COR
Operas
Charlie is performing in a show, and while backstage receives an unexpected visit from the Virgin Mary. Mary has news for Charlie: he is pregnant with the son of God. The little messiah has come to fulfill a prophecy - will armageddon strike the earth, or will forgiveness once again save it all?
Composer: William Rowson
Librettist: Taylor Graham
As a teenager in the 1920s, my grandmother Gladys played piano for silent films in the remote New Zealand town of Takaka. She still recalls a film which was shot nearby at Pohara beach. Although Glad has never seen the film, I found out later that it was the underwater spectacular Venus of the South Seas, starring Australian diver Annette Keller...
Composer: Juliet Palmer
Librettist: Juliet Palmer
Content warning: contains depictions of gun violence, mentions of homophobia, transphobia, self-harm, attempted suicide, memory loss, illness, death, and violence
Julie d'Aubigny (1673-1707), more often known by her stage name "Mademoiselle Maupin," was a queer and gender non-conforming opera singer. She was a mezzo-soprano, and sang some of ...
Julie d'Aubigny (1673-1707), more often known by her stage name "Mademoiselle Maupin," was a queer and gender non-conforming opera singer. She was a mezzo-soprano, and sang some of ...
Composer: Colin McMahon
Librettist: Camille Rogers
A young, extraordinarily talented musician is striving for perfection in her art. Her path to greatness? A magnificent wall.
Bursting with the compulsion to reach the top, she invokes Canadian icon, classical pianist Glenn Gould to guide her towards dizzying heights – but the path isn’t easy. Each brick represents her art, her rigour, and her...
Bursting with the compulsion to reach the top, she invokes Canadian icon, classical pianist Glenn Gould to guide her towards dizzying heights – but the path isn’t easy. Each brick represents her art, her rigour, and her...
Composer: Brian Current
Librettist: Liza Balkan
The Don Valley. 1880, Toronto.
Join George Taylor and the travelling Gilbert & Sullivan theatrical troupe The Vagabonds in a twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of the birth of his papermill. Unbeknownst to him, Jeremiah - the leader of a local small-potatoes bandit group called The Rift Rafters - just discovered a long-hidden secret abo...
Join George Taylor and the travelling Gilbert & Sullivan theatrical troupe The Vagabonds in a twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of the birth of his papermill. Unbeknownst to him, Jeremiah - the leader of a local small-potatoes bandit group called The Rift Rafters - just discovered a long-hidden secret abo...
Composer: Benton Roark
Librettist: Julie Tepperman
Content warning: terminal illness
This is not a biographical opera, it is an exploration of an emotional journey. At age 5, Jacqueline has instant chemistry and sparks fly when she meets her cello. Their relationship grows stronger and closer, and Jacqueline matures into a charismatic and likeable teen, powerful on major stages. Soon she is a...
This is not a biographical opera, it is an exploration of an emotional journey. At age 5, Jacqueline has instant chemistry and sparks fly when she meets her cello. Their relationship grows stronger and closer, and Jacqueline matures into a charismatic and likeable teen, powerful on major stages. Soon she is a...
Composer: Luna Pearl Woolf
Librettist: Royce Vavrek
Singer-songwriter Josie works on a song in her shared Portland apartment, a girl-at-the-guitar on the cusp of leaving for New York City and a long-anticipated big break. Though her luggage is packed and she’s almost out the door, her boyfriend interjects with objections—he’ll miss her. Josie’s reassurances, dreams of him visiting her on the East...
Composer: Elisabeth Mehl Greene
Librettist: Norman Yeung
A blind dancer and the shadow of her former sight share a final dance.
Composer: James Rolfe
Librettist: David Yee
A famous blues singer is warming up in her dressing room before the show. Her partner, Jack, enters and a fight begins.
Composer: Chris Thornborrow
Librettist: Morris Panych
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Excerpts
With a sense of freedom, Louise discovers daring, new musical terrain with Glenn's encouragement.
George has a proposal for Lily. Henri has a confession. The Great Recorder Smackdown happens, and Lily is caught in the crossfire. Lily sends them all away without answering.
