P: run by young artists, for young artists

array( '1.head' => 'run by young artists, for young artists', '2.body' => array( '1.div' => array( '1.b' => '"Opera Mariposa stands at the forefront of Vancouver\'s opera scene"', 2 => '- The Vancouver Project', '3.b' => 'CONTACT', 4 => 'operamariposa@gmail.com', '5.small' => array( 1 => 'site by', 2 => '/', ), ), '2.div' => '1/6', '3.div' => array( '1.div' => array( '1.div' => array( 1 => 'tags:', 2 => '#', 3 => '#', 4 => '#', 5 => '#', 6 => '#', 7 => '#', 8 => '#', 9 => '#', 10 => '#', 11 => '#', 12 => '#', 13 => '#', 14 => '#', 15 => '#', ), '2.div' => array( 1 => 'Hello everybody! Autumn is in the air, and you know what that means: opera season ahoy! I’m excited to share what’s in store for Mariposa, but first, I should probably catch you up on the latest news.', '2.p' => array( 1 => 'I’d like to thank everyone who joined us for our 2017-18 season finale', '2.i' => 'Toward Tomorrow', 3 => '. I’m happy to say that our annual charity benefit show was met with rave reviews, being hailed as “gripping”, “heartfelt” and “an emotional journey” (', 4 => '). Thanks to our generous event sponsors we gave away over $3,000 in raffle prizes, and the show itself raised $15,703.40 - which brings our charity fundraising total to over $66,000 in six years!', ), '3.p' => array( 1 => 'This year’s beneficiary was the', 2 => ', a local organization dedicated to aiding patients and their families living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and Fibromyalgia (FM). The Society is using the funds from our show to launch their new Unmet Needs campaign, dedicated to helping ME and FM sufferers throughout British Columbia. We’re incredibly honoured to support this essential work, so a huge round of applause to every donor, sponsor, audience member, artist and volunteer who made this possible!', ), '4.p' => array( 1 => 'Hard on the heels of', '2.i' => 'Toward Tomorrow', 3 => 'came another fundraising event: this one on Mariposa’s own behalf, presented by our friends at', 4 => '. On June 29th, TOP’s talented artists performed the gala concert', '5.i' => 'Ecstatic Expression Through Song', 6 => ', singing a wonderful array of multicultural music in support of our future productions. The concert featured a number of Mariposa artists and alumni, as well as special appearances by internationally acclaimed soprano', 7 => '; Istanbul Opera contralto Arzu Semerci; and the', 8 => 'orchestra. They raised $1,000 for our upcoming season, so we can’t thank them enough for their generous support!', ), '5.p' => array( 1 => 'Of course, that brings me to the news about what’s coming next for Opera Mariposa. We’re kicking off our 2018-19 season with a sassy new take on Mozart’s classic comedy', '2.i' => 'Così fan tutte', 3 => ', featuring a double cast of acclaimed and award-winning artists from across North America and Europe. This opera has some of Mozart’s most beautiful and beloved music - from sublime love duets to lightning-fast comedic patter - and it’s been on our bucket list for quite some time, so we can’t wait to finally bring it to the stage.', ), '6.p' => array( 1 => 'In true Mariposa fashion, we’ll be doing our own unique take on this opera.', '2.i' => 'Così fan tutte', 3 => '(“They all do it”) is a classic of the operatic repertoire, but also one that offers certain challenges when presenting the work to a modern audience. The plot involves an old cynic who convinces two young men to test the affections of the women they love; the title refers to said cynic’s assertion that the ladies will fall short of their lovers’ idealized conception of them.', ), '7.p' => array( 1 => 'Our goal is to capture all the zany fun and sitcom-like shenanigans of the original opera, while bringing this period piece - and its satirical look at traditional gender roles - into the 21st century. To that end, I’m delighted to announce that our stage director will be Mariposa’s own Robin Hahn, whose hilarious interpretation of the Baroque opera', '2.i' => 'La serva padrona', 3 => 'was hailed as “a masterpiece of controlled mayhem” (', 4 => ') and whose sassy modern production of', '5.i' => 'Don Pasquale', 6 => 'was praised as “well-honed”, “delightful”, and “an excellent harbinger of more well-cast and well-directed operas to come” (', 7 => '). Robin has decided to set our colourful', '8.i' => 'Così', 9 => 'at a beachside resort, introducing a tropical vibe; several cheeky modern touches; and the occasional plot