Carousel – Opera North, Press Night, Leeds.

Last night, Opera North and The Grand Theatre in Leeds played host to a group of people it is always important to try and impress – the press. Critics, bloggers and news paper reviewers were amongst the audience to see Opera North’s production of Carousel. Obviously, the review I write for my blog will not have the same readership numbers as a reviewer from a national newspaper, but our views can nevertheless influence the public and whether or not they go and see the show for themselves.


For my part, having had the privilege of attending the sitzprobe for Carousel, I was eager to see the show in its entirety and see the set, the costumes and the music brought together on stage. I felt the same sense of anticipation from amongst my fellow bloggers who had also attended sitzprobe  and from my friend Jenny who I had brought along as my guest – she is also an avid fan of musicals and I thought it would be interesting to get her take on the evening as well.

There’s is something quite comforting about visiting The Grand in Leeds. Like its name suggest it is an impressive theatre; richly and intricately decorated and yet you feel very much at home there. The staff are always very welcoming and having attended quite a few events there, I feel like I am amongst old friends. Having attended sitzprobe and seen the orchestra and singers in a more informal setting, I felt like I was going back to re-visit friends and there were times throughout the evening when I felt an immense sense of pride for them as though watching a family member perform.

The show was everything it was promised to be; colourful, engaging, emotive, beautiful and inspiring. From the costumes to the music, the dancers, the staging, the orchestra, the principals and the chorus, everything came together so beautifully it seemed completely flawless.

I loved so many elements of the staging; the opening was particularly beautiful as the curtain rose to reveal another curtain with the world printed on it. Behind this, on the stage sat a young child and as the lights went up, it gave the appearance that the child was sitting on top of the world, it was so simple and yet so visually captivating. On another occasion spotlights on strips that had been used to illuminate parts  of the stage were bought in and set up in between carousel horses to make the fairground carousel – this too was wonderfully created and added a real feeling of nostalgia for the ride we knew and loved as children.

Another highlight for me was the dancing that appeared throughout the show but particularly during the song June is busting out All Over. The choreography was so well executed that you sat in amazement at how agile this dancers were. They complimented the tone and the feel of the music superbly and this gave the audience great pleasure and enjoyment.

Obviously being a musical, the main focus of the evening should be to the music and the musicians. To me they all sounded incredible and I think the fact that this is an opera company performing a musical as opposed to musical theatre singers really added to the richness of the sound and quality of the performances. The chorus were superb and there were some outstanding performances from amongst the principal singers in their various solo parts. I particularly enjoyed the duet between Gillene Herbert as Julie Jordan and Eric Greene as Billy Bigelow “If I Loved You”. This is one of the 3 most recognised songs in the musical and was sung with such emotion and feeling, it was easy to get caught up in the romance of the piece. Both my friend and I loved Eric’s voice which we felt had a great depth and richness to it but was also very powerful and yet soothing. The entire cast singing June is Busting Out All Over was also very enjoyable, not only because of its upbeat tempo that made you want to sing and clap along but because we had seen this piece rehearsed at Sitzprobe and now we were getting to see it in all its glory.

I think for most people though, the highlight of the show was the song You’ll Never Walk Alone. As I mentioned in my previous blog, this song takes place at one of the most heart wrenching points in the musical and judging by the reaction of the audience around me touched many people. The song is sung three times in the show; firstly, part of it is sung by Julie Jordan but because of the emotion her character is experiencing is continued by Nettie Fowler. At the start of this song when Julie is singing, she has just a piano accompaniment and as Nettie takes over the song she is joined by the full orchestra. The contrast between the two is hard to describe but it was incredibly powerful, moving and poignant and I doubt there were many dry eyes in the house following Elena Ferrari’s outstanding rendition of the piece. The third time the song is sung as a reprise at the end of the show and includes the full orchestra and chorus. This time the song has a more emblematic feel to it and although still highly emotional, it is also inspiring and moving.

Opera North never disappoint me with their productions. Whether it is an opera or musical theatre, each is performed to an incredibly high standard and always hits the spot both musically and emotionally. Carousel was no exception to this in that it was lively, engaging and beautiful as well as deeply moving, emotional and yet inspiring. Yes I would encourage you to go and see it but with two words of caution – wear waterproof mascara and take plenty of tissues!

