Opera Atelier rides a wave of success

Riding a wave of success, Opera Atelier anticipates

high demand for tickets when Poppea goes on sale December 1^st

When the curtain came down on the sold-out final performance of Opera Atelier’Äôs The Abduction from the Seraglio earlier this month, there was much to cheer about. A lively new production enjoyed by critics and audiences alike, Abduction drew an average attendance of 90 per cent over the run and claimed its place as Opera Atelier’Äôs third most successful production, behind this spring’Äôs mega-hit Idomeneo and The Magic Flute (2001).

With subscriptions up 30 per cent over last year’Äôs total, Opera Atelier’Äôs general manager Jane Hargraft anticipates sales will be brisk when single tickets to Monteverdi’Äôs The Coronation of Poppea go on sale Monday, December 1.

’ÄúSubscriptions are at an all-time high so there are fewer single tickets available for last minute buyers. Given the fact that Poppea was completely sold-out when OA presented it in 2002, I think we can expect to see a sharp and early demand for tickets,’Äù said Hargraft.

The Coronation of Poppea runs for six performances April 25 to May 2, 2009 at the Elgin Theatre. Male soprano Michael Maniaci returns to sing Nero, the role which garnered him a Dora Award nomination for best operatic performance in 2002. Toronto audiences were treated to Maniaci’Äôs tremendous vocal technique last season when he appeared as Idamante, the object of Measha Brueggergosman’Äôs obsession in Idomeneo. Maniaci will be joined by Canadian mezzo-soprano Kimberly Barber making her OA debut in the role of Ottavia.

Tickets for The Coronation of Poppea are $30 to $135 and go on sale December 1, 2007 at TicketMaster 416-872-5555, on-line at www.ticketmaster.ca or at the Elgin Theatre box office. Operatix are $20 and may be purchased by people under the age of 30 with valid I.D. in person at the Elgin Theatre Box Office (subject to availability). Group discounts (15 people +) are available by calling 416.703.3767 ext. 22.

Opera Atelier is Canada’Äôs premier baroque theatre company, producing opera, ballet and drama from the 17th and 18th centuries. While drawing upon the aesthetics and ideals of the period, Opera Atelier goes beyond ’Äúreconstruction’Äù and infuses each production with an inventive theatricality that resonates with modern audiences. Over the past two decades, under the direction of founders Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Lajeunesse-Zingg, Opera Atelier has garnered acclaim for its performances at home as well as in the United States, Europe and Asia.

2008/09 Season Sponsor: Sun Life Financial

Production Sponsor: BMO Financial Group

2008/09 Major Sponsors: Scotiabank, TD Canada Trust Music, The Dominion of Canada General Assurance Company