Latest news with #Labohème
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Mina Foley Award Supports Benson Wilson's Principal Role Debut With NZ Opera
Acclaimed New Zealand-born Samoan baritone Benson Wilson has been named this year's recipient of the prestigious Ryman Healthcare Dame Malvina Major Foundation Mina Foley Award. The award supports Wilson to perform the role of Schaunard in New Zealand Opera's upcoming national production of La bohème – his debut principal role with the company, and a significant milestone in his flourishing international career. A past winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and Lexus Song Quest, Wilson was a Harewood Artist at the English National Opera, and has performed with Glyndebourne, Welsh National Opera, Longborough Festival Opera, Opera Holland Park and a number of recital appearances. A graduate of the University of Auckland, he completed his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the National Opera Studio in London. 'We are delighted to recognise the wonderful Benson Wilson with this award, supporting his extraordinary journey as one of New Zealand's most exciting young baritones,' says Dame Malvina Major. 'Benson's artistry and perseverance reflect the legacy of Mina Foley, and we are proud to stand behind him as he makes his debut in a principal role with New Zealand Opera and continues to shine on the world stage. 'At Ryman, we're proud to support New Zealand communities through shared-value partnerships that celebrate excellence in performance,' said Naomi James, Chief Executive Officer of Ryman Healthcare. 'We're thrilled to see Benson Wilson named the recipient of the Ryman Healthcare Dame Malvina Major Foundation Mina Foley Award, and we look forward to his return to the New Zealand stage in NZ Opera's upcoming season of La bohème.' The Mina Foley Award was established in 2008 to enable talented young New Zealand artists to return home to perform in professional opera productions. Brad Cohen, General Director of New Zealand Opera and conductor of the Auckland season of La bohème says, 'Our partnership with the Dame Malvina Major Foundation for the Mina Foley Award gives NZ Opera an important opportunity to honour and support worthy singers from our region. 'I was astonished to learn from Benson, over a cup of coffee, that his appearance as Schaunard in our production of La bohème marks not only his principal role debut with the company – it is in fact his first role appearance with the Company, ever. He is without doubt the most amusing and charismatic Schaunard I have had the pleasure of conducting, and it is a delight to welcome him fully into the NZ Opera whānau. We are most grateful to the Dame Malvina Foundation and Ryman Healthcare for their continued association – the Mina Foley Award is an important part of our collaboration.' Benson Wilson performs in NZ Opera's production of La bohème by Puccini, playing at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre Auckland 29 May – 6 June, Wellington's St James Theatre 18-22 June, and Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch 2-6 July. Further information
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Mina Foley Award Supports Benson Wilson's Principal Role Debut With NZ Opera
Acclaimed New Zealand-born Samoan baritone Benson Wilson has been named this year's recipient of the prestigious Ryman Healthcare Dame Malvina Major Foundation Mina Foley Award. The award supports Wilson to perform the role of Schaunard in New Zealand Opera's upcoming national production of La bohème - his debut principal role with the company, and a significant milestone in his flourishing international career. A past winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and Lexus Song Quest, Wilson was a Harewood Artist at the English National Opera, and has performed with Glyndebourne, Welsh National Opera, Longborough Festival Opera, Opera Holland Park and a number of recital appearances. A graduate of the University of Auckland, he completed his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the National Opera Studio in London. 'We are delighted to recognise the wonderful Benson Wilson with this award, supporting his extraordinary journey as one of New Zealand's most exciting young baritones,' says Dame Malvina Major. 'Benson's artistry and perseverance reflect the legacy of Mina Foley, and we are proud to stand behind him as he makes his debut in a principal role with New Zealand Opera and continues to shine on the world stage. 'At Ryman, we're proud to support New Zealand communities through shared-value partnerships that celebrate excellence in performance,' said Naomi James, Chief Executive Officer of Ryman Healthcare. 'We're thrilled to see Benson Wilson named the recipient of the Ryman Healthcare Dame Malvina Major Foundation Mina Foley Award, and we look forward to his return to the New Zealand stage in NZ Opera's upcoming season of La bohème.' The Mina Foley Award was established in 2008 to enable talented young New Zealand artists to return home to perform in professional opera productions. Brad Cohen, General Director of New Zealand Opera and conductor of the Auckland season of La bohème says, 'Our partnership with the Dame Malvina Major Foundation for the Mina Foley Award gives NZ Opera an important opportunity to honour and support worthy singers from our region. 