Carousel will be at Leeds Grand Theatre from 2nd May – 19th May before moving to The Lowry at
Salford Quays 23rd-26th May and then The Barbican centre London 15th Aug – 15th Sep. For more information on Opera North’s production of Carousel and to book tickets go to http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/carousel

Carousel - Bloggers Event, Leeds

For someone who loves musicals and musical theatre as much as I do, the opportunity to attend the sitzprobe for Opera North’s forthcoming production of Carousel was one not to be missed.

Carousel was the second stage musical written by the collaborative team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein which premiered in 1945 and tells the story of Carousel barker Billy Bigelow and his romance with millworker Julie Jordan. Their romance costs them both their jobs and in attempt to provide for Julie and their unborn child, Billy gets involved in a robbery which ends disastrously. However, Billy is given the opportunity for just one day to go back and make amends for the mistakes he made in his life.

I am familiar with the musical having seen the 1956 film version starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones. Like many of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, this one is filled with incredible songs, including the beautiful love song “If I Loved You”, the upbeat “June is Busting out all over”  and the heart wrenching “You’ll Never Walk Alone” which will be familiar to many as the adopted anthem of a certain UK football team. This is probably the most iconic song from the musical and although it is sung at the most tragic moment in the show, it is nevertheless an uplifting and inspiring piece and is guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye.

Having arrived at Leeds Grand Theatre, the home of Opera North, my fellow bloggers and I were introduced to Julia Gregg and Hannah Stockton from the press office along with other staff members from Opera North. We were shown pictures of the stage and set design as well as the costumes some of the cast would be wearing. We also had the opportunity to meet Opera North’s chorus master Timothy Burke who explained about the rehearsal process and the sitzprobe we would be seeing that day.

Whilst the orchestra and cast had been in rehearsals for a few weeks now, sitzprobe (literally translated as seated rehearsal) refers to when the orchestra and cast come together to rehearse. The sitzprobe was to be held in the Howard Assembly Room, a large and spacious hall which had excellent acoustics and from our seats in the balcony area afforded us a great view of the orchestra, the chorus and the principle singers. Tim had explained to us that whilst opera singers usually sing without microphones, they would be singing the musical wearing hidden mics usually concealed in their hair. During rehearsals though, they were without microphones and he said this would explain why they may not sound as loud. Tim’s job is to rehearse the chorus and singers but during the sitzprobe they are conducted by the orchestra director with Tim on hand to make notes of any changes to the score or where extra rehearsing might be needed.

It was quite thrilling to be sat with my fellow bloggers and get a preview of the show we would be seeing when it opens in just under 2 weeks time.  Whilst we did not see the entire rehearsal, we did get to hear the carousel waltz and the lively and catching June is Busting out all Over. The music was incredible and there were times when I could feel myself swaying along in time to the music. I think there was also more than just myself that left sitzprobe that day singing “June is Busting Out all Over”.The whole afternoon was quite insightful and I felt really privileged to have been able to attend and get a sneak peek behind the scenes. I felt that the whole experience gave me a deeper appreciation of the hard work that goes into putting on a show and will add to my enjoyment of seeing the show in its entirety.

If the taster we had of Carousel at the sitzprobe is anything to go by then the show is going to be sensational. Not only is it an incredible score but the fact that you have opera singers (and chorus) performing the numbers adds an extra special quality to the performance. The richness in their voices really compliments the lyrics and overall tone of the pieces performed and brings out the emotion in the more poignant songs.

Carousel will be at Leeds Grand Theatre from 2nd May – 19th May before moving to The Lowry at
Salford Quays 23rd-26th May and then The Barbican centre London 15th Aug – 15th Sep. It is also set for a run at Theatre du Chatelet in Paris in 2013 (which my friend Nick Garrett will be appearing in!)

For more information on Opera North’s production of Carousel and to book tickets go to http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/carousel

Look out for my next blog when I shall be reviewing the entire show after attending the press night on 5th May.