twist. As well as her impressive credentials directing comic operas, Robin has a special connection with this particular work: she herself has performed the role of Despina in', '10.i' => 'Così fan tutte', 11 => 'three times, in Germany, the Netherlands, and right here in Vancouver.', ), '8.p' => array( 1 => 'Robin will be joined by assistant director Oliver Hebert, making his Mariposa debut, as well as music director Ian Dives, whom our audiences may remember from', '2.i' => 'The Impresario', 3 => ',', '4.i' => 'La serva padrona', 5 => 'and', '6.i' => 'Don Pasquale', 7 => '. Our amazing double cast includes award-winning sopranos Katrina Goh and', 8 => 'as Despina; mezzo-sopranos Shanté Van Horlick and Melissa Ratcliff as Dorabella; multi-award-winning tenor Lyndon Ladeur as Ferrando; baritone Cameron Killick as Guglielmo; and bass-baritones', 9 => 'and Alexander Adams-Leytes as Don Alfonso. I’ll be taking the stage myself, doubling the amazing dramatic coloratura soprano Kathryn Nickford in the role of Fiordiligi. I can’t wait to work with this phenomenal group of performers, as we reunite with familiar faces and welcome new talent aboard!', ), '9.p' => array( 1 => 'It’s shaping up to be a great show, and the perfect way to launch into our seventh season.', '2.i' => 'Così fan tutte', 3 => 'will be playing on November 30 and December 1, 7 and 8 at Marpole United Church. You can find more information', 4 => ', or', 5 => '. I can’t wait to share more about this production as it gets closer, and I look forward to seeing you at the show!', ), '10.p' => array( 1 => 'Jacqueline Ko', 2 => 'Artistic Director', ), ), ), '2.div' => array( '1.div' => array( 1 => 'tags:', 2 => '#', 3 => '#', 4 => '#', 5 => '#', 6 => '#', 7 => '#', 8 => '#', 9 => '#', 10 => '#', 11 => '#', 12 => '#', 13 => '#', 14 => '#', 15 => '#', 16 => '#', 17 => '#', 18 => '#', 19 => '#', 20 => '#', 21 => '#', 22 => '#', 23 => '#', ), '2.div' => array( 1 => 'Happy spring, everybody! I can’t believe it’s already April. It feels like only yesterday that we were hard at work on our production of', '2.i' => 'Un ballo in maschera', 3 => '. And what a production it was! Our first-ever partnership with', 4 => 'brought together two casts of performers from across five continents. It was an enormous undertaking, and I’m happy to say that all the hard work paid off. Critics described the show as “remarkable” for its “incredible voices, good staging and sumptuous costumes” (', 5 => '), saying that “one can’t help but get swept up in the performance” (', 6 => '), and praising the singers as “flawless” (Opera Canada’s west coast correspondent Hilary Clark) and “a force of nature” (', 7 => '). The show was met by packed houses and standing ovations – so thank you to every member of our talented artistic team, and to all the people who came out to support the show!', '8.p' => array( 1 => 'Verdi’s masked ball may be over, but there’s hardly been a moment to rest. Our wardrobe department has been inundated with requests by people who saw or heard about our production, which has led to our costumes gaining some international mileage of their own. California’s', 2 => 'featured our ball outfits in their own production of', '3.i' => 'Ballo', 4 => ', and our designs have also been making the rounds at local events, popping up in theatre productions, photo shoots, and even at a recent costume competition (which I’m happy to say our costumes won). Requests are still pouring in – so if you feel in need of your own operatic finery,', 5 => 'to learn more!', ), '9.p' => array( 1 => 'In other news, Canada’s largest independent film distributor', 2 => 'recently invited us to attend an advance screening of their new movie. On March 14th, twenty members of the Mariposa family got to see the Golden Globe-nominated film', '3.i' => 'The Leisure Seeker', 4 => ', starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland. It was a wonderful evening, so thank you to the fabulous folks at eOne for treating us! We’ve been overwhelmed by the recent outpouring of support for Mariposa in so many ways. Several people have made some very generous donations to our costume and prop collection – among them Suzann Kingston (previously an opera singer, now a painter and the creative mind behind', 5 => '), our friends at Heroic Opera, the amazing New York hat company', 6 => ', and the estate of legendary local costume designer and set decorator', 7 => '. In addition, an amazing group of individuals and