Vancouverscape, a Vancouver based blog covering travel, tech, and lifestyle

Opera Mariposa, a critically acclaimed opera company for emerging artists, will close its second season with a rare North American comic opera, Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Telephone. This one-act opera will be presented alongside a concert of English arias; the show will feature talented, award-winning young artists from across the Lower Mainland.

This production marks a triumphant finale to Opera Mariposa’s second season, which has included a critically acclaimed modern take on the opera Don Pasquale as well as an original Broadway revue that raised over $13,000 for the BC Women’s Hospital Foundation.

The Telephone tells the story of a lovelorn man desperate to propose to the woman he adores – and the incessantly ringing phone that foils his every attempt. Artistic director Jacqueline Ko says the company can’t wait to bring audiences this comic gem by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Gian Carlo Menotti. “The Telephone tells a hilarious story about love, communication and miscommunication, and its catchy music and familiar language give it a broad appeal, even for new opera goers.”

[Robin Eder-Warren]

Ko and managing director Robin Eder-Warren decided to present the opera alongside a richly varied concert of English arias. “The program features everything from the heart-wrenching to the hilarious,” says Eder-Warren. “Each song is performed by a different young artist, showcasing the voices of the Lower Mainland. The English-language repertoire is so diverse, and we’re thrilled to celebrate it with selections from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, Kurt Weill’s Street Scene and more – even a hilarious operatic moment from Spamalot, one of this city’s favourite shows.”

In keeping with Opera Mariposa’s mission to showcase emerging talent, the opera will be directed by acclaimed baritone Jason Cook, in his stage direction debut. The show features two casts of outstanding local artists, among them award-winning sopranos Eder-Warren and Allison Cociani, as well as baritones Riley McMitchell and Ed Moran, the latter of whom recently performed in City Opera Vancouver’s worldwide premiere of the Margaret Atwood English-language opera Pauline.

The Telephone by Gian Carlo Menotti

Dates: July 11 to 13, 7:30 pm; July 12, 2 pm matinee
Venue: Marpole United Church, 1296 West 67th Avenue, Vancouver
Tickets: Adults, $22; students and seniors, $18; groups of four or more, $15; tickets also available online or via phoning 1.800.838.3006

Cast photos by Kathryn Nickford.