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    Canadian Opera Resource
    Canadian Opera Resource
    COR
    Excerpts
    M’dea Undone – Act 1, Scene 10: Dahlia’s Bedroom (duet)

    Dahlia's father encourages her to seduce Jason, and promises her she can have anything she wants.

    M’dea Undone – Act 1, Scene 11: The Ballroom

    The party is about to announce Jason's candidacy. Jason and Dahlia dance together, oblivious to all the others. Enraged, M'dea smashes a glass wall, showering fragments over the party guests.

    M’dea Undone – Act 2, Scene 1

    Jason and Dahlia are getting married. The citizens gossip.

    M’dea Undone – Act 2, Scene 2: The President’s Office

    The President threatens M'dea with prison or the loss of her son if she doesn't do as he wants. He warns her not to cause trouble for Jason.

    M’dea Undone – Act 2, Scene 3: Fountain

    M'dea has a breakdown and brings Chase to the fountain at Jason and Dahlia's, where she sees the ghost of her mother. She is discovered by Jason and Dahlia, and a fight ensues.

    M’dea Undone – Act 2, Scene 4: Dahlia’s Bedroom

    Dahlia convinces Jason to send M'dea away.

    M’dea Undone – Act 2, Scene 5

    M'dea tries once more to get Jason to stay with her, but he believes he will never forget his war crimes if she is in his life. M'dea eventually agrees to go back to her country.

    M’dea Undone – Act 2, Scene 6: The Game (duet)

    On the eve of their departure, M'dea and Chase play a gruesome game imagining ways to kill Dahlia the demoness.

    M’dea Undone – Act 2, Scene 7

    The President gives an election victory speech.

    M’dea Undone – Act 2, Scene 8: Killing (aria)

    Just before the wedding, Jason discovers Dahlia and the President murdered.

    M’dea Undone – Act 2, Scene 9

    The citizens gossip about the murder.

    M’dea Undone – Act 2, Scene 10: Aftermath

    After the murders, M'dea almost kills herself but is interrupted by Chase. They escape to the beach.

    M’dea Undone – Act 2, Scene 11: The Beach

    Pursued by Jason and the guards, M'dea and Chase climb a cliff by the ocean. When they reach the top, they play a version of their make-believe game, and jump off.

    Morning Prayers – Morning Prayers

    A man tries to write a letter home, but he cannot find the right words. He burns each rejected attempt.

    Mother Everest – “Namaste” (aria)

    Jackie realizes that her sherpa has died.

    Mother Everest – Mother Everest

    Westerner Jackie and sherpa Pasang summit Everest without using oxygen cannisters. Soon their victory turns into a culture clash as they argue about their affair and the mountain, and slowly die of hypoxia.

    Naila and Lolo – Naila and Lolo

    The 1947 Partition of India forces two children to say goodbye. One departs for Pakistan, leaving her pet rabbit and childhood treasures with her friend.

    Noor Over Afghan – Scene 1

    Jaan, who is dying, asks her sister Noor to secretely take her place on her wedding day. Noor reluctantly agrees.

    Noor Over Afghan – Scene 2

    The wedding ceremony. Noor hesitates, then marries Rafique.

    Noor Over Afghan – Scene 3

    Jaan meets group of tribal women in the desert who convince her to stay with them while she dies. Noor takes Jaan's place in the circle.

    Noor Over Afghan – Scene 4: The Wedding Night

    Noor tells the lie Jaan asked of her to Rafique. Rafique sends her away and tries to figure out what he should do.

    Noor Over Afghan – Scene 5

    Jaan remains alive. The tribal women suggest she should write to Noor to know what has happen and ease her mind.

    Noor Over Afghan – Scene 6

    In bed, Rafique and Noor separately wonder how to get out of their situation.

    Noor Over Afghan – Scene 7: Desert (aria)

    In a letter, Jaan asks if Noor still loves her.

    Noor Over Afghan – Scene 8

    Receiving Jaan's letter, Noor forgives her sister. Noor and Rafique decide they will try to remain friends.

    One Night, One Bell – One Night, One Bell

    A man coerces a woman to have sex with him in exchange for saving the one remaining temple bell from being melted down for the war metal supply.

    One Night, One Bell – “It peals and carries my prayers” (aria)

    A woman makes an appeal that the metal of her bell shouldn't be used for a war machine.

    Opposites Attract – Scene 1

    A couple argue: Keith is trying to interrupt Erica's rant.

    Opposites Attract – Scene 2

    At a bar, Erica laments the men she chooses. Jackie looks for a rich man- and a rich man walks into the bar.

