Blooming Opera with Ellerslie

January 2009
Media Release

Blooming Opera with Ellerslie

With a corpse, a con man and two desperate lovers, Southern Opera’s latest production is set to entertain when it opens in Christchurch in March. Puccini’s one-act comic opera, ‘Gianni Schicchi’, features a greedy and dysfunctional family thrown into chaos over a controversial family inheritance.

The comedy is set in the late 1800’s in Florence, Italy and opens with the death of a wealthy landowner. His family’s mock grief quickly turns to greed as they search for the will on a desperate quest for wealth. Discovering their inheritance has been bequeathed to the monks in a nearby monastery, they turn to the clever and manipulative Gianni Schicchi to put things right. What follows can only be described as riotous cunning and shrewd scheming where, in the name of love, wit triumphs over greed.

Director, Mark Hadlow, says of his operatic debut; “This is an experience of a lifetime. To be able to work with some extraordinary singers in a genre in which many, many talented people have directed before, and in such a fantastic one act Puccini, is a challenging experience”, said Hadlow. “I certainly hope to do it justice and, like all the productions coming out of Southern Opera, it will be one not to be missed. Funny, real, poignant and perfect.”

The performance features a first half - ‘Blooming Opera with Ellerslie’ - showcasing a variety of floral songs performed by the cast and compèred by Hadlow himself. Programmed with the Ellerslie International Flower Show in mind, the concert encompasses a whole bouquet of different species, from roses and violets to papier-mâché bluebells, ensuring opera and garden lovers alike experience a night to remember.

The cast includes New Zealander and renowned international bass, Martin Snell, in the title role, bass Grant Dickson as Simone, Australian tenor, Virgilio Marino, as Rinuccio and local soprano, Anna Argyle, as Lauretta.

Conductor, Peter Walls, will conduct players from the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, the set is designed by Mark McEntyre, with costumes by Alistair McDougall and lighting by Joe Hayes.

With a superb cast, creative team and musicians all assembled along with the irrepressible comic genius of Mark Hadlow, Southern Opera is gearing up for a season of music, mayhem, and indeed, Blooming Opera.

‘Gianni Schicchi’ opens at the James Hay Theatre on 12th March for four performances, before the cast and orchestra travel to Ashburton and Oamaru.

ENDS

Gianni Schicchi will be performed in English.

Tickets are ON SALE NOW - for info please go to www.southernopera.com

Ellerslie and Opera packages available from the Town Hall, Christchurch.

DATES:

James Hay Theatre, Christchurch, March 12 & 14 @ 7.30pm, 15 & 17 @ 6.30pm
Ashburton Trust Event Centre, Ashburton March 19, 7.30pm
Oamaru Opera House, Oamaru March 21, 7.30pm

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