'I was astonished to learn from Benson, over a cup of coffee, that his appearance as Schaunard in our production of La bohème marks not only his principal role debut with the company – it is in fact his first role appearance with the Company, ever. He is without doubt the most amusing and charismatic Schaunard I have had the pleasure of conducting, and it is a delight to welcome him fully into the NZ Opera whānau. We are most grateful to the Dame Malvina Foundation and Ryman Healthcare for their continued association – the Mina Foley Award is an important part of our collaboration.' Benson Wilson performs in NZ Opera's production of La bohème by Puccini, playing at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre Auckland 29 May - 6 June, Wellington's St James Theatre 18-22 June, and Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch 2-6 July. Further information
NZ Herald
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Bohemian baritone: Playing destitute artist in Puccini's classic rings true for rising Aussie opera star
Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Good old Puccini, he knew how to write for his musicians. Take, for example, La bohème, which NZ Opera brings to the stage for the first time since 2018. Casting a bunch of opera singers as impoverished artists isn't exactly a stretch, is it, especially in this part of the
Boston Globe
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
From concert halls to clam chowder: Maine group reinvents ‘Barber of Seville' in coastal eatery
Friday and Saturday each have one evening show, accompanied by three-course dinners, and Sunday's matinee features a two-course lunch. Reservations, all prior to the start of the performance, are staggered in consideration of the kitchen staff. Meals are prix fixe and feature classic Maine fare including New England clam chowder and lobster rolls. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up It's a night out at the opera with an accessible, modern twist that is a pillar for Opera in the Pines. Previous performances have included 'Bar Crawl Bohème,' (an adaptation of 'La bohème' staged at Maine Beer Company, Three of Strong Spirits, and Oyster River Winegrowers) in May 2023, and an 'operatic dating show,' called 'Pining for You,' at the Maine Beer Company this February. This weekend marks the kickoff of the Maine-roaming opera's fourth season. Advertisement 'There's so much of opera that can feel really intimidating,' said Lauren Yokabaskas, the general director and cofounder of Opera in the Pines. 'It's presented in a concert hall, which can sometimes come with certain expectations. It's presented in a different language … it does present a barrier. It can feel like you have to do homework in order to be there, and we like to flip the art form to present it in a way you haven't seen it before, in a way that's going to be more accessible for you.' Advertisement For 'The Barber of the Cape,' the audience will be seated at tables, simultaneously customers and production extras. The opera will be performed in English, as opposed to Italian, like in Rossini's 'Barber'. The show has also been reduced from nearly three hours to an 80-minute runtime without an intermission. From left: Lauren Yokabaskas, Sable Strout, Kellie Moody, and Aaren Rivard. Brandon Blinderman Opera in the Pines was founded in 2021 by Yokabaskas, artistic director Sable Strout, and technical director Aaren Rivard, all longtime friends. The Maine-raised, classically trained opera singers first met in 2011 while cast members of Opera Maine's 'The Daughter of the Regiment.' They quickly 'bonded together in that way that only theater kids can,' Yokabaskas said. The group's inaugural performance was of Grigory Frid's 1972 mono-opera 'The Diary of Anne Frank' at the Maine Jewish Museum in May 2022, followed by three more shows (including 'Bar Crawl Bohème,' 'The Crucible,' and 'Pining for You') in the subsequent years. In May 2024, the group welcomed another old friend, Kellie Moody, as music director during their production of Robert Ward's opera 'The Crucible.' This season marks the first in which Opera in the Pines operates under a Advertisement In the original 'Barber of Seville,' Count Almaviva yearns after Rosina, the ward of Dr. Bartolo. In 'Barber of the Cape,' Rosina is Rosie, a quirky waitress hustling amid Maine's tourist season. She crosses paths with Chief (Count Almaviva), a Manhattan tourist. Much to the chagrin of her tourist-hating uncle, Bart (Bartolo), who owns the restaurant Rosie works at, Chief quickly becomes enamored with Rosie. In Pines' renditions of the show, the character Figaro maintains his name and role as a trusted confidant. Strout calls their Figaro, however, 'the man about town who has too many jobs' — therapist, ice cream scooper, priest, rabbi, and, of course, barber. Strout, who oversaw casting and character development for the production, wanted to keep 'the core of the story,' while making the show feel both Maine and modern. In addition to the updated setting and names, she reduced what she called 'the creepy sexual element' of Rosina and Bartolo's relationship, instead supplementing with the power dynamic of an employee and boss, niece and uncle. Preparations began in the summer of 2024, with casting decisions and painstaking hours spent cutting down the score. After the cast was finalized last fall, performers prepared for their roles individually; in-person rehearsals began on May 7. Despite the time crunch, '[We] finished staging the entire opera in four days of rehearsal,' said Moody. 