A vibrant new production of Opera Highlights goes on the road this February visiting 19 venues around Scotland, following a successful tour in the Autumn.
Scottish Opera’s 2023/24 Associate Artist, mezzo-soprano Lea Shaw (Carmen 2023), along with former and current Emerging Artists, tenor Shengzhi Ren (Daphne 2023), soprano Inna Husieva and baritone Ross Cumming (both last seen in The Barber of Seville), perform in this one-of-a-kind show, created specifically for the Company each season.
From 11 February to 23 March, they will travel to Greenock, Dunlop, Stirling, Ardrishaig, Blairgowrie, Peterhead, Aboyne, Strathpeffer, Tongue, Stornoway, Poolewe, Dornie, Ballachulish, Tobermory, Johnstone, Middleton, Duns, St Andrews and Largs.
Accompanying them on piano is Music Director James Longford. Laura Attridge (The Miserly Knight and Mavra 2022), returns to direct the new cast, and designs are by Ana Inés Jabares-Pita.
The playlist, devised by Scottish Opera’s former Head of Music Derek Clark, cleverly combines a fabulous collection of much-loved classics with a treasure trove of lesser-known pieces. These include music from Verdi’s La traviata, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Puccini’s La bohème, Arthur Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, alongside works by Kurt Weill and William Walton. Audiences also have the chance to hear Toby Hession’s short opera, entitled ‘In flagrante’.
Celebrating love and life, this production of Opera Highlights is set at a wedding, and the show explores the stories that happen in the margins of this kind of occasion. The characters – four guests and four staff members – will find their narratives interweaving as the day progresses, with audiences following them through a series of intimate exchanges via a rich programme of operatic gems. The variety of musical styles span three centuries of history, and include a series of arias, duets, trios, and quartets together with a delicate overarching narrative devised by the Company.
Director Laura Attridge said: ‘I’m so looking forward to getting back into the rehearsal room with a brilliant new cast and Musical Director for Opera Highlights. We had a fantastic response from audiences who attended performances in the Autumn, and I can’t wait to share this joyful show with new communities across Scotland.’
Audiences praised the Autumn Opera Highlights tour, with one member calling it ‘an amazing musical experience’, whilst another praised the ‘extremely high’ standard of singing.
Opera Highlights is kindly supported by Friends of Scottish Opera, JTH Charitable Trust and The Scottish Opera Endowment Trust.
Tickets are on sale now at www.scottishopera.org.uk/shows/opera-highlights-202324/
Performance diary
Sunday 11 February, Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock
Tuesday 13 February, Dunlop Village Hall
Thursday 15 February, Albert Halls, Stirling
Saturday 17 February, Ardrishaig Public Hall
Tuesday 20 February, Blairgowrie Town Hall
Thursday 22 February, Peterhead Leisure and Community Centre
Saturday 24 February, Aboyne and Glen Tanar Memorial Hall (The Victory Hall)
Tuesday 27 February, Strathpeffer Pavilion
Thursday 29 February, Tongue Village Hall
Saturday 2 March, An Lanntair, Stornoway
Tuesday 5 March, Poolewe Village Hall
Thursday 7 March, Dornie and District Community Hall
Saturday 9 March, Ballachulish Village Hall
Tuesday 12 March, An Tobar and Mull Theatre, Tobermory
Thursday 14 March, Johnstone Town Hall
Saturday 16 March, Middleton Village Hall
Tuesday 19 March, Duns Volunteer Hall
Thursday 21 March, The Byre Theatre, St Andrews
Saturday 23 March, Barrfields Pavilion – Vikingar!, Largs