local businesses are coming together to support our season finale… but before I get into that, I’d better tell you about our next show!', ), '10.p' => array( 1 => 'This June, we’re excited to make our Whistler debut performing with the', 2 => '. On June 3rd, we’ll be presenting a concert of Mozart, Puccini and more at', 3 => '– a gorgeous venue picturesquely located in the forest near Whistler Village. The show features soprano Kathryn Nickford, tenor Lyndon Ladeur, baritone Jason Cook and pianist Nikolai Maloff .', 4 => ', and if you’ll be in the area, we hope you’ll join us for some', '5.i' => 'Opera in the Woods', 6 => '!', ), '11.p' => array( 1 => 'After that, it’s on to our season finale. As long-time Mariposa fans may know, we present a charity benefit show every year, and for 2017-18 we’re continuing the tradition with', 2 => '. Coming June 16th for one night only,', '3.i' => 'Toward Tomorrow', 4 => 'features opera, musical theatre and more in support of the', 5 => '. I’ll be performing some of my favourite songs alongside mezzo-soprano Brittony LeFever (whom you may recognize from', '6.i' => 'Un ballo in maschera', 7 => ',', '8.i' => 'Here I Stand', 9 => ', or', '10.i' => 'Dido and Aeneas', 11 => '), tenor Lyndon Ladeur (who will be fresh off his appearance in', '12.i' => 'Opera in the Woods', 13 => '), and collaborative pianist Nina Horvath (making her Mariposa debut!). In addition to some beautiful music, audience members will also be treated to a dessert buffet, as well as a raffle contest featuring over $2,000 in prizes. These prizes have been donated by an amazing array of local businesses and individuals – among them', 14 => ',', 15 => ',', 16 => ',', 17 => ',', 18 => ',', 19 => ', the', 20 => ', and', 21 => '. Best of all, the proceeds will go towards aiding people affected by the systemic neuroimmune diseases Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and Fibromyalgia (FM), which affect over a million people in Canada.', ), '12.p' => array( 1 => 'We’ll be sharing more about', '2.i' => 'Toward Tomorrow', 3 => 'in the coming days, but in the meantime, tickets for the show are already on sale', 4 => 'or at 1-800-838-3006. It’s been a wild ride so far this season, and our last two performances are shaping up to be unforgettable. I can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on!', ), '13.p' => array( 1 => 'Jacqueline Ko', 2 => 'Artistic Director', ), '14.p' => array( 1 => '|', 2 => '|', 3 => '|', 4 => '|', 5 => '|', 6 => '|', 7 => '|', 8 => '|', ), ), ), '3.div' => array( '1.div' => array( 1 => 'tags:', 2 => '#', 3 => '#', 4 => '#', 5 => '#', 6 => '#', 7 => '#', 8 => '#', 9 => '#', 10 => '#', 11 => '#', 12 => '#', 13 => '#', 14 => '#', 15 => '#', 16 => '#', 17 => '#', 18 => '#', 19 => '#', ), '2.div' => array( '1.p' => array( '1.i' => 'Verdi’s', 2 => 'Un ballo in maschera', '3.i' => 'is a massive undertaking in many respects, but on the production end, one area in particular stands out: costumes! To celebrate Halloween, we’ve invited Mariposa’s resident costume designer Stephanie Ko to join us as a guest blogger, taking us behind the scenes as she works to create the many lavish outfits for Verdi’s legendary masquerade.', ), '2.p' => array( '1.b' => 'A dream production', 2 => 'In many ways, Opera is the perfect genre for a costume designer. With a reputation for visual richness and heightened drama, as well as settings that span many historical time periods, the operatic world is basically a costume designer’s playground. I’m sure that every designer has their own dream projects, but to me,', '3.i' => 'Un ballo in maschera', 4 => 'has to be near the top of the list.', ), '3.p' => array( '1.b' => 'The vision for the show', 2 => 'No matter the show, costume design is first and foremost about helping to tell the story. Usually this is because the costumes help to reveal characterization, but in', '3.i' => 'Ballo', 4 => '’s case, it’s far more literal: the costumes are a central element of the plot. As the title suggests, disguises and mistaken identity are a recurring theme throughout the opera. A woman veils herself to undertake a secret errand; a man wears a mantle to hide among a group of conspirators; a feckless king disguises himself as a fisherman, and his entire court decides to follow suit. It seems there isn’t a character in the show who doesn’t enjoy playing dress-up, until this drama of guises and disguises culminates in the spectacular masquerade for which the show is