This fall, Edmonton Opera presents a thrilling new production of Verdi’s grand romantic masterpiece La Traviata, setting it in the decadent music hall scene of 1920s Paris. Audiences will experience this classic opera like never before, complete with lavish scenery, sumptuous costumes, and Verdi’s iconic score performed live by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Based on the novel Lady of the Camellias by Alexandre Dumas fils, La Traviata is the story of a courtesan named Violetta who is consumed both by love and a life-threatening illness. When she meets Alfredo, the two instantly fall in love and dream of a life together, but fate has other plans for Violetta. With famous tunes such as ‘Sempre libera’ and ‘Brindisi’ (The Drinking Song), this tragic opera is an audience favourite and has even inspired big screen blockbusters like Pretty Woman and Moulin Rouge!
Acclaimed Montreal-based director Alain Gauthier reimagines Verdi’s opera in the 1920s, interpreting Violetta as a larger-than-life celebrity similar to Josephine Baker. Soprano Laquita Mitchell, praised by The New York Times for her “rich, shimmering, and sizeable” voice,” makes her highly anticipated Canadian debut in the role of Violetta.
This production of La Traviata marks an important moment in Canadian opera history, becoming the first co-production between five leading Canadian opera companies, namely Edmonton Opera, Manitoba Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Opéra de Montréal, and Vancouver Opera. Stratford Festival veteran Christina Poddubiuk designed sets and costumes for the production, and the spectacular multi-level set was built in Edmonton at the Opera Centre by skilled local professionals.
La Traviata will be sung in Italian with projected English translation. Performances are on Saturday, Oct. 20 (8 p.m.), Tuesday, Oct. 23 (7:30 p.m.), and Friday, Oct. 26 (7:30 p.m.) at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets start at $29, and special pricing for patrons under 40 is available.
For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact Cameron MacRae, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 780.984.3634 or cameron.macrae@edmontonopera.com