    Opposites Attract – Scene 3

    Jackie demands Alex say something, but Alex doesn't. Erica paces.

    Opposites Attract – Scene 4

    Keith tells Erica he has taken a vow of chastity to become a priest, but Erica still tries to seduce him.

    Opposites Attract – Scene 5

    We hear Keith teaching a child to play violin. Alex listens happily while Jackie wishes she was still at work.

    Opposites Attract – Scene 6

    Erica is angry with Keith for having an anxiety attack as they host a party together.

    Opposites Attract – Scene 7

    Erica and Keith have an awkward meeting in a cafe.

    Opposites Attract – Scene 8

    Two couples on a resort patio watch and comment on each other.

    Oubliette – Oubliette

    Having escaped forced confinment in a basement, a girl approaches a stranger. She asks if the stranger knows her, as she tries to remember her past.

    Playing Ball – Playing Ball

    Tabitha helps her father Ken, who has had a stroke. She combs his hair and helps him with his therapy ball, retrieving it each time he drops it.

    Pursuit – Pursuit

    A female barista is infatuated with a male customer and stalks him. He thinks he recognizes her from his neighbourhood.

    Rosa – “Every day I blistered my hands…” (duet)

    Hector and Isabelle express their resentment towards each other for the sacrifices they each made.

    Sanctuary Song – Prologue/Scene 1: Goodbye

    As he tries to get into the train car, James explains to Sydney the elephant why it is best for her to leave the zoo for a new home.

    Sanctuary Song – Scene 2: Capture

    James and Sydney start their journey. Sydney remembers being young and playing in the forest with her friend Penny. One day, they are both captured, and the family herd is shot.

    Sanctuary Song – Scene 3: Fire

    Sydney is injured in a fire and sold to the zoo.

    Sanctuary Song – Scene 4: Alone (aria)

    Sydney on her first day at the zoo. Frightened and alone, she thinks of her homeland.

    Sanctuary Song – Scene 5: First Meeting

    Sydney and James meet for the first time. Though both are nervous, they connect with each other.

    Sanctuary Song – Scene 6: Arrival

    Sydney and James arrive in Tennessee, remembering their 22 years together. They say goodbye.

    Sanctuary Song – Scene 7: Reunion

    Sydney exits the train with James at the Sanctuary and sees her old friend Penny. They reunite lovingly. Sydney and James say their final goodbye.

    Shanawdithit – “Out of this world” (aria)

    Shanawdithit, dying, speaks to her ancestors. She is ready to leave this world.

    Shanawdithit – “These last few months” (aria)

    Cormack presents his findings about Shanawdithit to the members of the Beothuk institute.

    Shanawdithit – “What? A man?” (aria)

    Shanawdithit reprimands Cormack for his saviour complex.

    Shanawdithit – Scene 1

    Cormack meets Shanawdithit for the first time. She’s been working as a servant for Peyton for five years under the colonial name of Nancy April. Cormack is awed; he believes this woman is the last of the Beothuk. Peyton gives her to him, saying she’s useless.

    Shanawdithit – Scene 2

    Cormack’s study in St. John’s, now Shanawdithit’s room. “Nancy April” reveals she can speak English quite well, and tells Cormack her real name: Shanawdithit. Cormack asks her where the rest of her people are, where her home is. Shanawdithit says simply: they are no more. Shanawdithit reflects on the loss of her people and the taking of her a...

    Shanawdithit – Scene 4

    The taking of Demasduit weighs heavy on Shanawdithit’s heart. Cormack, unsure of what to do, tries to comfort her, saying Demasduit was treated well. Shawnadithit asks if white people actually care about her people, her story, because Cormack’s words are betrayed by the actions of his fellows, and indeed, his own. Cormack insists he will ensu...

    Shanawdithit – Scene 5: Salmon, Seal, Caribou

    Shanawdithit describes the last days of her family as they were pushed from their land and then hunted. She asks Cormack not to speak of their death, but of their life. Cormack is ecstatic and gets lost in the memories Shanawdithit paints. She breaks his reverie with the cold fact that the life she speaks of will never happen again. She colla...

    Shanawdithit – Scene 6

    Cormack tries to raise funds for Shanawdithit’s care without success. James Simms offers to care for her while Cormack is away.

    Shanawdithit – Scene 7

    Her health fading, Shanawdithit wonders if she’ll be welcomed into the spirit world after so much time with the colonists. Cormack tells her he must leave, and Shanawdithit gives him a sketch of his house to carry with him. He leaves the room to pack. Shanawdithit hears the spirits of her people calling her name. It is time. One spirit in par...

