Gaetano Donizetti's masterpiece, Lucia di Lammermoor is a story of tragic love set at the Castle of Ravenswood during the time of the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. There will be blood.
Directed by Giuseppe Macina
Performances: Feb 15, 18, 24, 29, March 3 at 7:30 pm.
Also Feb 26 at 2 pm.
Sung in Italian with English supertitles.
Tickets may be purchased at the door, or at 416-978-8849.
All performances at Bickford Centre, 777 Bloor St W at Christie subway.
Lucia di Lammermoor
Background:
The feuding families of Lammermoor and Ravenswood have resolved to destroy each other. Lord Enrico of Lammermoor has murdered Sir Edgardo's father and claimed his lands. However, in time, Enrico finds himself in political trouble. He resorts to saving his family's future through the forced marriage of his sister Lucia to Lord Arturo Bucklaw.
Act I Grounds of Lammermoor Castle
Normanno leads the guards in searching for an intruder. Enrico enters, telling of his sister Lucia's refusal to marry Arturo. Raimondo, Lucia's tutor, suggests the loss of her mother is preventing Lucia from falling for Arturo. Normanno reveals that every morning Lucia has been secretly meeting the family rival, Edgardo. Enrico is infuriated. Guards return to report that Edgardo was seen riding away. Enrico leaves, swearing vengeance on Lucia and Edgardo.
Lucia enters with her companion, Alisa. Lucia tells Alisa that the nearby fountain is haunted by a ghost who once appeared to warn her of a tragic ending to her secret affair. Despite Alisa's pleas to leave Edgardo, Lucia can think only of their love. Edgardo arrives and tells Lucia he must leave Scotland for France. Before departing, he asks for her hand. Knowing her brother will not approve, Lucia convinces Edgardo to keep their love secret. The lovers exchange rings.
Act II - A hall in Lammermoor Castle
After Edgardo left Scotland, Enrico and Normanno intercepted all the letters sent between him and Lucia, and spread a rumor that Edgardo loves another. As Normanno leaves, Lucia joins her brother, who shows her a forged letter that indicates Edgardo's unfaithfulness. In shock, Lucia longs for death, while her brother urges her to forget about Edgardo.
Crowds greet Arturo outside. Enrico confesses to Lucia that if she does not marry Arturo, the family will be ruined, and he will be killed for treasonable acts only Arturo can forgive. She continues to refuse. Raimondo enters as Enrico leaves, and convinces Lucia to marry Arturo. The marriage is held in the great hall. Enrico assures Arturo that his sister's sadness is due to her mothers death. As the marriage contract is signed, Edgardo appears, to claim Lucia. Raimondo orders the rivals to put away their swords. When Edgardo sees the wedding contract, he pulls the ring off Lucias finger, cursing her as he leaves. In despair, Lucia collapses.
Act III Lammermoor Castle
Enrico finds Edgardo brooding alone and challenges him to a duel at dawn. Meanwhile, the wedding celebration is disrupted by Raimondo's news that Lucia has stabbed Arturo in the bridal chamber. She enters the celebration, obviously mad, imagining herself married to Edgardo. Enrico enters and takes pity on her. She falls into Alisa's arms.
At dawn, Edgardo awaits Enrico. Feeling betrayed by Lucia, he plans to take his own life. Passing wedding guests say the dying Lucia has called for him. Edgardo rushes to see her, yet Raimondo arrives to tell him she is already dead. Edgardo stabs himself and dies.
Sung in Italian, with projected titles in English. All performances take place at the Bickford Centre, 777 Bloor St. W.
Performances: Feb 15, 18, 24, 29 and March 3 at 7:30 pm. Also Feb 26 at 2 pm.
Lucia Ashton
Lord Enrico Ashton
Sir Edgardo di Ravenswood
Lord Arturo Bucklaw
Raimondo Bidebent
Alisa, Lucia's maid
Normanno, Captain of the Guard
Carrie Gray (Feb 15, 26, March 3) / Tammy Short (Feb 18, 24, 29)
Yevgeny Yablonovsky (all performances)
Pablo Benitez (Feb 18, 29, March 3) / Jay Lambie (Feb 15, 24, 26)
Anthony Faur é (all performances)
Frank De Jong (all performances)
Christie Kidd (all performances)
Chorus: Kurt Annen, Don Ballanger, Pablo Benitez, Larry Blas, Teodora Borcean, Alicia Bulwik, Elaine Chak, Sue Cimicata, Caroline Colantonio, Silvia Croci, Elenita Diaz-Raiha, Michaelangelo D'Onofrio, Sergio Emer, Louise Grady, Carrie Gray, Gerald Hannon, Susan Hyttenrauch, Susan Jackson, Heather Jamieson, Karen Johnston, Kailey Kaufman, Chris Lea, Anwen Leung, Vivien Mann, James Matthews, Rob Maxwell, Giovanni Minardi, Renée Moreau, Terese Okrent, William Parker, Linda Pope, Peter Price, Jennifer Rasor, William Redelmeier, Robert L. Rimsay, Tammy Short, Lynne Shuttleworth, Henry Tang, Sandra Tang, Barbara Thomson, Tiffany Tobias, Terry Walker, Patritziya Zlateva
Director
Conductor
Pianist
Rehearsal Pianist
Giuseppe Macina
Adolfo De Santis
Rina KimHyewon
Stage Manager
Assistant Stage Manager
Make-up Artist
Lighting Design
Ada Tsang
Jeremy Loughton
Chris Humphrey
Lighting Board
Stage Crew
Supertitles
Supertitles Operator
Terry Alexis
Gabriel Graziano
Gerald Hannon
James Cataldo
Carrie Gray is a massage therapist and osteopath living and working in Peterborough. This is her 5th season with Toronto Opera Repertoire. Past performances include Cio Cio San in Madama Butterfly, Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, Violetta in La Traviata, and Leonora in The Masked Ball. Carrie discovered her opera talent only seven years ago when she started taking voice lessons. "It's an amazing gift and I am hopeful to be singing for a long time to come... I absolutely love it!!!" she says.