named.', ), '4.p' => array( 1 => 'With such a pivotal role in this opera - not to mention an enormous double cast - I knew that the costumes for', '2.i' => 'Ballo', 3 => 'would be a wonderful challenge. Luckily, our stage director is Adam Da Ros, with whom I’d previously worked on the Terrence McNally play', '4.i' => 'Master Class', 5 => '. Adam is a wonderful director and a fantastic collaborator, and it’s always a pleasure to design for him.', ), '5.p' => array( 1 => 'One of the first things Adam told me was that he wanted to visually code the different groups and social tiers within the', '2.i' => 'Ballo', 3 => 'universe. People tend to think of', '4.i' => 'Ballo', 5 => 'as a “party” show but its characters span the social hierarchy, from the beggars of the city slums to the members of the royal court. Even within the court, there are different factions - from the festive courtiers to the plotting conspirators - and they needed different colours and textures to identify them.', ), '6.p' => array( 1 => 'We decided to define the members of the royal court with jewel tones and lavish fabrics like satin, taffeta and venise lace. In contrast, the slum denizens are clothed in earth tones, using rougher textiles enhanced by heavy distressing. Even in the presence of the king, the conspirators are darker and plainer-looking than their fellow courtiers, as though they refuse to join in the prevailing air of revelry. We decided to set the opera in the 1700s, not only because', '2.i' => 'Ballo', 3 => 'was inspired by the life (and death) of a real 18th-century ruler, but because it was a time period when men’s fashion was just as colourful and elaborate as women’s clothing.', ), '7.p' => 'We carried the visual motifs from the different social groups into the designs for the principal characters. Gustavo the king dresses in velvet, which looks incredibly rich under stage lights and has a long historical association with the nobility. His primary colours are wine-red and metallic gold - hues that suggest royalty, gaiety, and his passionate nature. Renato, his best friend, wears more sober colours like black and deep blue - a sign of his more serious personality, but also the darkness of character that comes forth later in the opera. Renato’s wife Amelia wears blue as well, but in lighter and richer tones like those of the Madonna. The goal was to make her look elegant but also somehow sorrowful - and, as the only woman who wears a pale gown, to single her out amidst the crowd. Amelia is the subject of Renato’s jealousy as well as Gustavo’s forbidden love, so we wanted to make her appear somehow pure and unattainable.', '8.p' => 'Oscar, the king’s pageboy, echoes his master visually to some extent at the beginning of the show, before exploding into a pastel confection by the time he gets to the ball. Meanwhile, the fortune-teller Ulrica is completely different from the other lead characters. As a member of the lower class, Ulrica has a distinctive colour palette dominated by earth tones. Unlike the other peasant women though, she wears intense deep colours with hints of red, to heighten her design and draw focus onstage. In a stroke of luck, it turned out that one of the singers playing Ulrica had magnificent auburn hair, which perfectly fit with Ulrica’s colour scheme. Sometimes the universe decides to give the costume department a wonderful gift!', '9.p' => array( '1.b' => 'The costume-making process', 2 => 'As you can imagine, the planning process for costuming an opera is rigorous - especially for a production of this magnitude. At the same time however, it’s also very organic. So many things affect the evolution of a design: from the way a performer looks and moves, to logistical issues like how a scene is staged and the swiftness of the costume changes. One of the biggest challenges is budget. Mariposa and Heroic are both small companies with limited resources; meanwhile, 18th-century costumes can easily involve ten or more pieces per outfit, and in our  show every character has multiple outfits.', ), '10.p' => 'It’s a tall order, but we’re blessed with an incredibly creative and hard-working team. In the weeks and months leading up to a show, our wardrobe department works around the clock - and from the stage manager to the copy editor to the singers themselves, it’s amazing how many people will pitch in when it’s crunch time. Mariposa is also fortunate enough to have stewardship of an ever-growing costume collection, which