Edmonton Opera’s 2014/15 season announced

The Edmonton Opera’s 2014/15 season is one of Great Escapes, as each opera demands its principal characters perform a variety of clever and cunning exits — from a lecherous old man in The Barber of Seville, from magical beings in The Magic Flute, and from a constrained, loveless marriage in Lucia di Lammermoor.

The Barber of Seville (Oct. 25, 28 and 30, 2014) received great reviews at Vancouver Opera, where the story is set on a movie studio backlot, with Rosina as a starlet on the silver screen, Bartolo as the studio owner and Figaro as the meddlesome hairstylist. Designed by Allan Stichbury with costumes by Parvin Mirhady, this comedy classic involves a few close shaves to get the girl, accompanied by catchy melodies.

For a mid-winter respite, the production of The Magic Flute will be built by Edmonton Opera, with sets designed by Bretta Gerecke and costumes by Deanna Finnman. This bird-brained quest for love (Jan. 31, Feb. 1 and 3, 2015) features a cast of young, Canadian artists, many of who have been seen on Edmonton Opera’s stage recently. Jessica Muirhead (Pamina), Phillip Addis (Papageno), Jacqueline Woodley (Papagena), Teiya Kasahara (Queen of the Night), Michael Barrett (Monostatos) and Stephen Hegedus (Sprecher) will be conducted by William Eddins, and under the direction of Rob Herriot.

Drama unfolds to close the season with Lucia di Lammermoor, with one of Canada’s leading sopranos, Simone Osborne, in the title role. In Donizetti’s bel canto masterpiece, madness is used as more than just a plot function; it plays out as a personal tragedy, a political statement and a healing ritual (April 18, 21 and 23, 2015).

As Edmonton Opera moves past its 50th anniversary, the operatic journey continues to be a varied offering — a twist on a classic, well-loved opera, a new, whimsical production of a family-friendly opera with rising Canadian stars, and a treasured work that hasn’t been seen in Edmonton for nearly 20 years.