Opera Review - Ruddigore

Following on from my behind the scenes look at Opera North’s production of Ruddigore, I attended the opening night of the show to see for myself how well all their hard work had paid off – I was not disappointed! Ruddigore was brilliantly funny from start to finish and several times I found myself laughing out loud along with most of the audience.

Ruddigore, or The Witch’s Curse tells the story of Baron Murgatroyd whose family having been cursed by a witch must perform one evil deed per day or suffer a most terrible and painful death. Sir Despard Murgatroyd who has been living with this awful curse for ten years is therefore delighted to discover that his elder brother Ruthven, long believed dead is actually alive and therefore the rightful inheritor to the curse. However, this discovery is not well received by Ruthven who has for the past ten years been living under the assumed identity of Robin Oakapple and who is in love with the very lovely but very prim Miss Rose Maybud. Ruthven’s (Robin) troubles worsen when his ancestors come back from the dead to warn him that he will suffer a most painful death if he does not carry out the terms of the curse.

Photo by Robert Workman for Opera North

Whilst this is one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s lesser known operas, it is none the less equally as brilliant as The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance or HMS Pinafore. It is full of the quick and witty lyrics, the paradoxes, melodrama and humour that you would expect from their work and will have you laughing throughout the entire evening. Anyone who has never seen an opera before should start by seeing something like this as it is light and easy to follow, sung in English and invariably ends on a happy note. This particular production by Opera North not only ticks all the boxes mentioned above but goes beyond that with its clever staging.

As the curtain goes up, the audience watches the story unfold in the style of a silent movie; black and white photographs and captions are accompanied by the orchestra and set the scene for the show. This in turn then reveals the opening scenes and a stage decorated in brown and beige colours very reminiscent of a sepia photograph. This theme continues throughout the entire show and is contrasted only by the bridesmaids’ white dresses and sailors’ uniforms (all styled circa 1920s) which really highlighted the sepia effect and added to the overall visual enjoyment.

Photo by Robert Workman for Opera North

Another stunning visual effect is in the second act when the ghosts of the Murgatroyd family come to life through their portraits. I believe an illusionist was responsible for this particular special effect and it was certainly very cleverly done.

Photo by Robert Workman for Opera North

As previously mentioned, the music and lyrics were sharp and quick witted, full of humour and at one point even re-arranged to make more topical for today’s time – something which wasn’t missed by the audience and they showed their appreciation and amusement with huge applause and laughter. At times the lines were sung so fast that it was a veritable tongue twister of words and yet the performers managed not only to sing the lines of the songs but also add the humour through their expressions. I think it was perhaps the mannerisms and expressions of the performers that really brought the piece to life. Whilst the entire cast were already familiar with the opera, having performed in the same exact same roles last year, it seemed as though they were going all out to emphasise the melodrama and humour of the piece and sometimes just a look or an action would be enough to dissolve the audience into fits of laughter. The energy they put into their performance only added to the overall enjoyment of the piece and it was clear to see that the performers were enjoying themselves as much as the audience.


Having had a behind the scenes look at the show and having enjoyed the performance so much, I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone. It is everything you would want a show to be, light, witty, full of great songs and music with some stunning visual effects and fantastic performances from all involved. There really didn’t seem to be one weak cast member amongst them and the fact that they had all worked together before really showed in their performance. It was a delight from start to finish and left you smiling as you went home.

Opera North will be performing Ruddigore in Leeds on selected dates until 27th Oct before taking the show on tour to Nottingham, Newcastle & Salford Quays and ending with a run at The Barbican in London. For more information on the show and to book tickets (priced £8 - £75) see http://www.operanorth.co.uk/events/ruddigore/

To read my post as guest blogger for The Culture Vulture – Behind the Scenes with Opera North http://theculturevulture.co.uk/blog/behindscenes/behind-the-scenes-with-opera-north/

Behind The Scenes with Opera North

This week I was delighted to be asked to be a guest blogger for The Culture Vulture, a Leeds based site run by Emma Bearman which highlights many events in and around Leeds and Yorkshire.


My assignment was to attend a working rehearsal for Opera North’s forthcoming production of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera Ruddigore and get a behind the scenes look at what goes into putting on a production.

