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    Canadian Opera Resource
    Canadian Opera Resource
    COR
    Operas
    The Handless Maiden: Scene 8 (Wash the Loss)
    Based on "The Handless Maiden," a mythic story found in cultures around the world, and a continuation of the events in Me and You (Madonna of the Wilderness).

    After seven years of wandering, the girl (now known as Madonna) has regained her hands through loving self-sacrifice. She’s returned to the cabin of her childhood, where her journey beg...
    Composer: Benton Roark
    Librettist: Katherine Koller

    The Handless Maiden: Scene 8 (Wash the Loss)
    The Handless Maiden: Scene 8 (Wash the Loss)
    Lullaby at the Shore
    Content warning: xenophobia, migration

    A young child wakes up alone on the beach. They call for their mother. The sound of the waves muffles the voices of people who worry about newcomers and the effect that they will have on their society. Other voices take over - other children declaring that the child belongs with them now.

    Inspired by ...
    Composer: Afarin Mansouri
    Librettist: Marcia Johnson

    Lullaby at the Shore
    Lullaby at the Shore
    M’dea Undone
    Content warning: death, murder, suicide, xenophobia

    Jason, an army captain and now war-hero, is returning home after years of war and an uncertain future. His interpreter and lover M’dea and their son Chase accompany him to a new life in the West. Jason begins a political career, working alongside the President and Dahlia, the President’s bea...
    Composer: John Harris
    Librettist: Marjorie Chan

    M’dea Undone
    Dark Star Requiem
    Content warning: illness, death, HIV/AIDS

    Dark Star Requiem is a poetic chronicle of the 25 years (as of 2010) of HIV-AIDS, reflecting the many faces of the disease and those affected by the pandemic.
    Composer: Andrew Staniland
    Librettist: Jill Battson

    Dark Star Requiem
    The Enslavement and Liberation of Oksana G.
    Content warning: captivity, sex trafficking, sex work, sexual violence, violence, death

    The Enslavement and Liberation of Oksana G. is a fictional dramatic opera built on extensive factual research. Set in Ukraine in 1997, it is the story of Oksana, a young woman lured into the world of sex trafficking by a Russian recruiter, Konstantin, who ...
    Composer: Aaron Gervais
    Librettist: Colleen Murphy

    The Enslavement and Liberation of Oksana G.
    Rocking Horse Winner
    Content warning: illness, death

    Rocking Horse Winner primarily explores the relationship between Paul, a young adult, and his emotionally distant mother, Ava.

    Paul is driven to bridge the relationship with his mother, but Ava s...
    Composer: Gareth Williams
    Librettist: Anna Chatterton

    Rocking Horse Winner
    Shanawdithit
    Content warning: colonial violence, colonialsm, death, illness

    1828, Notre Dame Bay, on the northeast shore of Newfoundland. William Cormack, an explorer and anthropologist, has recently created the Beothuk Institute: an organization designed to prevent the extinction of the original inhabitants of the island. After learning that a Beothuk wo...
    Composer: Dean Burry
    Librettist: Yvette Nolan

    Shanawdithit
    Shanawdithit
    The Overcoat: A Musical Tailoring
    Content warning: mental illness, alcohol use, incarceration due to mental illness

    Is it the clothes that make a man, or is it something other than?

    Based on the satirical Nikolai Gogol story of the same name, The Overcoat centres on Akakiy Akakiyevich, a diligent man no one likes, who works the numbers best he can. But he can barely pay th...
    Composer: James Rolfe
    Librettist: Morris Panych

    The Overcoat: A Musical Tailoring
    The Translator
    Content warning: death, incarceration, interrogation, suicide, torture

    A translator at a secret prison for suspected terrorists witnesses extreme torture and death of detainees. She leaks the information to news broadcasters, but the government covers it up as a hoax. Her supervisor begs her to say nothing more about the things she has seen -...
    Composer: David Ogborn
    Librettist: Leanna Brodie

    The Translator
    The Translator
    The Waterfall
    Content warning: sexual harassment, violence, fire

    A northern land, the end of winter. A cold, dusky pre-dawn on the edge of a mountain; across the valley roars a mighty waterfall. In this valley there are two farms, one poor - owned by Runa, a single woman - and one rich, owned by Olaf, who wishes Runa for his bride.