Henri wonders how, after all this time, it is possible that Lily doesn't reciprocate her feelings of love.
La Maupin introduces herself to the audience, sharing some of the gossip that has been spread about her.
Maupin tells the story of a scandalous love affair from her youth, culminating in a daring escape from a convent.
Maupin takes to the stage of the Paris Opéra.
Maupin challenges a rude nobleman to a duel.
Maupin remembers her romance with the Countess de Florensac.
Louise, a young talented artist, arrives and prepares for her first climb. She is seeking excellence, precision, and beauty. It is a quest toward attaining perfection in her art. Louise connects with her inspiration, support and icon: Glenn Gould. Their journey together begins.
Louise encounters The Teacher at the window. The Teacher instructs on the development of rigorous, meticulous technique. Discussion of artistic philosophy is included in the training. Glenn recalls his own teacher.
Charlie performs the first number of his act: Mother Mary in the nativity scene, with the worries of a new mother carrying the son of god.
The Mother appears at the window. She shares memories, loving praise and admonishments. The development of her child's talent and success has been her life's focus.
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.
Glenn tells Louise that applause should be banned. The Housewife shares the profound impact of witnessing Glenn's performance.
Both Louise and Glenn are tired. They share stories about their nightmares.
Louise and Glenn talk about their daily rituals. Re-energized, Louise wants to get back to climbing again. She starts muscling her way upward, urged on by thoughts of fame. Glenn's focus turns to his various medications and need for isolation. Glenn feels a sharp pain and struggles to support Louise. Both start to lose their grip, and Louis...
Glenn is lost in a painful memory of The Mother in hospital.
The Girl calls out to Glenn. She asks him for help with a piece of music.
Louise is ready. She chooses a climb, exploring and unleashing her own full voice as she travels upward.
George celebrates the 25th anniversary of his paper mill with an important announcement. Lily is introduced. Freddy gets some bad news.
Jacqueline, the child, tells her cello they will play great concert halls and make records.
A blind dancer and the shadow of her former sight share a final dance.
A famous blues singer is warming up in her dressing room before the show. Her partner, Jack, enters and a fight begins.
A couple fights as a woman leaves to pursue her dream.
In her prime. At a post-gala cocktail party, Jackie ironically confesses she has a terrible disease: glissando-itis.
Comparing herself to Samson, Jackie and her husband have a tangled night of love one rainy night.
In her prime, Jackie admits she finds the pace of touring life dizzying. The sycophants at parties are starting to get to her.
On a phone call with her mother, Jackie is admonished. She begs her mother to visit. She’s alone with fragments of memory.
Delirious, Jackie envisions running to the ocean again through the fields, this time with her sister, Hilary. She asks that Hilary not tell Daniel about the disease.
Jackie tells us how she can blur the lines between fantasy and reality at will. She can escape the confines of her chair by dreaming of bathing in the sea. She wonders where Daniel is, and who he’s seeing.
In his dressing room, Mother Mary explains to Charlie that he is pregnant with the son of god and offers him tips from her experience. Eventually, Charlie accepts that he will be a parent, and vows to protect the new messiah.
Jacqueline remembers playing in the fields with her sister in her childhood, and the fragrance of wildflowers.
Jacqueline experiences symptoms, but her physical illness is undiagnosed, and she is instead told it is hysterical or psychosomatic.
Jacqueline enjoys telling a joke about some monks' sexual arousal.
Jacqueline remembers happy times with her cello in childhood.
Angry and frustrated at her physical inability to play, Jacqueline cancels her remaining performances.
The Vagabond Theatrical Troupe presents! Jeremiah gives George an ultimatum but has to prove himself first in more ways than one, and all is wrapped up in the finest paper package.
Drag performer Charlie sings a number in the persona of the Virgin Mary.
Charlie sings gently to his child, the Messiah, who he has been chosen to bear.
In his dressing room, drag performer Charlie puts on his Virgin Mary costume, witnessed by the real Virgin Mary inside his mirror.
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