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Calgary Opera announces 2014-25 season

Calgary Opera’s 2014-15 season starts with Silent Night . Photo: Michal Daniel Photography

Calgary Opera has revealed a lineup for 2014-15 that begins with a production commemorating the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War followed by two well-known classics. But first it will wrap up its current season with a second annual opera festival in the East Village.

Following a successful debut in 2013 this year’s Opera In the Village — the only outdoor summer opera festival in Canada — has been expanded to run over two weekends from August 14 to 23 and will feature not just one but two presentations in the 900-seat big top. The main attraction will be the lighthearted Candide led by the same team that presented The Pirates of Penzance at last year’s event but there will also be matinees of a family-friendly version of Hansel & Gretel . Opera in the Village will also feature roving magic and circus performers from The Green Fools outdoor recitals singing contests movie nights a beer garden and food trucks.

Once the carnival has wrapped up the 2014-15 season will begin starting with the Canadian première of Silent Night a Pulitzer Prize-winning opera by Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell that is set during the First World War and tells the story of a spontaneous truce on Christmas Eve of 1914. The opera will run Novermber 8 12 and 14 2014. The cast includes Sally Dibblee Roger Honeywell Brett Polegato Daniel Okulitch and James Westerman.

The other two operas in the mainstage season include: a new co-production of The Marriage of Figaro one of Mozart’s masterpieces showing January 31 and February 4 and 6 2015; and Bizet’s Carmen which features some of opera’s best-known music showing April 18 22 and 24 2015.

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