    Olaf proposes to Runa...
    Composer: Norbert Palej
    Librettist: Maja Ardal

    The Waterfall
    The Waterfall
    Noor Over Afghan
    Noor Over Afghan is set in Afghanistan, and tells the story of two young Afghani sisters, Noor and Jaan. But Jaan is dying, and begs Noor to take her place in the marriage and have her child. By the time the groom finds out, Jaan will have died. They swap places, Noor disguised by the veil.
    Composer: Christiaan Venter
    Librettist: Anusree Roy

    Noor Over Afghan
    Noor Over Afghan
    Of the Sea
    Content warning: descriptions of enslavement, violence, sexual violence, death

    A father will do anything to save his daughter. Of the Sea follows the story of Maduka, his daughter Binyelum, and fellow Africans thrown overboard during the Middle Passage who now populate mythical underwater kingdoms that span the ocean floor. Amidst the waves, ...
    Composer: Ian Cusson
    Librettist: Kanika Ambrose

    Of the Sea
    R.U.R. A Torrent of Light
    The fictional tech company R.U.R., founded by couple Helena and Dom, dominates the A.I. software market and powers the now-ubiquitous androids that serve their human owners.

    As Dom becomes more focused on growing R.U.R’s profits, Helena’s creative research leads to an unexpected technological breakthrough that pits the couples’ visions square...
    Composer: Nicole Lizée
    Librettist: Nicolas Billon

    R.U.R. A Torrent of Light
    Dragon’s Tale
    Content warning: death, suicide

    Dragon’s Tale is the story of a young Chinese-Canadian woman (Xiao Lian) and her ailing father, both living in Toronto. Xiao Lian wakes up in the ancient past and witnesses the last days of one of China’s greatest poets, Qu Yuan. In doing so, she begins to understand her father and herself as she returns to a c...
    Composer: Ka Nin Chan
    Librettist: Mark Brownell

    Dragon’s Tale
    The Waterfall (LIBLAB)
    Content warning: death, infanticide, murder

    A rumble of hooves. A family is fleeing, but the baby is slowing them down. The mother is forced to choose between her husband and her child. She chooses the husband and tries to get the baby to sleep before letting it go over a waterfall. At the last minute, the baby awakes, and the mother’s grief ...
    Composer: Norbert Palej
    Librettist: Maja Ardal

    The Waterfall (LIBLAB)
    The Waterfall (LIBLAB)
    Airline Icarus

    A worker ruminates on the terrifying power of flight as he loads bags.   Three passengers board and discover they’re sitting beside each other.  During the pre-departure safety demonstration, a flight attendant longs for an escape from her mundane life and job.  The three passengers think of their own isolation and lo...

    Composer: Brian Current
    Librettist: Anton Piatigorsky

    Airline Icarus
    Pomegranate
    On a fateful school trip to the ruins of Pompeii, the fantasies of smitten teenagers Suzie and Cass are ignited. They are transported from 1977 to 79 AD, where they discover romantic freedom in the looming shadow of Mount Vesuvius – but not for long. The timeline shifts to 1981 and the Fly by Night, a Toronto lesbian bar, in the aftermath of the...
    Composer: Kye Marshall
    Librettist: Amanda Hale

    Pomegranate
    La pagaille des violons
    The story of two clans of little violinists, one that plays only in pizzicato and the other one only with the bow. They each claim to make the most beautiful music, so they argue and try separately to summon the Goddess of Music. She appears only when they play together, and reconciles the two clans, explaining that there is no such thing as the...
    Composer: Diana Cotoman
    Librettist: Diana Cotoman

    La pagaille des violons
    Deirdre
    "Drawn from an Irish saga of the Red Branch Knights of Ulster in the druidic era, the story tells of the doom of the ruthless Conochar, King of Ullah (Ulster), and the tragic death of Naisi and his brothers, the Princes of Ullah, as a result of the rivalry between Conochar and Naisi for the love of the foundling Deirdre."

    - Carl Morey, The Ca...
    Composer: Healey Willan
    Librettist: John Coulter

    Deirdre
    Elijah’s Kite
    In a schoolyard full of kids, nine-year-old Elijah still feels alone. He’s had a lot of trouble from Big Billy Brett, who takes every opportunity to bully and tease Elijah and his friends. For comfort, Elijah brings his favourite kite to school. One day, they meet a strong new girl called Miriam. Miriam isn’t afraid of Billy and stands up to him...
    Composer: James Rolfe
    Librettist: Camyar Chai

    Elijah’s Kite
    Elijah’s Kite
    Iron Road
    Content warning: racism, colonialism, violence, death

    In 1880’s China, Lai Gwan, a young impoverished woman, stands on the brink of momentous change. Her dying mother urges her to respect and honour the memory of her father, Manli, whose disappearance to the New World haunts them both.