'By day five, we were stumbling and running the show, and on day six, we moved into our restaurant venue.' The six-person cast intentionally features three local 'Mainers' and three 'tourists' who are 'joining us from away,' Yokabaskas said. 'We're really lucky to have that mix and that sense of community onstage,' she continued. 'We're highlighting the theme of 'love thy neighbor.'' Advertisement The Mainers in the cast are tenor Jared Vigue as Chief, bass-baritone John David Adams as Bart, and mezzo-soprano Joëlle Morris as Bertha (Berta). Other members — baritone Matthew Cossack as Figaro, soprano Kaileigh Riess as Rosie, and baritone Jacob O'Shea as Basil (Basilio) — primarily hail from New York. The group knew they wanted to do the show in a coastal Maine restaurant, and found commonality with Cape Neddick Lobster Pound, who saw the production as 'a great example of how local arts and hospitality can support one another,' said Yokabaskas. Rivard didn't want the viewers to feel like 'a show is being brought in. We wanted it to feel like this is something that's actually happening within the space.' Luckily, he said, the restaurant gave the group fairly free rein on design. The Lobster Pound is currently operating on an off-season schedule, meaning 'they didn't have to close at all during our tech week,' Yokabaskas explained. 'This made it an ideal window for us to load in, rehearse, and prep in the space without disrupting their regular business.' The centerpiece of the production is a full custom bar, a focal point for the show's immersive experience, crafted by Rivard and set designer Tomas Amadeo. 'We've really tried to transform everything to fit the scope of the show,' he said. 'The moment that people walk in, the audience is meant to really feel like 'I'm both in a real space and I am within the show' and to have that sort of dual experience of reality and artifice.' Haley Clough can be reached at
Scoop
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Breathtaking New Production Of La Bohème To Warm Hearts Across New Zealand Mid-Year
Press Release – NZ Opera Audiences will be swept away to the heart of Paris this winter as New Zealand Opera presents a captivating 3-city tour of Puccini's timeless tragi-romance, La bohème. This new production promises a deeply emotional exploration of love, art, and humanity, brought to life by a sensational cast and creative team of international and Kiwi talent. Headlining the stellar ensemble in his highly anticipated New Zealand debut, renowned South Korean tenor Ji-Min Park (La Traviata, La bohème, Don Pasquale), will portray the passionate poet Rodolfo, a role that has garnered Park rave reviews worldwide. Joining him is the welcome return of Australian-Italian soprano Elena Perroni – praised for her emotionally resonant Gilda in NZ Opera's 2024 Rigoletto – as the beloved heroine Mimì. The iconic arias sung by these two characters include the instantly recognisable and profoundly moving 'Che gelida manina' (Your little hand is frozen) and 'Mi chiamano Mimì,' (My name is Mimi) two of the most famous songs in all of opera. Created by international director Bruno Ravella, this new staging will remain true to the bohemian spirit of Puccini's enduring classic. 'I'm absolutely thrilled to be directing a brand-new Bohème for New Zealand Opera,' says director Bruno Ravella. 'It's a joy to reunite with Brad Cohen after working together at West Australian Opera, and I can't wait to dive into this production with such a fantastic cast and three incredible choruses in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. I've set this production in 1947, right after the war. The shadow of death is lifting, and a new, raw energy pulses through Paris as artists return and the era of modernism takes hold. It's a time of bold simplicity—function over ornament— which has driven our design choices. We're creating a stripped-back, striking world that lets the heart of the story shine. That said, these characters are artists, dreamers who see the world through their artistic lens. So even in this minimalist world, I'm using theatricality and visual poetry to elevate the emotional high points, whether joyous or heart-wrenching. Expect passion. Expect beauty. Expect to feel everything.' A powerhouse contingent of Antipodean performers join Park and Perroni, including New Zealand favourite, soprano Emma