Opera Canada Magazine has just published their 50th Anniversary issue and featured a thoughtful, rave review for The Shadow from Editor Wayne Gooding.

Here are a few quotes:

“…Daniel and Poch-Goldin have fashioned a splendidly theatrical piece, one of the strongest developed by Tapestry.”

“We’re in absurdist territory in this opera, a world of dark impulses and imaginings, where private inner worlds break through public masks. Shakespeare’s Falstaff lightly referes to the inner world as ‘Our Saturday selves,’ but Jung talks of ‘a shadow side…of a positively demonic dynamism.’  The opera impressively exemplifies the same dualism; playfulness and farce animate The Shadow’s external storyline, but hte comic evocation of the dark side leaves you with the disquieting sense that you’re in a room full of dirty little secrets-and wondering whether you’ve let any of your own slip out.”

“Among a very fine ensemble of singers, pride of place must go to baritone Peter McGillivray as Raoul/Hernando. His central role bears the biggest burden, and he negotiated the difllcult and taxing score with great musical skill and all the dramatic chops to create a strong, pivotal character. Countertenor Scott Belluz, resplendent in a long, pleated topcoat and dark glasses, threw himself with evident relish into the diabolical title role, for which composer Daniel made full use of a high singing voice and lower speaking voice to create the Shadow’s other-worldly presence. Soprano Carla Huhtanen created a winsomely lovelorn Allegra, a powerful and eloquent presence in an otherwise all-male ensemble, while the not-inconsiderable supporting roles of the moneylender and the waiter (a  kind of Fawlty Towers Manuel in musical overdrive) were vividly handled by; respectively, baritone Theodore Baerg and tenor Keith Klassen. This is first and foremost an ensemble piece, and it’s for the
excellence of this that the singers and the seven-piece orchestral ensemble conducted by Tapestry Managing Artistic Director Wayne Strongman deserve the greatest kudos.”

Click here to read the full review.

The Shadow

by Alex Poch-Goldin & Omar Daniel
(World Premiere May 2009  in Toronto)
Director: Tom Diamond
Music Director: Wayne Strongman
Set & Costume Design: Camellia Koo
Lighting Design: Robert Thomson
Cast: Carla Huhtanen, Peter McGillivray, Scott Belluz, Keith Klassen & Theodore Baerg

One-act opera of intrigue, desire and deception featuring a countertenor in the title role; premiered at the Berkeley Street Theatre, Downstairs in May 2009.

 

Blog T.O. is the latest to applaud The Shadow.

From Blog T.O.:

“The opera, directed by Tom Diamond, isn’t your typical lavish, melodramatic production and it’s more pleasurable as a result. The intimate Berkely Street Theatre houses this show and most of the story sung in English. There’s a small flat-panel TV suspended above the left side of the stage, hovering over the seven-piece stage “pit orchestra” ensemble. It subtly provides translation surtitles to the Spanish-sung passages. In such a small venue, it’s a delight to see up close the facial expressions of the performers.”

“The Tapestry production is top-notch, with especially strong voices from Peter McGillivray (baritone) as Raoul, Carla Huhtanen (soprano) Allegra, his love interest and Scott Belluz (countertenor) as the Shadow. Theodore Baerg (baritone) impresses in dual roles as the Don and Allegra’s father as well.”

“Tonight’s your last chance to see this show, unless it gets a remounted production, which it rightfully deserves. Let’s hope The Shadow never dies.”

Click here to read the full review.

Artist Featured: Theodore Baerg as Allegra’s Father
Photo © Michael Cooper, 2009

Glenn Sumi from NOW Magazine is the latest to review The Shadow and he has given the production 4 N’s!

From NOW Magazine.

“There’s no shadow of a doubt that this production, in development for seven years, was worth the time and effort.”

Click here to read the full review.

The Shadow runs until May 30 at the Berkeley Street Theatre, Downstairs.

Click here for more info.

Tickets
$20-$49

Box Office
416.368.3110
canstage.com
totix.ca

Artists Featured: Scott Belluz as the Shadow & Peter McGillivray as Raoul
Photo © Michael Cooper, 2009

 

The Shadow runs until May 30 at the Berkeley Street Theatre, Downstairs.

Click here for more info.

Tickets
$20-$49

Box Office
416.368.3110
canstage.com
totix.ca

Artists featured: Theodore Baerg, Scott Belluz, Carla Huhtanen, Keith Klassen & Peter McGillivray
All Photos are © Michael Cooper, CooperShoots, 2009.

Here is what some of the reviewers have been writing about The Shadow.