    Armed with the hope that she will find her father aliv...
    Composer: Ka Nin Chan
    Librettist: Mark Brownell

    Iron Road
    Get Stuffed
    Get Stuffed is a comic opera about serious decisions, featuring vocalizing vegetables and a big helping of other opinionated edible characters, all competing to influence one child's daily diet. Written for 5 singing actors and 2 musicians, this opera is intended for family audiences and touring to schools with a focus on encouraging youth to ma...
    Composer: Richard Payne
    Librettist: Alexis Diamond

    Get Stuffed
    COR
    Excerpts
    The Handless Maiden: Scene 8 (Wash the Loss) – Wash the Loss Away

    A Gardener, lost in the wilderness, ends up at Madonna's cabin. She recognizes him as the man in her dreams and vows to heal him of his grief.

    Dark Star Requiem – “Black Lion”

    The soloists describe AIDS as a black lion and a pack of hyenas, while the chorus continues listing medications.

    Dark Star Requiem – “Requiem”

    A funereal narration accompanied by a choral requiem.

    The Waterfall – Part 1

    On the first warm spring day in the mountains, Olaf, a rich farmer, proposes to Runa, a poor farmer, only to discover that she is in love with the bandit Davith. Angered by this, Olaf burns down Runa's farm, and Runa escapes up the mountain searching for Davith.

    The Translator – The Translator

    2003: After leaking torture photos to the internet, American army translator Alessandra Jenson refuses to be hushed up, and live streams her suicide in protest.

    Elijah’s Kite – Act 1, Scene 1: “Lunchtime!”

    It's lunchtime in the schoolyard.

    The Overcoat: A Musical Tailoring – Act 2, scene 6 and 7 (Finale)

    After days of near catatonia in his cold apartment, the landlady asks Petrovich to repair Akakiy’s old coat, to no avail. Even his coworkers arrive to check in, but by then, Akakiy is unreachable. Akakiy is committed to a mental hospital. Once he arrives, the other residents encourage him to look at things a little differently. It turns out h...

    The Overcoat: A Musical Tailoring – Act 2, scene 3 and 4

    The name day party. Everyone is dressed to the nines, but Akakiy adds up to at least an eleven. They fawn over his coat, going so far as to toast to it. Akakiy forgets to count his drinks, and ends up completely drunk. He gets lost on the way home, winding up in the rough part of town. Akakiy asks two men for directions, but instead, they kno...

    The Overcoat: A Musical Tailoring – Act 1, scene 6

    Akakiy gets caught in rush hour and arrives late to find the head the department telling a sad story about encountering a homeless vagrant. Annoyed at being interrupted, the head of the department grills Akakiy on his little notebook of numbers. Akakiy explains he was using it to find ways to save money, which gives the head an idea. He’ll cu...

    The Overcoat: A Musical Tailoring – Act 1, scene 1

    Akakiy reveals his fascination with numbers, and the chorus announces they’ll help keep track of things. His landlady enters to bring him some cabbage soup- and something more, which he refuses.

    Elijah’s Kite – Act 1, Scene 3: “Five little kids came out one day”

    Elijah and Keisha tell Miriam about Billy the bully. Billy bullies Elijah, then Miriam stands up to Billy.

    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...

    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 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 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...

    Dark Star Requiem – “Cuba Libre”

    An ode to alcohol and cocktails that devolves into a listing of medications.

    Dark Star Requiem – “Sentinel”

    A solo by the mezzo-soprano about nuns sex-shaming in hospitals, while the chorus repeatedly sings "sanctus".

    Dark Star Requiem – “Revolubile”

    A spoken duet about initial moments of attraction.

    Dark Star Requiem – “Theory, Prayers”

    Soloists list conspiracy theories about the origin and spread of HIV, while the chorus laughs in the background.

    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 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.

    Gould’s Wall – Scene 5

    The Celebrity is hosting a party.  He calls out to Glenn and persuades him to play the piano with him for his guests.  The guests gossip about the past performances and bad reviews while simultaneously applauding the artist.

    Dark Star Requiem – “The Great Gale”

    An intimate description of sex.

    Dark Star Requiem – “Congo and one of the four H’s”

    As the Democratic Republic of Congo fights for its independence, patients are being hospitalized and dying from AIDS-related illness.

    Partager la musique

    The Goddess of Music reconciles the tribe of the arco violin players with the tribe of pizzicato players, inviting them to make music together.

    Dark Star Requiem – “Zero Six One”

    Soloists and chorus sing the numbers attributed to HIV-1 and HIV-2 by the International Comitte of Taxonomy of Viruses.

    M’dea Undone – Act 1, Scene 6: The Beach

    A family outing to the beach turns into a photo op for the paparazzi.