Pablo Benitez Astudillo
was born in Caracas, Venezuela, where he studied music and voice at
Simon Bolivar Conservatory. In 1995 he moved to Canada, studying at McGill
University and performing with Opera McGill. In 2004 he also sang with the
UQAM Opera Studio. Though Pablo specializes in opera and lieder, he has also
performed various types of popular repertoire on stages, such as the Montreal Jazz
Festival and Festival d'été de Quebec. Pablo is very excited to have joined TOR, as he is learning lots while having the time of his life!
Tammy Short is thrilled to be making her TOR debut, singing the role of Lucia. Originally from Newfoundland, she obtained a Bachelor of Music degree in voice from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Tammy has tackled the roles of Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte and Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte, which was part of a broadcast for CBC Radio 2. She has also performed the roles of Celie in Pasatieri's Senior Deluso, Dido in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, and Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus by Strauss. Recently she performed the role of Carmela in Opera by Request's production of
The Saint of Bleecker Street, which was in collaboration with the University of Scarborough concert choir and ensemble Tryp Tych chamber choir in celebration of Menotti's 100th birthday.
Yevgeny Yablonovsky
Born in Kiev, Ukraine, baritone Yevgeny Yablonovsky, a qualified physicist, has pursued operatic singing as a second career. He has performed in Canada, Ukraine, Russia and Lithuania. His operatic credits include the title role in Tchaikovskys Eugene Onegin, Germont in Verdis La Traviata, Robert in Tchaikovskys Iolanta, Prince Yeletsky in Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades, Enrico in Donizzetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, the title role in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Belcore in Donizzetti's L'Elisir d'Amore, Silvio in Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci, the title role in Verdi's Rigoletto, Renato in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera, Escamillo in Bizet's Carmen, Alfio in Mascagni's Cavaleria Rusticana, Tonio in Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci, and most recently, Count Di Luna in a concert performance of Verdi's Il Trovatore.
Jay Lambie is pleased to be singing with TOR once again, after last year reprising the role of Eisenstein (Fledermaus) and adding that of Pinkerton (Butterfly) to his repertoire. His operatic roles in concert and on stage have included Alfredo, Almaviva, Dandini, Belmonte, Des Grieux, Don Jose, Eisenstein, Ernesto, Ferrando, Hoffmann, Ramiro, Rodolfo and Turridu. Upcoming performances include "Norma" and "Elisir d'amore."
William Parker is an iOS application developer in Toronto. William has performed with TOR for many years in many roles.
Frank de Jong sings opera to broaden his otherwise limited life experiences. The bass repertoire has allowed him to play an assassin (Sparafucile), a philosopher (Colline), an indentured servant (Leporello), a political fugitive (Angelotti), a jailor (Rocco), a conspirator (Samuel) a soldier (Ferrando), and in this year's Lucia, a priest (Raimondo), as well as a sycophant in The Merry Widow. One day, in the not too distant future, he may be content with merely being himself.
Anthony Faure
began his musical training at the age of 8 at St. Michael's Choir
School in Toronto. Following his love of music lead Anthony to sing in a variety of choirs, including Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir, Ontario Youth Choir, Nathaniel Dett Chorale, and the Victoria Scholars. Anthonys first operatic role was in the Canadian premiere of Mark Adamo's interpretation of the Louisa May Alcott classic, Little Women, as Laurie. This is Anthony's first year with TOR.
Christie Kidd is a displaced ex-rodeo queen from Texas who is proud to
call Toronto her new home. She has studied voice and acting in Texas,
Kansas, and Toronto, and has performed at the Globe Theatre of
the Great Southwest as Suor Angelica, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, and
several of Shakespeare's ladies. She would like to thank the special men in
her life; Giacomo and Guthrie, for their love and understanding of her crazy
performing habit, and her new family at TOR for their support and
friendship. In addition to acting, she can help ya'll "get along" any
"little dogies," but what she really wants to do is direct.
There is no one in the whole world who has been leading the artistic direction of an opera company longer than Giuseppe Macina. Those of us who have the pleasure to learn from this Maestro are ever amazed by the depth of his knowledge and his commitment to this Art.
For our 45th Season, Lucia di Lammermoor will be directed by Giuseppe Macina.
