May 26 – May 30, 2010

Frederic Wood Theatre, UBC

Prices:
Adult $40.00
*Student $26.00 in-person only with current student identification.

In May 2010 we present the 15th-century Japanese masterwork Sumidagawa and the 20th-century opera it inspired, Britten’s immortal Curlew River, in co-production with UBC Theatre and Film, and Blackbird Theatre.

It is the heartbreakingly beautiful story of a mother and the loss of her child. Sumidagawa will be told in a stunning butoh dance version of the Noh play on which Britten based his opera. This telling of one story from two cultural perspectives will provide an amazing night of theatre – and a Canadian first.

The production is endorsed by explorASIAN, the Japanese Language School and Hall, the National Nikkei Museum and Heritage Centre, the Powell Street Festival, Sikora’s Classical Records, and the UBC Department of Asian Studies, and is supported by Accent Inns and Tom Lee Music.

Starring as Madwoman in Sumidagawa is the legendary Denise Fujiwara, joining us from Toronto. Her work, drawn from the original Noh play and now given as a one-woman performance, is simply mesmerizing.

Starring as Madwoman in Curlew River is the remarkable young Canadian tenor, Isaiah Bell. Twenty years from now, you will be able to say that you heard Isaiah in his first starring role. He is that good.

He will be joined by John Minagro, who moved audiences as Death in Der Kaiser von Atlantis and will appear as the Abbot, and the splendid baritones Sam Marcacinni as The Ferryman and Joel Klein as The Traveller. The male chorus comes to us from the Vancouver Cantata Singers.

Janet Lea and Nora Kelly are the producers. John Wright directs. Robert Gardiner is the designer, Marti Wright the costumier, Bob Eberle our production coordinator, and Charles Barber leads the music.

Running time of Sumidagawa is 45 minutes.
The intermission is 20 minutes.
Running time of Curlew River is 70 minutes.
The production is suitable for children with a good attention span.  We would suggest a minimum age of 14 years.
 
For phone orders, please call 604.255.0331