    Iron Road – Act 1, Scene 1: The Ship

    Aboard a ship taking Chinese workers to British Columbia - they are hungry & thirsty. Ah Lum starts a fight with Lai Gwan, who is disguised as a young man, but they stop as the coast comes into view.

    Iron Road – Act 1, Scene 2: The Iron Road

    In Ottawa, Canadian politicians and moguls toast the launch of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. The Railway Foreman James Nichol encourages the workers until the impenetrable Rocky Mountains block their way. The Bookman comes to supply the cheap Chinese labour that will allow Nichol to conquer “The Great Divide.”

    Iron Road – Act 1, Scene 3: The Mountain

    The Chinese workers are led in and a disguised Lai Gwan challenges Manli the Bookman’s authority. He seeks revenge by assigning Lai Gwan to the most dangerous work in the camp: planting dynamite on the mountain face while suspended in a basket.

    Iron Road – Act 1, Scene 5: The Camp

    The Chinese workers decide to strike, led by Lai Gwan, after another death with no proper funeral. The strike is put down and Nichol stops Lai Gwan from being hung by Manli. She discovers Manli is her father.

    Iron Road – Act 2, Prologue: The Dream

    Lai Gwan dreams of the conflicting desires of her mother, father, Nichol and herself.

    Iron Road – Act 2, Scene 1: The Fight

    As Manli and Lai Gwan argue about their situation, Lai Gwan tells of Ama's death, which crushes Manli. He decides to set the next explosive charge himself. Nichol and Lai Gwan recognise their love and follow Manli into the tunnel.

    Iron Road – Act 2, Scene 2: The Cave

    In the explosion rubble, Lai Gwan and Nichol declare their love depsite Ama's warnings. Nichol dies as the workers rescue Lai Gwan and Manli, who declares his renewed love for his daughter.

    Iron Road – Act 2, Scene 3: The Iron Dragon

    Workers watch the train come to Eagle Pass - while the whites are happy, the Chinese realize there is no more work for them.

    Iron Road – Act 2, Scene 4: The Last Spike

    Whites celebrate the finishing of the railway and officially dismiss the Chinese, who blame Manli for abandoning them.

    Lullaby at the Shore – Lullaby at the Shore

    A child walks on a beach, in search of their parents.

    Get Stuffed – Finale (with Audience)

    A brief anthem to healthy eating.

    M’dea Undone – Act 1, Scene 1

    Jason, M'dea, and the soldiers return from war to a celebratory crowd. Some do not trust the new foreigner, M'dea.

    M’dea Undone – Act 1, Scene 2

    At a party, the Corporal mocks Jason for needing M'dea to help him win and for bringing her home.

    M’dea Undone – Act 1, Scene 4

    Jason and M'dea are expecting a baby. Citizens gossip about the couple.

    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...

    M’dea Undone – Act 2, Scene 1

    Jason and Dahlia are getting married. The citizens gossip.

    M’dea Undone – Act 2, Scene 7

    The President gives an election victory speech.

    M’dea Undone – Act 2, Scene 9

    The citizens gossip about the murder.

    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.

    Get Stuffed – Scene 1

    Zach's class studies the Canada Food Guide, making Zach's tummy grumble.

    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.

    The Enslavement and Liberation of Oksana G. – Act 1, Scene 4

    In Greece at a bar, three women are held captive: Konstantin sends Lyubia with a businessman, Natalyia with the Immigration officer who cuts her, and Oksana is bought by Konstantin at auction. Konstantin then offers to the crowd a gang rape just as the police arrive to raid the bar. Instead, he escapes with Oksana and Natalyia.

    The Enslavement and Liberation of Oksana G. – Act 1, Scene 6

    On the Albanian coast the women captives wait for the boat to Italy. Oksana is still defiant, trying to figure out an escape for herself and others. The boat and Konstantin arrive, and Oksana fails to convince him to free her and Natalyia.

    The Enslavement and Liberation of Oksana G. – Act 2, Scene 6

    Refugees are trying on clothes, when Dima and Konstantin enter looking for Oksana. Konstantin offers Father Alexander money for Oksana and Clara calls the police; Konstantin and Dima leave before the police arrive.

    Elijah’s Kite – Act 2, Scene 2: “Well now look who’s here”

    The kids all make up and fly Elijah's restored kite.

    Elijah’s Kite – Act 2, Scene 1: “Miriam is so cool”

    Miriam becomes a bully and destroys Elijah's kite.

    Iron Road – Act 1, Prologue: The Old World

    Before dying, Ama tells Lai Gwan of her father, gives her a wedding dress, and urges her to go to North America to find her father - but always remember Chinese traditions.

    COR

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