Vancouver Opera presents Tosca from October 26th until November 3rd, opening its 2013-2014 season with Puccini’s last great 19th century opera. Featuring lavish sets and costumes, a magnificent chorus of more than 50 voices, and with 60 players in the orchestra pit, Tosca is a thrill for the senses.
In Rome in 1800, the cruel chief of police, Baron Scarpia, is consumed with desire for Floria Tosca, the city’s most celebrated singer. Using terror, extortion, and fraud, Scarpia threatens Tosca and imprisons her revolutionary lover, Mario Cavaradossi. Before Scarpia can have his way with Tosca, she plunges a knife into his heart. In the opera’s harrowing climax, the lovers are reunited, only to be betrayed, from the grave, by the evil Scarpia.
Set in a time of political and religious upheaval, Puccini’s masterful drama paints three unforgettable portraits: the fiery, pure-hearted Tosca; the passionate political idealist Mario; and the deeply depraved Scarpia. Puccini’s score is filled with soaring melody, authentic Roman atmosphere, and spellbinding tension.
Tosca has everything a really great melodrama should have: sex, politics, and religion—a jealous diva; an artist willing to die to oppose tyranny; a depraved baron hiding a lust for dominance behind a mask of piety; love, jealousy, subterfuge, spies, violence, attempted rape, murder and betrayal. Add to that several of Puccini’s greatest arias and the luscious orchestration and it’s easy to see why Tosca has been one of the most frequently staged works in the operatic repertoire. Whoever said the opera was boring had certainly never been!
Opening night is Saturday, October 26, 2013, with subsequent performances Thursday, October 31; Friday, November 1; Saturday, November 2 at 7:30pm and a matinee performance on Sunday, November 3 at 2:00pm. All performances are at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Tickets are available exclusively through the Vancouver Opera Ticket Centre online or by telephone at (604) 683-0222.
Vancouver Opera extends a special treat to Halloween night audiences. All patrons who attend the Thursday, October 31st performance of Tosca in costume will receive $10 in “Opera Bucks”, which may be used toward the purchase of a single ticket for any remaining 2013-2014 Vancouver Opera performance.
I have a pair of tickets to give away to Tosca as well, here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, October 21, 2013. The winner will receive a pair of tickets to Tosca on Friday, November 1, 2013 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
Vancouver Opera 2013-2014 Season
Tickets for Vancouver Opera’s 2013-2014 season are now on sale. The season includes Tosca (opening October 26th), Albert Herring (opening November 30th), Don Giovanni (opens March 1st), and Don Carlo (opens May 3rd). Follow on Twitter and Facebook for more information about their upcoming performances.
If you haven’t yet experienced the opera, I highly encourage you to do so. Ever since my first “Blogger Night at the Opera” (with Eugene Onegin in 2008) my appreciation has grown. The talent, voices, emotion, orchestra, and stunning sets that the Vancouver Opera manages to produce will blow you away.
Update The winner is Julian!
You don’t need to go to Tuscany or even Napa to cross “grape stomping” off your bucket list as Township 7 Vineyards in Langley is hosting their annual Grape Stomp event on Saturday, October 19, 2013.
Enjoy a fun afternoon at the south Langley winery with live music and emcee Kaitlyn Herbst of Global News. Sample Township 7’s new fall wine releases at the outdoor wine bar or in their new barrel cellar tasting room.
The Grape Stomp is a team competition so you can come as a team of six or join a team on site, entry fee is $10. Proceeds support the local Critter Care Wildlife Society.
Costumes are encouraged but are optional. You can also bring a picnic or support the charity barbecue (cash only). Festivities will run from 12:00pm to 4:00pm with the Grape Stomp at 2:00pm. Join the fun at 21152 16th Avenue in Langley, at 212th.
Register your team by emailing jason[at]township7.com or calling (604) 532-1766. Follow Township 7 on Twitter and Facebook for more information about special events like this and their latest wine releases.
The Parade of Lost Souls is returning this season thanks to The Public Dreams Society and The Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret. Join them on Saturday, October 26, 2013 from 6:30pm to 9:30pm for ceremony and celebration. Keeping with tradition, the parade’s location will be announced at 12:00am midnight on October 26th on the Public Dreams website and on their Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Calling all Souls! Come dressed in your best. Bring your offerings for the shrine. Your past and your presence! For a celebration of life, and depth!
This beloved East Vancouver event, whose heartbeat is a community-driven parade inspired by Dia de Muertos (The Day of the Dead), and similar traditions that occur all over the world, was created by Paula Jardine and Public Dreams over 20 years ago. In recent years, the parade has travelled around East Vancouver featuring performance of all sorts, interactive art installations, and all of YOU Lost Souls, sharing in and creating this enchanting experience. This transitional year aims to be a smaller and cozier event, an imitate affair – after all, magical things come in small packages.
