English Touring Opera comes to Cheltenham

29 March – A trio of powerful productions from English Touring Opera will take to the stage in Cheltenham this March, when fans can see Don Giovanni, Anna Bolena and Susannah performed at The Everyman Theatre.

Cheltenham will be the setting for a feast for opera lovers this March, when dazzling new productions of Don Giovanni, Anna Bolena and Susannah will all be performed by English Touring Opera at The Everyman Theatre.

English Touring Opera’s general director, James Conway, said: ‘It is something of an adventure to put on such a red-blooded trio of operas,’ and with the fully staged operas including Mozart and Donizetti classics, as well as the UK professional touring premiere of 20th century American opera Susannah, fans won’t be disappointed by the diverse choice of three performances.

Don Giovanni at The Everyman

Mozart’s Don Giovanni is one of the darkest comedies ever written, tracking the last days of the legendary Don Juan – who proves himself to be both charming and impious, exuberant and unkind as his story unwinds.

Directed by Jonathan Munby, the opera sung in English will feature a talented cast including Roland Wood as the title role of Don Giovanni, while Jonathan Gunthorpe will play his long suffering servant. Conway said: ‘This production of Don Giovanni promises to register all the light and shade of that tremendous account of the famous libertine’s last 24 hours on earth, set in the courtyards and alleys of Seville’.

From the first, fatal notes of the overture to the shocking final scene, Don Giovanni remains an audience favourite.

Don Giovanni will be performed at The Everyman on Tuesday 25 and Friday 28 March at 7.30pm.

Anna Bolena at The Everyman

Anna Bolena remains one of the most moving and powerful artistic representations of the ill-fated queen Anne Boleyn, with beautiful arias, powerful orchestration, and rousing choruses.

Julie Unwin and emerging star Julia Riley portray the friends and rivals Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour, with Brazilian tenor Luciano Botelho playing Anne’s lover Percy, while Riccardo Simonetti plays the King in this production by ETO General Director James Conway.

Conway said: ‘Anna Bolena, Donizetti’s first great triumph at La Scala, is a big, beautiful bel canto beast, imaginatively treating the last days of Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn.’

English Touring Opera presents a new production of Anna Bolena, featuring a full orchestra and period costumes. The opera will be sung in Italian with English translations projected for the audience.

Anna Bolena will be staged at The Everyman on Wednesday 26 and Saturday 29 March at 7.30pm.

Susannah at The Everyman

Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah is a haunting opera, written in English, which is a contemporary retelling of the biblical tale of Susanna and the Elders that remains socially relevant today.

With soaring arias, heart-wrenching lullabies, and traditional hymns, Susannah is the story of a young girl who dreams of leaving her Tennessee valley home to experience the world beyond the mountains. These innocent dreams are shattered by the arrival of a newcomer as she is falsely accused of immorality, and the resulting events change life for everyone in the valley.

Susannah enjoys a place amongst the finest works of 20th century American lyric theatre second only to Porgy and Bess in popularity. Susannah will feature Donna Bateman in the title role and Andrew Slater in the role of the evangelist Olin Blitch.

Of the production Conway said: ‘Susannah is a forceful drama that will appeal to all theatre goers, with a score that is a lyrical whirlwind and terrific moral power. Eagerly awaited by opera buffs, it will also be an ideal first-time experience of opera.’

Susannah will be staged at The Everyman on Thursday 27 March at 7.30pm.

Event: English Touring Opera present Don Giovanni, Anna Bolena and Susannah
Venue: The Everyman Theatre
Dates: Tuesday 25 to Saturday 29 March 2008, see above for more details.
Times: Each performance starts at 7.30pm, see above for more details.
Tickets: Cost between £12 and £25, available from the Everyman box office on (01242) 572573.

SoGlos.com
11 March 2008