    The Call of the Light – The Call of the Light

    In the Blue Room of the Quebec National Assembly, Denis Lortie kills and wounds people with a submachine gun as a protest against Quebec sovereignty.

    The Cellar Door – “Down there I won’t go” (aria)

    Daniel sings of his fear at the prospect of going down into the cellar of his childhood home, after his father has died.

    The Cellar Door – “That’s all you have to say?” (aria)

    Judith sings angrily at her brother when he expresses his desire to leave their childhood home after their father has died.

    The Cellar Door – The Cellar Door

    Back in his childhood home after the death of this father, Daniel kills his sister when she wants to resume their childhood sexual relationship.

    The Golden Boy – The Golden Boy

    After a painful argument, a mother tells her son the truth of his father's absence and tries to comfort him.

    Where You Live – Where You Live

    A businessman is waiting for a streetcar, with his back to an unhoused woman. The two silently judge each other. The man is annoyed at seeing someone who wants something for nothing, and the woman is feeling judged for a situation she has no control over. The two finally acknowledge each other, and we discover their shared experience.

    Dragon’s Tale – Dragon’s Tale – Scene 1

    A young Chinese/Canadian woman (Xiao Lian) faces a difficult choice: Honour her family’s traditional past or embrace a more modern future. Her father dwells on the memory of his deceased wife and honours her by performing the Qingming funeral tradition. Meanwhile, Xiao Lian’s two friends want her to get out and be more social. Her ...

    Dragon’s Tale – Dragon’s Tale – Scene 2

    Xiao Lian’s father bitterly reveals that he will die soon. Xiao Lian’s mother appears in spirit form and asks her to forgive her father. She speaks of their happiness together as a family in earlier times. As a child, Xiao Lian had a close connection with the Dragon Boat Festival, known as Duanwu and its hero, the ancient poet Qu Y...

    Dragon’s Tale – Dragon’s Tale – Scene 3

    Xiao Lian vows to look to the past and summons the great spirit of Qu Yuan. His spirit rises and assumes the form of Xiao Lian’s father.

    Dragon’s Tale – Dragon’s Tale – Scene 4

    Xiao Lian is transported back to the ancient royal court, where she witnesses the majestic entrance of King Huai of Chu. Qu Yuan is at the peak of his power but is soon outfoxed by rival minister Zhang Yi. Qu Yuan is cast down and banished by his beloved king.

    Dragon’s Tale – Dragon’s Tale – Scene 5

    Qu Yuan wanders into the southern wilderness. As he travels, he composes a lament for himself and his lost position in court. In the present, Xiao Lian’s Father senses his end is near. Summoning up his strength, he joins with the spirit of Qu Yuan to tell the final chapter.

    Dragon’s Tale – Dragon’s Tale – Scene 6

    Years later, Qu Yuan has earned the honour and respect of the people in a little fishing village on the river Miluo. Xiao Lian and a local villager strike up a conversation with Qu Yuan, and it is soon revealed that The Kingdom of Chu has been destroyed by its enemies. After learning this news, Qu Yuan’s heart breaks, and he drowns...

    Dragon’s Tale – Dragon’s Tale – Scene 7

    All hope is lost as the villagers return and collect Qu Yuan’s possessions. They take the scrolls containing his famous poetry to the Daoist temple, where they will be preserved forever. Xiao Lian returns to the present at the bedside of her dying father. With his encouragement and love, she finally recognizes the value of honourin...

    Dragon’s Tale – Dragon’s Tale – Scene 8

    Xiao Lian performs the Qingming ceremony to honour the spirit of her departed father and mother. Love and fellowship combine in the running of a dragon boat race. Xiao Lian joins her friends and crosses into her future.

    Dragon’s Tale – Dragon’s Tale – Scene 9

    The combined spirits of Qu Yuan and Father return and ask the audience to release them from their servitude. That freedom granted, they ascend into the heavens triumphantly.

    Sleep, Sleep – Sleep, Sleep

    A boy and his mother make up ways of killing an unnamed woman.  When the game is over, the boy asks what would happen if they killed the woman “for real,” if it would make his father love them again.

    Snow Globe – Snow Globe

    A sister and brother go through the belongings of their recently departed mother and find an old snow globe from their youth. They both really want to keep it. A bitter fight ensues and the sister inadvertently blurts out a very painful secret.

    Sooner Than Later – Close your eyes, son
    A father comforts his son as he encourages him to end his life, rather than waiting for him to die of a terminal illness.
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