THE BARD DOES BARBER!

 

Opera & Arias: The Barber of Seville Under the Tents in Vanier Park on August 28 and September 4

 

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival presents its annual Opera & Arias concerts, bringing Rossini’s beguiling music to life with a costumed concert staging of excerpts from his ever-popular opera, The Barber of Seville. Enjoy the 28^th season of Bard on the Beach by attending a live performance of this masterpiece of the comic opera stage, which stands the test of time more than two centuries after its premiere.

 

The rising stars of the UBC Opera Ensemble and members of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra bring The Barber of Seville to Vanier Park on two Mondays in late August and early September. UBC’s Nancy Hermiston directs this in-concert staging with conductor Leslie Dala leading the musicians. All performances are hosted by Christopher Gaze, the Artistic Director of Bard on the Beach.

 

“I’m thrilled to host these performances and bring the beautiful music of Rossini to our audiences,” said Gaze. “We’ve enjoyed a wonderful collaboration with UBC Opera Ensemble and The Vancouver Opera Orchestra for more than a decade and we are delighted to continue this summer tradition. The Barber of Seville is such lovely music and tremendous fun. A good time will be had by all!”

 

The UBC Opera Ensemble was created in 1995 by Professor Hermiston and draws from advanced students in the UBC School of Music. The Barber of Seville will feature both familiar and debut soloists, with a cast including Alireza Mojibian, Geoffrey Schellenberg, Yenny Lee, Charlotte Beglinger, Spencer Britten, Ian McCloy, Luka Kawabata, Matthew McLellan, Danielle Nakatani, Ian Burns and Kurt Ward Theiss. These UBC singers have just returned from a short tour in the Czech Republic, where they performed their production of The Barber of Seville to great acclaim.

 

Matinee performances (2 pm) and evening performances (7:30 pm) are on Monday, August 28 and Monday,

September 4. The concerts are on Bard’s BMO Mainstage, backed by a spectacular vista of mountains, sea and sky.

 

Ticket prices include all applicable fees & taxes and begin at $20; youth price available. Value pricing for the evening performance on September 4. Early booking is recommended for best seat selection, as many performances sell out in advance. Full pricing information and site and event details are on the Bard website at bardonthebeach.org. To book tickets, call the Bard Box Office at 604-739-0559 or (toll-free) 1-877-739-0559 or order online through the Bard website.

 

Bard on the Beach gratefully acknowledges its major corporate sponsors, including the 2017 Season Sponsor Goldcorp; Production Sponsors RE/MAX, Visual College of Art and Design of Vancouver, Lonetree Cider and BlueShore Financial; Media Sponsors Global BC and the Vancouver Sun, as well as other valued sponsors and supporters. Bard also thanks the City of Vancouver Cultural Services Department, the Vancouver Foundation, the B.C. Arts Council, the Province of B.C. and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continuing support.

 

About Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Bard on the Beach is one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare festivals. Established in 1990, Bard is an annual summer festival with a mission to perform, explore and celebrate the genius of William Shakespeare, surrounded by the natural beauty of Vancouver, British Columbia. Play performances run Tuesday through Sunday with matinees on selected weekends and weekdays; numerous special events on Monday evenings.