From the Globe & Mail:

“The recession has done no harm to debt collectors, whose booming business gives an unforeseen timeliness to The Shadow, the new opera by composer Omar Daniel and librettist Alex Poch-Goldin. This engrossing 90-minute piece, which was performed for the first time on Thursday, tells the story of a postman who borrows too much money in order to deceive and impress a bored upper-class woman he meets on his route.”

Read the full review here:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/the-postman-delivers-lessons-in-social-climbing/article1149337/

From EYE Weekly:

“A clever mix of comic opera and high melodrama, this humorous and heightened world premiere seems designed to be enjoyed by opera aficionados and lay-folk alike.”

Read the full review here:

http://www.eyeweekly.com/arts/theatre/article/61364

The Shadow runs tonight at 8pm and tomorrow at 4pm and next week Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm at the Berkeley Street Theatre, Downstairs.

Click here for more info.

Tickets
$20-$49

Box Office
416.368.3110
canstage.com
totix.ca

PHOTO: Carla Huhtanen, Peter McGillivray & Keith Klassen (c) Michael Cooper, 2009.

Byron Lavoilette from EYE Weekly has reviewed The Shadow.

From EYE:

Taking inspiration from a dark, debt-collecting figure from Spanish history and a Carl Jung archetype based around the desires locked in our unconscious mind, The Shadow is lighter fare than it may first appear. A clever mix of comic opera and high melodrama, this humorous and heightened world premiere seems designed to be enjoyed by opera aficionados and lay-folk alike.

Read the full review here.

The Shadow runs until May 30 at the Berkeley Street Theatre, Downstairs.

Click here for more info.

Tickets
$20-$49

Box Office
416.368.3110
canstage.com
totix.ca

The Toronto Star’s Richard Ouzounian sat down with librettist for The Shadow Alex Poch-Goldin to talk about his spring 2009 of world premieres.

From the Toronto Star:
One can’t help but feel that this summer might be the season when the talented Alex Poch-Goldin’s career finally blossoms the way it ought to.

Click here for the full interview.

The Shadow premieres tonight May 21 and runs until May 30 at the Berkeley Street Theatre, Downstairs.

Click here for more info.

Tickets
$20-$49

Box Office
416.368.3110
canstage.com
totix.ca

Tom Diamond, Resident Director at Tapestry and director of the  The Shadow took the Toronto Star’s Rita Zekas to St. Lawrence Market in Toronto during his weekly shopping ritual to chat about his career and Tapestry’s upcoming world premiere.

From the Toronto Star:

It’s 4 p.m. on Saturday, one hour before closing time at St. Lawrence Market, and Tom Diamond, director of The Shadow, is a man on a mission.

He’s here for the deep discounts.

Click here to read the full article.

The Shadow premieres May 21-30, 2009 at the Berkeley Street Theatre, Downstairs.

Click here for more info.

Tickets
$20-$49

Box Office
416.368.3110
canstage.com
totix.ca

Photo: Tom Diamond (c) Meghan Hall, 2009

Click here to read the Jewish Tribune’s recent interview with the creative team behind The Shadow, librettist Alex Poch-Goldin and composer Omar Daniel.

From the Jewish Tribune:

Set in Barcelona during the early 20th century, The Shadow, as described by Poch-Goldin, is “a morality fable of being oneself and how one would like oneself to be better. The plot is about a postman who is in love with a wealthy girl. To win her he assumes a secondary identity.  He wins her love but he finds out he cannot afford her. He borrows money to maintain his faÁade.”

As this opera is set in Barcelona, composer Omar Daniel said that his original score does have traditional Spanish undertones, complete with boleros and castanets.  Beyond that, he creates his own styles without resorting to Spanish musical clichÈs. He does affirm that there are “recognizable tunes and harmonies.  Those who associate modern music with unpleasant dissonances need not fear here. But his tunes are not shallow pop tunes.

“There are layers of depth in the score,” which one would not find on the pop charts, he said.

The Shadow premieres May 21-30, 2009 at the Berkeley Street Theatre Downstairs.

Click here for more info.

Tickets
$20-$49

Box Office
416.368.3110
canstage.com
totix.ca

We did a little photo shoot on Tuesday night in the Distillery District.  Scott Belluz and Peter McGillivray were photographed by Meghan Hall in advance of the world premiere of The Shadow.

The Shadow premieres May 21-30, 2009 at the Berkeley Street Theatre Downstairs.

Click here for more info.

Tickets
$20-$49

Box Office
416.368.3110
canstage.com
totix.ca

Photo: Scott Belluz & Peter McGillivray (c) Meghan Hall, 2009.