In 1950, The New York Times hailed the Broadway premiere of The Consul as “a smash hit” and “an opera of eloquence, momentousness, and intensity of expression…written from the heart, with a blazing sincerity and a passion of human understanding.
The Consul is a contemporary opera sung in English. Set in an unnamed European city, political dissident John Sorel is on the run from the secret police. After he escapes the country, his devoted wife Magda clashes with the bureaucracy at the Consulate while trying to obtain an exit visa for her family. The emotional high point of the opera comes when Magda, thwarted in her quest for a visa, addresses the Consul’s secretary in “To this we’ve come,” a stirring lament over the world’s indifference to inhumanity and suffering. The suspenseful narrative surprises with several magical touches and is buoyed by a melodic score in which love, hope, and redemption all play their part.
Music & Libretto By: Gian Carlo Menotti
Conducted By: Gordon Gerrard
Direction By: Brian Deedrick
Costume Design By: Josée Chartrand
Lighting Design By: Brock Keeler
Stage Managed By: Claire Thornton
Repetiteur: Elisabeta Cojocaru
Additional Libretto By: Kateryna Khartova
Dates:
- June 29, 2022 at 7:30pm
- June 30, 2022 at 7:30pm
- July 2, 2022 at 7:30pm
- July 3, 2022 at 1:30pm
Venue: Freemason’s Hall, 10318 100 Ave NW, Edmonton
TICKETS: showpass.com/the-consul/