helps to fill in the gaps. On a recent “shopping trip” through the Mariposa costume stock, I found a large container of Venetian masks that haven’t been onstage for years; it’s as if they’d been waiting all this time for us to get around to this particular opera.', '11.p' => array( '1.b' => 'Bringing it all together', 2 => 'I always love the moment when a performer tries on their costume and they start to transform into their character. (This is usually followed by a total break in character, as said performer starts taking selfies.) Once you see that costume up onstage though - enhancing the artist’s movements, taking on new aspects under the stage lighting, becoming part of the larger picture the director is painting - that’s what makes it all worth it. Right now, I’m buried under half-finished pieces of clothing; everyone in the costume department has fingertips resembling pincushions; and there’s a peculiar smoky smell in the air that suggests one of the costume distressers has been at their work. (Pro tip: if you want to make velvet look particularly well-aged, a lighter or a mini-blowtorch does wonders.) The to-do list is expanding faster than it’s shrinking, in some miracle of mathematics that sees ten items added for every one that’s removed. Still, I wouldn’t trade this process for anything. It’s a mad rush, but we’ll be celebrating at the end of it with the biggest party imaginable: a lavishly costumed masquerade, conceived by Giuseppe Verdi all the way back in 1857.', ), '12.p' => 'I hope you’ll be able to join us at the ball!', '13.p' => array( '1.i' => 'Stephanie Ko is Opera Mariposa’s communications director and head of costumes. As a costume designer for opera, theatre, musical theatre and film, a few of her most recent Mariposa credits include Terrence McNally’s', 2 => 'Master Class', '3.i' => 'as well as the operas', 4 => 'Hansel and Gretel', '5.i' => ',', 6 => 'Dido and Aeneas', '7.i' => ', and', 8 => 'La serva padrona', '9.i' => '. Her costumes have been described as “a feast for the eyes” (Social Butterfly Club), and have won a 2015 CTC Award for their appearance in Fighting Chance Productions’', 10 => 'Into the Woods', '11.i' => '(designed by Lynn Wong).', '12.i' => 'to learn more about the Mariposa costume collection - or if you’re a passionate sewer,', '13.i' => 'to find out how you can get involved!', ), '14.p' => array( 1 => '|', 2 => '|', 3 => '|', 4 => '|', 5 => '|', 6 => '|', 7 => '|', 8 => '|', ), ), ), '4.div' => array( '1.div' => array( 1 => 'tags:', 2 => '#', 3 => '#', 4 => '#', 5 => '#', 6 => '#', 7 => '#', 8 => '#', 9 => '#', 10 => '#', 11 => '#', 12 => '#', 13 => '#', 14 => '#', 15 => '#', 16 => '#', 17 => '#', 18 => '#', 19 => '#', 20 => '#', ), '2.div' => array( '1.p' => array( 1 => 'Our November production of Verdi’s', '2.i' => 'Un ballo in maschera', 3 => 'is fast approaching, and we’ve finally found a moment to sit down and blog! This show is truly an enormous undertaking, and one of our most exciting projects to date: not only is it our biggest opera yet, but it also marks our first collaboration with the', 4 => '.', ), '2.p' => array( 1 => 'Heroic Opera was founded just this year by award-winning soprano', 2 => ', whom Mariposa audiences may recognize as Angelica from 2014′s', '3.i' => 'Suor Angelica', 4 => 'or Dido from 2016′s', '5.i' => 'Dido and Aeneas', 6 => '. Now, Sarah is taking on her most exciting role yet as an event producer at the helm of her own opera company. We sat down with Sarah and her co-producer Melissa Ratcliff to get their perspective on our upcoming co-production, so read on for the interview below…', ), '3.p' => array( '1.b' => 'Tell us a bit about Heroic Opera.', 2 => 'Heroic Opera is Sarah’s brainchild. It’s a company that’s devoted to performance of Romantic-era operas, in particular the operas of Richard Wagner, Giuseppe Verdi, and Richard Strauss.', ), '4.p' => array( '1.b' => 'What inspired you to start a new opera company, and why did you choose to focus on the works of these specific composers?', 2 => 'There are lots of smaller opera companies in the Vancouver area - some of them focus on light opera, or lyric opera, or Gilbert and Sullivan, and those who don’t have a particular focus tend to gravitate towards lighter operas with smaller casts, as they’re easier to stage. As a Dramatic singer, it makes it harder to find shows that suit your voice, and since no one else was presenting these great works, the time seemed right to bring them to the