THUNDER BAY - Distrust, disguises, deception, and a devious maid named Despina – what could possibly go wrong? So sets the stage for the latest opera to arrive on the local stage, as interest continues to grow for the age-old musical theatre.
Opera Northwest is presenting Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, the 16th century Italian opera on June 1, 2, and 3, and artistic director and producer, Theresa Thibert, said the comedy revolves around an act of distrust and deception.
“It’s a comedy about two guys who get lured into a bet that if they dress up in disguise and trick their girlfriends, then their girlfriends won’t be faithful,” she said. “The girls end up falling for these new guys that show up.”
The full-length production in two acts has six principal characters, all of whom are local performers, who are accompanied by members of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra and a full chorus.
Cosi Fan Tutte was first performed in 1790 in Vienna, Austria. Since its debut, it has become one of the most frequently performed operas in the world.
Thibert said audiences shouldn’t worry about following along with the story of twists and turns, even if it is being performed in a different language.
“We are going to have subtitles,” she said. “The English is going to be projected above, but it’s going to be pretty obvious what is going on through the acting.”
Opera Northwest has been operating for two years and staged its first full-length opera last year with a presentation of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.
“We received a really enthusiastic and supportive response from the community,” Thibert said. “Last year was the first year doing it and as a new company we are growing and learning doing this. The support that we receive is very positive and people are really excited because it is something different.”
Thibert is a classically trained opera singer who has studied music in Italy. The creation of Opera Northwest has allowed her to share her passion with audiences in her hometown.
“There wasn’t really anywhere for me to sing opera at home,” she said. “We have a lot of theatre in Thunder Bay, music theatre, we have a big music scene, but there were no staged operas. And we have a very supportive arts scene in Thunder Bay so it was something different for us to bring to Thunder Bay.”
Thibert will be performing in Cosi Fan Tutte in addition to producing and being able to perform at home, sharing her passion with local audiences, is a very special experience for the singer.
“I have performed out of town and abroad, for me to have my home audience of family and friends, it makes it more meaningful for me to show my community my passion and share that with them and hopefully have them get as excited about it or at least be exposed and educated about what opera is,” she said.
And Thibert believes there is a strong audience in Thunder Bay for operas. She said Metropolitan Opera performances screened at the local theatre are always well attended, as well as opera concerts staged by the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra.
“I think opera is often given a little bit of an intimidating persona or character,” she said. “Operas are really just musicals to classical music. If you think about musical theatre and Broadway, operas were around a long time before then telling stories and being comical and it’s just to a different kind of music.”
The productions also provide local singers and performers an opportunity to step into what Thibert calls very demanding roles and like her, share their passion with audiences across the city.
Cosi Fan Tutte will be performed on June 1, 2, and 3 at the Selkirk Auditorium at St. Patrick High School. All performances begin at 7 p.m. and tickets are $35 and $20 for children and students and are available at the door or in advance at Calico Coffeehouse, Fireweed Crafts, or by calling 629-6457.
