La sonnambula (2009)
We chose La sonnambula for our first season at Glen Street Theatre because it is so good for young voices, because it is truly beautiful, full of gorgeous melody and music, and because it hasn’t been done in Australia since 1965 and deserves to be heard.
It will be sung in Italian, this gives the singers invaluable experience and there will be surtitles so you can follow everything. The plot is simple though – Amina is a sleepwalker and, in a nutshell, she ends up in the wrong bedroom.
The cast includes popular ‘Operatunity Oz’ winner Roy Best singing the lead tenor role of Elvino, he has a wonderful voice and obviously hasn’t looked back since the reality TV show saw the builder become an opera star.
There is also the wonderfully talented young soprano Eva Kong singing the role of Amina. This is the role that Dame Joan Sutherland made famous and Pacific Opera’s audiences won’t be disappointed! Leading the orchestra is Music Director Andrew Greene.
The production is directed by Christine Douglas whose productions of Cosi fan tutte and The Barber of Seville were immensely popular, and the designers are Simone Romaniuk and Ailsa Paterson, NIDA graduates with careers already on the move.
It’s a sleepwalking love story with an abundance of gorgeous bel canto melody
- Roy Best as Elvino
- Eva Kong as Amina
- Julia Malczewski as Lisa
- Anna Yun as Teresa
- Adrian Tamburini as Rodolpho
- Byron Watson as Alessio
- Richard Hansen as the Notary
- Conductor – Andrew Greene
- Direction – Christine Douglas
- Set Design – Simone Romaniuk
- Costume Designers – Simone Romaniuk & Ailsa Paterson
- Lighting Design – Nicholas Higgins
Sung in Italian with surtitles in English
Performances
- July 31 at 8pm,
- August 2 at 2:30pm
- August 6, 7, 8 at 8pm
Ticket sales
Glen Street Theatre*
Box Office Cnr Glen Street and Blackbutts Road
Belrose, NSW, 2085
Tel: 02 9975 1455
Online: http://www.glenstreet.com.au
Prem $68 Adult $59 Conc $55
Free for children under 16 accompanied by an adult
*Covers performance, Adult $50 Conc $45
For further information contact Sue Hackett sue@pacificopera.com.au
Tel 02 9252 7547 Mob 0432 056054
Reviews
Glen Street Theatre proved itself more than worthy to carry
opera as an artform when the first performance for Pacific Opera
was staged on Friday night, July 31.La Sonnambula (The
Sleepwalker) was warmly received by the packed house when it
graced the stage for its opening night. At last, a professional
operatic company on the northern beaches presenting an entire
season, and looking to make Glen St its new artistic home. The
balance between singers and orchestra was excellent and the
vision was clear and intimate, putting the audience right in the
action of this provincial Italian hotel in 1963.
The production itself was great with strong performances from
tenor Roy Best in the lead as Elvino, soprano Eva Kong as the
female lead Amina, and baritone Adrian Tamburini as Count
Rodolpho. The story in a nutshell is that on the eve of nuptuals
between Elvino and Amina plans are thrown into chaos when Amina
sleepwalks into the Count’s hotel bedroom, lays on his
bed, and is discovered by the entire town.
Simple set designs were elegant and effective.Being able to see
the faces of the performers, their expression and personality,
added to clarity of this production (subtitles helped here too).
Glen Street director Rob Robertson said he always loved ``the
buzz’’ which filled the Glen St foyer of particular
post-performance opening nights, and that this was one of those
occasions.
Rod Bennett, Arts Editor, Manly Daily