stage.', ), '5.p' => array( '1.b' => array( 1 => 'Heroic Opera launched just this summer with Wagner’s', '2.i' => 'Die Walküre', 3 => '. What was it like to stage your first production, and what were your favourite parts, as well as the greatest challenges?', ), 2 => 'Sarah’s reaction at the close of Walküre was, “I can’t believe we just did that.” Wagner, and particularly the Ring Cycle are notoriously difficult, both in size, length, and scope. We also had a very short rehearsal period - a little more than a week - and several cast members who had to drop out due to illness shortly before the performance, meaning their covers were called up. All of this led to a very hectic schedule, which may have been fortunate because it made us not realize the scale of the undertaking. The performance ended up being spectacular - the cast was rock solid and the crowds were enthusiastic and very receptive. We even had several people in the audience who were at the last Vancouver performance of', '3.i' => 'Walküre', 4 => 'in 1975!', ), '6.p' => array( '1.b' => array( 1 => 'What attracted you to Verdi’s', '2.i' => 'Un ballo in maschera', 3 => '?', ), 2 => 'While', '3.i' => 'Ballo', 4 => 'is another big, epic Romantic opera, the story itself is very simple - a tragic love story that can never be, and the desire for revenge that can consume us all. It all takes place in the court of the King, ending in a beautiful masked ball, but the story is still just that of ordinary people and the struggles they face trying to find love and happiness.', ), '7.p' => array( '1.b' => 'Why did you decide to team up with Opera Mariposa on this show?', 2 => 'Although Mariposa isn’t focused on a particular style like we are, our companies are very similar. We’re both devoted to presenting operas to new audiences, to promoting the careers and giving performance opportunities to up and coming singers, and to engaging with the local community. Opera Mariposa has been at it a lot longer, and is very well established in the Vancouver area, so we certainly have a lot to learn from them, and hope to continue collaborating with other local groups.', ), '8.p' => array( '1.b' => 'Going from Wagner to Verdi - how would you compare the two, and are there differences when you’re working on operas by such different composers?', 2 => 'Wagner is unusual in comparison to virtually all other composers because of his technique of “through-composition”. This means his music is written, not in standard song form with 1-3 verses and a chorus or bridge, but with text and music that is continuously changing. It’s like setting Homer’s', '3.i' => 'Iliad', 4 => 'to music - it’s a huge amount of text and music to learn, and nothing repeats, or rhymes. The German he uses is an older more formal version - like Shakespearean German, so that makes it harder still - and his operas are typically 4-6 hours long, whereas most operas are 2-3. Verdi’s style of writing is closer to what you expect musically and lyrically, and gives you places to “hang your hat” in terms of learning the music. After Wagner just about everything is smaller in scale, but even most of Verdi’s operas range in the 3+ hour range and takes a huge amount of physical effort and stamina to sing.', ), '9.p' => array( '1.b' => array( 1 => 'What has you most excited about', '2.i' => 'Un ballo in maschera', 3 => '?', ), 2 => 'Since our first production was only semi-staged, this will be our first fully staged, costumed production. And with the vast costume collection that Mariposa has, it should make the show even better. With dozens of cast members in uniforms, peasant clothing, ball gowns, and disguises, it makes it so much easier to bring the story to life, and we’re excited to see what the end product looks like!', ), '10.p' => array( '1.b' => 'Why should audiences come see this show?', 2 => 'The voices! This cast is absolutely teeming with talent, so much so that we have two full casts of principals on offer. Some of the best up-and-coming singers in the Vancouver area and beyond, many of whom sing for sold out houses around the world, will be in this show - I think everyone will be amazed at the skill in this production.', ), '11.p' => array( '1.b' => 'What can we look forward to in the future from Heroic Opera?', 2 => 'While there are no firm plans yet, we’re thinking of performing', '3.i' => 'Elektra', 4 => 'by Richard Strauss, either in concert or as a production, or maybe something else…. Stay tuned to our