Yes, the March school break (2 weeks rather than the “normal” 1 in years past) might see some people leaving town, although we have not heard from very many of our loyal subscribers, seeking to exchange their seats for other performances, or offering their tickets in donation to us, in return for a tax receipt, as they are entitled to do. There might also be an advantage to us: those who cannot afford to travel or prefer to stay close to home are free from school commitments and therefore at liberty to come to The Barber of Seville. We have a matinee too, with special family pricing, which we think will be attractive to many people.
We often don’t have a choice in scheduling: our productions must be spaced out appropriately and exact performance weeks are dependent on the availability of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, whicih we rent from the City. There are sometimes other factors at play, including singers’ and conductors’ schedules.
Good point! We tried to keep things as simple and straightforward as possible on the renewal notices. There’s a lot of information there! We’ll certainly consider breaking down the information where there is more than one price type in an order such as yours. Thank you for pointing this out.
We're experimenting with our blog! You can access a layout that's similar to the old style by mousing over the button in the top left corner, under "Vancouver Opera Blog" and next to "Ask VO" . Choose 'Classic' to get a simpler layout.
You can also experiment with the other layouts. Let us know what you think!
The Hansel & Gretel performance on Feb. 25th is for the Italian Cultural Centre school's students and families. If one is an ICC member, they should contact the ICC's school administrator. Alternatively, if one is not part of the Italian Cultural Centre, you can check here for a list of public performances:
Generally, our VOIS shows are performed for elementary school-aged children. We have had 3 year olds attend our public performances, but it is up to the discretion of the parent to know if their child can sit attentively for the duration of the show, which is 45 minutes.
We asked, and you have spoken! Here are the results of our Favourite Duets poll.
TIED FOR 4TH PLACE: Un Di, Felice, Eterea - Alfredo and Violetta, Act 1 of La traviata
Flower Duet - Lakme and Mallika, Act 1 of Lakme
3RD PLACE:
Mir Ist Die Ehre Widerfahren - Octavian and Sophie, Act 11 of Der Rosenkavalier
2ND PLACE:
O soave fanviulla - Mimi and Rodolfo, Act 1 of La boheme
AND THE WINNER IS.....
Au fond du temple saint - Nadir and Zurga, Act 1 of The Pearl Fishers
Other honourable mentions, as selected by VO Blog readers:
"The winner of this insufficient list is Strauss." - Thomas
"At the top of my list is Siegmund and Sieglinde's love duet at the end of Act 1 in Die Walkure. The beutifully written music of Tristan und Isolde in Act 2 (apparently this is the longest love duet ever written)but, please don't get me wrong and don't assume I only like Wagnerian music. I also like "sugar coated" music (Puccini referred to his music as sugar coated). I love Cio Cio San and Pinkerton love duet at the end of Act 1 in Madama Butterfly. I also love Lucia and Edgardo Act 1 love duet in Lucia Di Lammermoor." - Anonymous
"I'll cast my vote for Sull'Aria from Act III of The Marriage of Figaro" - Uncle Fred
We offer special subscription rates for students of all ages - all you need is a student ID. Our Ticket Centre can give you more information. Give them a call at 604-683-0222.
We also offer the Opera Experience program for high school students, which includes $35 tickets to our dress rehearsals. You can find out more here.
To participate in Opera Experience, students need a teacher to sponsor them. (It doesn't have to be a music teacher!). The sponsor teacher can contact our Director of Education, Michael Grice at 604-682-2871, ext. 4834 or by email to find out more.
We offer a wide range of tickets starting from $35 for all of our productions, as well as special offers for students and young opera-goers.
Our Get OUT (Opera Under Thirty) program offers tickets at a special rate exclusively to patrons under 30 years old. Watch our Twitter and Facebook for updates - Get OUT tickets are usually made available two weeks before opening night. You must be under 30 to take advantage of this offer!
We also offer subscriptions at special rates for students and seniors. Visit www.vancouveropera.ca/tickets for details.
And as always, you can contact our friendly Ticket Centre staff to learn more: 604-683-0222.
We are indeed continuing the Get OUT: Opera Under Thirty program this season. Watch our Facebook page and Twitter feed for the promo code, which is usually announced about two weeks before opening night. Call our Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222 and give them the code, or use the code our our ticketing website: www.vancouveropera.ca/tickets.
Availability for each show varies, so watch Facebook and Twitter for updates.
Without giving too much away for those who don't know the story: this scene takes place in Act 2, when the story begins to get a little darker. One character is intimidated and attacked by a group of others.
In the scene, it's obvious what's happening: the scene is physically intense, there is some removal of clothing (underwear is exposed, but no actual nudity) and the character is audibly and visibly upset. The scene is interrupted before things go too far.
Some children may just see it as bullying, but others may understand that something else is happening. Only parents can judge what's appropriate for their children. Some parents feel the scene drives home the point of the story (troubled youth, the escalation of violence, etc) and may be a good jumping-off point for discussion.
If you have any more questions, please feel free to give us a call at 604-682-2871.
West Side Story runs approximately 2 hours and 30 mins, including one intermission.
Downtown is going to be busy this week, so be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to find parking! Latecomers won't be seated until an appropriate break in the show.