Pearson (Le comte Ory, Lucia di Lammermoor, La traviata) dazzling in her role debut as Musetta, showcasing her vibrant stage presence and vocal agility. Australian baritone Samuel Dundas (Eucalyptus, La bohème, Tannhäuser) brings humour and depth to the role of Marcello, with New Zealand-born Samoan baritone and 2016 Lexus Song Quest winner Benson Wilson (Carmen, La bohème, Così fan tutte) returning home from London to make his NZ Opera principal debut in the role of Schaunard. US-based New Zealand baritone Hadleigh Adams (Wozzeck, Everest, Partenope) also makes his principal role debut with NZ Opera in the role of Colline and popular Kiwi baritone Robert Tucker (Mansfield Park, The Unruly Tourists, Eight Songs for a Mad King) plays the roles of Benoît/Alcindoro. New Zealand tenor Chris McRae delights in the character role of Papignol. New Zealand Opera Tumu Whakarae General Director Brad Cohen conducts the Auckland Philharmonia for the Tāmaki Makaurau performances, while acclaimed Greek conductor Dionysis Grammenos takes the podium with Orchestra Wellington and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra in Te Whanganui-a-Tara and Ōtautahi. Joining forces in each city, the country's finest voices come together as The Freemasons Foundation NZ Opera Chorus to deliver Puccini's rousing choruses and on-stage drama. Since its 1896 premiere, Puccini's La bohème has become a cornerstone of the operatic repertoire, cemented on 'greatest opera' lists around the world. With its timeless themes of 'truth, beauty, freedom, love', the opera's influence reaches far beyond the stage — inspiring works like the hit musical Rent and Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge. In 2025, NZ Opera brings La bohème to life in this poignant and visually striking new production. Featuring some of the most beautiful and emotionally resonant music ever composed for the stage, this beloved Puccini masterpiece is a must-see event for opera lovers and newcomers alike this winter. Tickets are on sale for strictly limited seasons at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre Auckland, St James Theatre Wellington, and the Isaac Theatre Royal Christchurch. About Director Bruno Ravella Bruno Ravella is an international opera director based in London, UK. Born in Casablanca of Italian and Polish parents, he was educated mainly in France, and made London his home as soon as he graduated. Bruno has just directed Guillaume Tell at the Opera de Lausanne, opening the 24/25 season. Salome at Irish National Opera in March 2024 saw Bruno return to Dublin after the revival of his Der Rosenkavalier. Salome will be revived at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo in the 24/25 season. Just before that, Polifemo by Porpora received a fantastic public response at the Opera National du Rhin. This was the first production of the piece in France, and has just been revived in Lille in the autumn of 2024. This followed Ariadne auf Naxos in Garsington Opera, his 3rd Strauss opera at Garsington, after Der Rosenkavalier and Intermezzo. Der Rosenkavalier was presented by Irish National Opera in March 2023 and was seen at Santa Fe Opera this summer. He returned to Ireland last autumn, directing Donizetti's Zoraida di Granata (1822) opening the season at the Wexford Festival Opera, before directing the 1824 version for the Donizetti Opera Festival in Bergamo this last autumn. About Conductor Brad Cohen Brad grew up in Sydney before studying at Oxford University, the Royal College of Music, and the Royal Northern College of Music. In the decades since, he has led orchestras including the London Philharmonic, the Philharmonia, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Het Gelders Orkest, and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Brad has conducted a wide-ranging repertoire at opera companies including English National Opera, New York City Opera, and Opera Australia. Brad was appointed General Director of NZ Opera in 2023. About Conductor Dionysis Grammenos The young Greek conductor Dionysis Grammenos first established himself internationally as a clarinettist, winning a place on the ECHO Rising Stars programme in 2013/14 which led to performances with many major orchestras and in some of the most prestigious venues worldwide. In 2016 he received a Conducting Fellowship at Aspen Music Festival and since this time has conducted widely across the world both in the concert hall and opera pit, including a very last-minute jump-in at the Megaron Athens when he was invited to conduct the London Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance of Brahms 4, receiving a standing ovation and huge acclaim from both players and audience alike. In July 2024, he will make his USA debut with the Houston Symphony Orchestra. He is praised regularly for his innate and instinctive musicianship, the clarity and efficiency of his conducting and his proficiency for shaping the sound of the orchestra. His performances are profoundly expressive, rich in colour and emotion, and he has been described by Die Welt as 'one of the most promising stars of tomorrow'.