website or follow us on', 5 => 'and', 6 => 'for all the details!', ), '12.p' => array( 1 => '|', 2 => '|', 3 => '|', 4 => '|', 5 => '|', 6 => '|', 7 => '|', 8 => '|', ), ), ), '5.div' => array( '1.div' => array( 1 => 'tags:', 2 => '#', 3 => '#', 4 => '#', 5 => '#', 6 => '#', 7 => '#', 8 => '#', 9 => '#', 10 => '#', 11 => '#', 12 => '#', 13 => '#', 14 => '#', 15 => '#', 16 => '#', 17 => '#', 18 => '#', 19 => '#', 20 => '#', 21 => '#', 22 => '#', 23 => '#', 24 => '#', ), '2.div' => array( '1.p' => array( 1 => 'So here we are, on the brink of another season! Before I dive into all the exciting things ahead, I should probably catch you up on the latest news. First of all, I’d like to thank every single person who came out to see our 2016-17 season finale', '2.i' => 'Here I Stand', 3 => ', as well as every supporter and volunteer who helped make our show happen. I’m happy to say that our performance was met with a standing ovation and rave reviews. Critics hailed it as “passionate”, “poignant” and “beautifully rendered” (', 4 => '), describing the voices as “angelic” (', 5 => ') and praising the show as “delightfully sweet and intimate, yet also powerful and raw” (', 6 => '). Thanks to the support of our generous sponsors, we gave away over $3,000 in charity raffle prizes; our event also broke our previous fundraising records, raising over $15,000 for the', 7 => '. That means we’ve raised over $50,000 for charity in the last five years. Thank you so much, because we couldn’t have done it without you!', ), '2.p' => array( 1 => 'As soon as', '2.i' => 'Here I Stand', 3 => 'wrapped, we dove straight into auditions and preparations for our next opera production. I’m excited to announce that 2017-18 will feature our biggest opera yet: Verdi’s dramatic masterpiece', '4.i' => 'Un ballo in maschera', 5 => ', or A Masked Ball. We’ll be presenting this riveting tale of forbidden love and political intrigue in partnership with the', 6 => ', a new group founded by award-winning soprano', 7 => '(known to Mariposa audiences as Angelica in', '8.i' => 'Suor Angelica', 9 => '). Heroic Opera’s mandate is to present works for big, dramatic voices, so we can’t wait to team up with them to bring Verdi’s lush and expansive music to life.', ), '3.p' => array( 1 => 'I’ll be sharing more about', '2.i' => 'Un ballo in maschera', 3 => 'in the coming days, but if you want a little taste of what we’re working on, you can join us this month for a sneak peek. On August 20th, we’re presenting an encore performance of December’s gala concert', 4 => '- back by popular demand, and now featuring an exclusive preview of our fall opera production. Once again, Frankfurt-based sopranos', 5 => 'and', 6 => 'will grace the Mariposa stage alongside our managing director Robin Hahn and pianist Angus Kellett. This time though, they’ll be joined by members of the', '7.i' => 'Ballo', 8 => 'cast, including multi-award-winning dramatic mezzo-soprano Melissa Ratcliff; tenor and Vancouver Opera favourite Mark Pepe; and acclaimed baritone Wiliam Liu, whom Mariposa audiences may remember as Herr Buff from', '9.i' => 'The Impresario', 10 => ', our very first opera. These magnificent artists will perform not only some of the most beautiful music from their repertoire, but songs and scenes from', '11.i' => 'Un ballo in maschera', 12 => '. Ticket sales will support our fall opera production, so whether or not you managed to catch', '13.i' => 'Go For Opera!', 14 => 'the first time ‘round, you won’t want to miss this show!', ), '4.p' => array( '1.i' => 'Go For Opera!', 2 => 'is a very special event for one more reason: it will mark Robin Hahn’s public farewell to Vancouver audiences. As I mentioned in my last post, Mariposa’s amazing co-founder and managing director is moving to Germany this fall to pursue her operatic career in Europe, which means this is the last chance to see her in concert before she heads overseas. I can’t believe that Robin and I have been running Mariposa together for six years now - I hope you’ll join me in wishing Robin an epic', '3.i' => 'bon voyage', 4 => 'as she heads off to take the international opera scene by storm!', ), '5.p' => array( 1 => 'I’ll look forward to seeing you in the audience at', '2.i' => 'Go For Opera!', 3 => '- it’s shaping up to be a night to remember!', ), '6.p' => array( 1 => 'Jacqueline Ko', 2 => 'Artistic Director', ), '7.p' => array( 1 => '|', 2 => '|', 3 => '|', 4 => '|', 5 => '|', 6 => '|', 7 => '|', 8 => '|', ), ), ), ), ), )