ex-lovers who constantly find their way back into each other’s arms, providing a comic counterfoil for the poignant, ill-fated love relationship between Rodolfo and their frail neighbour, Mimì.
This much-loved opera will be brought to life by seven well-known young South African opera singers: Lukhanyo Moyake as Rodolfo, Zandile Mzazi as Mimì, William Berger as Marcello, Ané Pretorius as Musetta, Lwazi Dlamini as Schaunard, Conroy Scott as Colline and Garth Delport as Alcindoro.
South African director Magdalene Minnaar leads the team in this production, with designs by Bettina John and lighting design by Stefan Benade. This production utilises a small but hugely effective chamber orchestration, under the musical direction of Jeremy Silver.
This touring production was made possible by the Judith Neilson Head Trust and the City of Cape Town.
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