Audiences won't be spoonfed opera at the upcoming production Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto. Tired of trying to make masterpieces accessible, artistic director and singer Richard Williams created a bare bones opera company to perform shows in their original language with minimal sets and costumes.
The company's name, Opera Pro Cantanti, translates as "opera for the singer" and the shows are designed to challenge performers feeling limited by the Canadian opera scene. Williams said he wanted to avoid a ticket-sales focus where "you just get caught in this vicious cycle of trying to please the audience all the time."
When the company first launched in 2006, he brought an excerpts concert to the Brackendale Art Gallery. He was met with a small but appreciative audience. On Nov. 10, Williams is returning with a full-length show, Rigoletto.
The well-known tragedy tells the story of an Italian court jester, Rigoletto, who serves a skirt-chasing duke. After mocking some counts whose women have been seduced the duke, a curse is set upon the jester. Soon his daughter becomes the duke's latest conquest, sending Rigoletto into a disastrous quest for revenge.
"It's an absolutely ridiculous story," said Williams with a laugh. "But there's something primordial in the sound of someone delivering the text."
Williams said the sound of professionally trained voices bouncing off the small venue walls would be nothing short of stunning.
"It's right in your face. All that emotion is condensed and just explodes."
During a short test run on stage, the billowing voice of tenor Argun Tekant sent palpable vibrations through the room.Tekant is taking part in the show to fulfill his own
addiction to opera. Not only is he not being paid, he and every other performer in the show are actually contributing to costs of production. The year-old company is not yet turning a profit, but when it does, Williams said its actors are first in line.For Tekant, the chance to sing makes it all worthwhile. The Turkish native did not discover his passion for opera until he was 39, working as a computer programmer in Vancouver.
A friend familiar with his strong voice invited him to take on a small roll in local opera. Tekant was hooked.Within nine months, he quit his job, moved to New York and spent six years establishing himself in the American opera scene.Now living back on the West Coast, he said he welcomes the opportunity to play such an intimate venue.
"You can actually look someone in the eye. For an actor or singer, it's very important to get a reaction from the audience. At the end you just want to jump down and kiss them."
On stage, Tekant will be trying to win a kiss from Squamish singer Apollonia Vanova who plays a temptress alongside her hit man brother. The accomplished singer and actor is currently playing in the opera Hansel and Gretel in Vancouver.
Tickets for Rigoletto are $20 and can be purchased at Mostly Books or the Brackendale Art Gallery.The show starts at 8 p.m.
