Saturday 19th October at 19:30 pm, opening night, Sunday 20th October 15:00 pm matinee performance sees the culmination of three weeks of intensive but ever so enjoyable rehearsals for Arcadian Opera’s production of Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet. We are in the fabulous Roxburgh Hall Theatre, Stowe School, MK18 5EH a beautiful location mid-way between Banbury off the M40 J10 motorway and Milton Keynes M1 J14. (Tickets)
During the rehearsals, I have learnt so much working under the watchful ears and eyes of Justin Lavender and Alison Marshall and I can’t wait to take to the stage next Saturday to help bring this opera to life.
Some Pictures From One Of Our Rehearsals
The story is such a sad story. I remember as a teenager, about the age of Juliet in the story, traveling to Verona on a family holiday and visiting the site of Juliet’s balcony. At the time I just could not have imagined being in her position, a forbidden love with an impossible decision that brought with it unintended consequences.
The music is so beautiful and, in this production, we will be singing in English accompanied by the Arcadian Opera Chorus and Orchestra. Although current productions of Romeo and Juliet are more often than not updated, the set and costumes designed by Stage Director Ali Marshall, put the action back in the wild and dangerous times of fifteenth-century Italy, when gang warfare was also a fact of life.
James Hutchings (Tybalt) practicing swordplay
with William Branston (Romeo)
Justin Lavender, Musical Director
Our Music Director is Justin Lavender, he was originally persuaded by Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten to abandon nuclear engineering for music. His international debut was as Nadir in Les Pêcheurs de Perles at Sydney Opera House. This success led to engagements with opera companies and orchestras throughout the world at the very highest levels. In 1990 he made debuts at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, singing the leading role of Arnold in Rossini’s spectacular masterpiece, Guillaume Tell, as well as at the Wiener Staatsoper as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. His debut at La Scala, Milan, in the title role of Rossini’s Le Comte Ory came the following year, along with Demodokos in Dallapiccola’s Ulisse at the Salzburg Festival. (MORE)
Alison Marshall, Artistic Director
Alison Marshall initially trained for five years at the prestigious Tring Park School for the Performing Arts after which she studied for a further three years at the Royal Academy of Dancing. She then became a professional ballet dancer in Germany, rising to be a solo dancer, appearing in many of the favourite classical roles as well as several roles that were created especially for her. While there, ballet roles permitting, she would occasionally sing in the extra-chorus of the opera company resident in the same theatre. (MORE)
I do hope that if some of you are in the area you can come along to watch, I’ve advised my parents and grandparents to bring along their tissues. Yesterday I introduced my old friends and previous neighbours to come to watch the Fire of Olympus opera in York and they really enjoyed it, especially that for their first experience of opera it was sung in English and they could understand everything. So if you’ve never tried opera and always wanted to know what it is like I recommend Romeo and Juliet, a story you probably know, again sung in English. We’d love you to come along and support us. All my best wishes, Charlotte x
Pictures From Today’s Sitzprobe Rehearsal