Back in July, Public Dreams hosted what they foresaw as their last Illuminares Lantern Festival as Artistic Director Matthew Bissett said that it was just no longer feasible. This put a big question mark on the Parade of Lost Souls but luckily Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret stepped up to take the reins.
A mainstay on the East Vancouver cultural scene for the last 6 years, The Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret is known for creating original theatrical acts with an immersive and magical aesthetic. In years to come, the “Dusties”, named “Vancouver’s Best Kept Secret” by the CBC, will work with the community to keep this beloved event vibrant and thriving. Kat Single Dain, Co-Founder of the Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret, will be at the helm in 2013 as the Artistic Producer.
Parade of Lost Souls Dance Party
Following the parade on October 26th, a dance party will take place from 9:00pm until 3:00am at The Hanger (577 Great Northern Way). There will be performers, musical acts, and maybe some ghosts in the air.
It’s Power Smart Month in BC, raising awareness about energy consumption, offering tips and tools for saving at energy home and a handful of deals and money-saving opportunities. One feature of Power Smart Month each year is the BC Hydro Candlelight Conservation Dinner. Close to 40 local restaurants are now accepting reservations for Thursday, October 24th where you can dine by candlelight.
Each participating restaurant will be extending an exclusive discount or special offer on the night, anything from a free appetizer, to 2-for-1 entrées, featured menu items and other awesome deals. Offers valid October 24, 2013 at participating restaurants only. Mention the Candlelight Conservation Dinner at time of reservation or ordering; please contact individual restaurants for any restrictions and/or additional promotions. Not in the Lower Mainland? The Candlelight Conservation Dinner will also take place at a number of restaurants across BC in Dawson Creek, Quesnel, Fort St. John, Powell River, Victoria, and Prince George.
To celebrate and promote the Candlelight Conservation Dinner I have a collection of gift cards up for grabs thanks to some of the participating restaurants. You can enter to win a $100 gift card for Biercraft, Herons at the Fairmont Waterfront, The Pear Tree in Burnaby, or The Observatory on Grouse Mountain.
- Biercraft: “Since opening on “The Drive” some six years ago, BierCraft Tap and Tapas has been wooing Vancouverites with the City’s premiere selection of Belgian and Craft Beers, a mouth-watering menu, great service and exceptional value.”
- Herons at Fairmont Waterfront: “Executive Chef Dana Hauser’s seasonal menus are inspired by the bounty of the Pacific Ocean, and Vancouver’s best Seafood, hand-picked herbs from our terrace garden, honey from our rooftop apiary and the freshest local, sustainable ingredients we can find.”
- The Pear Tree: “The Pear Tree Restaurant is a destination outside the mold, bringing together world-class cuisine & downtown elegance with approachability and a sense of community. Owned and operated by Scott and Stephanie Jaeger, The Pear Tree Restaurant is the destination whether it be a special occasion, catching up with friends, or a relaxed weekday dinner.”
- The Observatory: “The Observatory’s contemporary BC menu harnesses the remarkable confluence of local flavours and worldly techniques that give the province its unique character. Chef Dino L. Gazzola is dedicated to sourcing the finest and freshest regional ingredients available, creating memorable dining experiences for the discerning palate.”
Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post naming which of the four restaurants above you would like to visit (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Four winners (who will each receive one gift card) will be drawn at 12:00pm on Saturday, October 19, 2013. I will draw contest winners’ names before the date of the Candlelight Conservation Dinner so they can use the gift cards then, or save them for use at a later date. Be sure to call and book a reservation for this cozy, autumn date night at one of the participating restaurants on October 24th to take part.
Update The winners are Rachel (Pear Tree), Darcie (Biercraft), Jonathan Parminter (Herons), @DaleVancouver (Observatory)!
The ShakeOutBC Earthquake Drill is coming up on Thursday, October 17th at 10:17am. Drop, Cover and Hold On! Practice how to prepare yourself during an earthquake and enhance your awareness of earthquake hazards at home, work, or school.
The province-wide drill, that will also take place around the globe in New Zealand, the United States, and Italy, follows the internationally-recognized “Drop, Cover and Hold On” protocol for up to 60 seconds during this simulated earthquake event.
So far over 600,000 participants have signed up online and the City of Vancouver wants to make sure you participate as well.
British Columbia is overdue for a mega earthquake, but a new survey shows while British Columbians are somewhat aware that the big one is coming, they are not very knowledgeable when it comes to basic preparedness. Fifty-eight per cent are aware of a one-in-three chance of a significant earthquake striking in the next 50 years, and 75 per cent expect their home could be damaged by an earthquake. [GlobalBC]
For tips on emergency preparedness, check out the Red Cross Canada App and find resources on the ShakeOutBC Earthquake Drill website.
Tune into local radio stations, TV stations, or check out ShakeOutBC on Twitter and Facebook for direction for the drill on Thursday.
