Opera Niagara returning for second season
Opera Niagara is ready to raise the curtain on its second season.
And to get the aria started will be a spring showcase March 25 at the Seneca Niagara Theatre, gathering some of the brightest – and biggest – voices in the Niagara Region and beyond.
“The authentic quality is the thing we’re looking for,” says singer, teacher and Opera Niagara general director Maria Vetere. “To give young amateur singers an opportunity to gain necessary experience right here at home, so that they can pursue their careers abroad.”
The first season in downtown Niagara Falls was such a hit, Vetere says she was constantly stopped by people thanking her for bringing something different to town. Inside the 300-seat theatre that used to be a moviehouse and even a troubled bar years ago, patrons heard Verdi, Puccini and other opera staples performed by both seasoned opera vets and students of Vetere’s own Vetere Studio.
All under the watchful eye of artistic director Aprile Millo, who has performed in some of the most prestigious opera houses in the world alongside Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo.
“We’re not presenting ‘popera,’” says Vetere. “This is the real deal. People are singing full arias…these are fully trained people singing without microphones.”
To make things easier for the audience, the first season included a screen above the stage with English translations.
To kick off Season 2 will be singers from Washington, New York and Vancouver, with guest baritone Jeffrey Carl and pianist David Eliakis.
“We’re basically showing the various parts of our company, and it’s going to be a first-class afternoon of really high level performing,” says Vetere.
The spring showcase is the lead-in to two shows in June featuring Puccini’s “Il Tabarro” and “Suor Angelica.”
“These performances are being dedicated to the loving memory of our friend, Dr. Simonetta Puccini – the granddaughter of Giacomo Puccini. Aprile and I have had a very close relationship with her for several years, and with our opera program Opera Vision Academy, we brought all of these young singers to meet Mrs. Puccini.
“She was very influential in keeping her grandfather’s memory alive and making sure that the operas were presented with respect. She just passed away in December.”