Production Details
Dates:
July 11, 15, 17, 18; July 31st, 2012
Venues:
Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne.
Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash University.
Tour:
Sale (24/08/2013); Frankston (14/09/2013)
Hobart (05/10/2013)
Running Time:
2hr 30m, one 25 minute interval.
Composer: Giacomo Puccini
Conductor: Greg Hocking
Director: Hugh Halliday
Starring: Roy Best, Victoria Lambourn, Philip Calagano, Emily Xiao Wang, Andrea Creighton, Roger Howell, Danielle Calder.
Cosi Fan Tutte is a wonderful introduction to opera and is much loved by fans, and follows on from Carmen and La Boheme. Melbourne Opera has again assembled a superb cast for this production under the direction of leading director Suzanne Chaundy.
Renowned for her fresh outlook on the repertoire, Chaundy has updated the traditional story to 1960s Melbourne, when strict moral values are challenged by free love. Don Alfonso, local Bar and Pizzeria owner is somewhat jaded by his experience in love and challenges two young Vietnam soldiers to put their very traditionally raised Italian migrant girlfriends to the test. This involves the boys pretending to be “called up” to the despair of their girls but actually returning as Love Gurus to sweep the girls off their feet.
All this is aided and abetted by the far more worldly Despina. Confusion and high comedy ensues, combined with a somewhat more serious examination of the nature of love and attraction. Regarded as one of Mozart and Da Ponte’s greatest achievements, the opera features arias and ensembles unmatched in their musical and dramatic perfection.
Press & Reviews
“The extremely strong alternate cast demonstrates the depth of Melbourne Opera’s talent pool.”
— Simon Parris
Gallery
Cast & Crew
Cast:
Fiordiligi – Danielle Calder & Emily Xiao Wang
Dorabella – Victoria Lambourn & Angela Hogan
Ferrando – Roy Best & Paul Biencourt
Guglielmo – Phillip Calcagno & Nathan Lay
Despina – Andrea Creighton & Nicole Wallace
Don Alfonso – Roger Howell & Ian Cousins
Chorus:
TENORS
Paul Dernelley, Tim Jaques, Nick Renfree-Marks, David Woodberry.
BASSES
Michael Carr, Bernie Nolan, Roland Seidl, John Davies.
SOPRANOS
Jessica Bull, Jodie Debono, Sue Halls, Fiona Jopson, Debra O’Connor.
MEZZOS
Kathy Hatton, Maree Macmillan, Gabriella Page, Cecily Woodberry, Sue Robertson.
Director: Suzanne Chaundy
Conductor: Greg Hocking
Assistant Conductor: Patrick Burns
Designer – Set & Costumes: Christina Logan-Bell
Designer – Lighting: Lucy Birkinshaw
Head of Music/Chorus Master/Repetiteur: Raymond Lawrence
Stage Manager: Gemma Fletcher
Assistant Director: Nick Renfree-Smith
Assistant Stage Manager: Joel West
Wigs, Hair, Makeup: Amanda Cummings, Jessice Batzmarowski
Set Construction: Peter Turley
Company Manager: Robbie McPhee
Producer: Greg Hocking AM
