For immediate release: April 6, 2018
This spring, Edmonton Opera turns up the heat with a fiery new production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, setting it in the sultry bullfighting arenas of Spain. Audiences will experience this classic opera like never before, complete with spectacular scenery, lavish costumes, and thrilling pyrotechnics!
Based on the story of Don Juan, a mythical womanizer and libertine in Seville, the protagonist of Mozart’s drama is a reckless antihero. Helped along by his sidekick Leporello, Giovanni attempts to seduce woman after woman throughout the opera until, at last, a paranormal force drags him to hell for his immorality.
Dynamic young Québécois director Oriol Tomas reimagines the opera in a timeless Spanish era, interpreting Don Giovanni as a matador with powerful celebrity status. “In my vision, Don Giovanni is a very popular bullfighter who thinks he can do anything with the women he meets,” says Tomas. “The themes of this opera are a very hot topic these days, based on what we’re seeing in the media and Hollywood,” he adds, referring to the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. In Tomas’s production, the women ultimately hold Don Giovanni accountable for his actions.
Baritone Phillip Addis, adored by Edmonton audiences as Figaro in 2014’s The Barber of Seville, brings his “physically commanding, vocally authoritative energy” (Opera Canada) to the title role. Other accomplished Canadian singers in this cast include soprano Michele Capalbo and tenor John Tessier. Set designer Bretta Gerecke, known for her daring concepts for Edmonton’s Catalyst Theatre, creates a dark and visually striking world that will contrast with Deanna Finnman’s seductive Spanish-inspired costumes.
Mozart’s commanding score will be brought to life by a 50-piece Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, showcasing moments of comedy, intense drama, and even supernatural foreboding. Purely for its music, Don Giovanni is considered one of the greatest operas of all time.
Don Giovanni will be sung in Italian with projected English translation. Performances are on Saturday, Apr. 14 (8 p.m.), Tuesday, Apr. 17 (7:30 p.m.), and Friday, Apr. 20 (7:30 p.m.) at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets start at $40, 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