With the help of Opera North’s PR Assistant, Julia Lumley and Company Manager, Jane Bonner, I not only got to see some of the rehearsal but also quiz them about the work they do and the process of getting a show from the planning stages through to the curtain call.

It was a fascinating evening and one which not only taught me a lot but also gave me a deeper appreciation for the work that goes on behind the scenes into getting a production onto the stage.

To read more about my evening with Opera North, please go to http://theculturevulture.co.uk/blog/behindscenes/behind-the-scenes-with-opera-north/

Please feel free to leave a comment afterwards and check out the Culture Vulture website whilst there.

My review of Ruddigore will follow shortly.

Opera Review - Fidelio

It took Beethoven ten years to write his one and only opera and it has been 20 years since it was last performed in Leeds. As a lover of Beethoven’s music, the opportunity to see it performed by the brilliant Opera North in Leeds, was a chance not to be passed up.

The opera tells the story of Leonore, the wife of Florestan who has disguised herself as a prison guard named Fidelio in order to find out and free her husband from jail. The themes central to the plot are that of love, liberty and justice and also a firm belief that the human spirit can triumph over adversity.

I had wondered if the opera would meet up to my expectations and just before the lights dimmed, I felt a sense of anxiety that my anticipation of seeing this particular opera had built up my expectations too much. I shouldn’t have worried, for the moment the lights went out and the overture started I was entranced by the music. The entire overture was played to a dark auditorium and with nothing to focus our sights on, the other senses took over and you got to appreciate the true and pure beauty of the music. I don’t mind admitting that parts of the overture moved me to tears, it was so beautiful.

The staging was very well planned and focussed, with only small sections of the stage being used until the chorus numbers in the second half. The framing of each scene with the black borders of the curtain highlighted the performers and the scene setting with great effect.

I had read the synopsis of the opera beforehand and as it was sung in German there were the English subtitles on hand to explain what was being sung. However, I found that most of the time I didn’t need them as the opera was very easy to follow and was performed so well by the cast and chorus that the emotions came through the music.

There were some outstanding performances from Emma Bell as Leonore and Stephen Harrison as Florestan and I particularly enjoyed the quartet in Act One of Leonore, Rocco, Marzelline and Jaquino as they sung “ Mir ist so wunderbar”,( How wondrous the emotion). The blend of voices together with the orchestra created an incredible sound as each voice joined in with their respective parts.

Another part I found equally enthralling was the Chorus of the Prisoners. I watched totally engrossed as the chorus seemed to crawl out from underneath parts of the stage to stand in the open air.This had such an ethereal quality to it and the male voices combined with the orchestra produced a sound both compelling and highly emotive, it was truly incredible.

The ending was also a triumph as Leonore releases the chains on her husband and the chorus sing "Wer ein solches Weib errungen" (He, whom such a wife has cherished).Through this piece you can sense the feeling of victory over adversity and the hope that this brings to others. Earlier in Act Two Leonore had sung how “You may test us, but do not forsake us” and in this finale you experienced the joy of overcoming such a trial – something I think many of us can relate to in our own lives at times.

The whole opera was enthralling from start to finish and held my attention so closely that the time seemed to pass by too quickly and I was genuinely disappointed when it had ended. I have seen quite a few operas now -many of which have been performed by Opera North but I think this is one of the most engrossing and enchanting productions I have seen. You share the emotions of the main characters and can therefore enjoy their triumph over adversity at the end – true love conquers all!


For details of tour dates and ticket prices see http://www.operanorth.co.uk/events/fidelio/

Opera Review - Carmen

I am not new to Opera, having seen The Magic Flute when I was 14yrs old. However, it’s only been in more recent years, since meeting my friend Nick Garrett, who is an opera singer, that I have become more interested in them. Like many people I had always thought that Opera was aimed at the more privileged in society and certainly the ticket prices at some venues would seem to exclude those on lower incomes. However, more and more theatres and opera houses have introduced lower priced tickets in an effort to make Opera more accessible.

There’s also the pre-conception that with an opera being sung in a different language, you won’t appreciate the plot or storyline. Again, many companies, if not singing in English will display surtitles for you to read as the singers perform and the programmes usually contain a synopsis of the opera which is laid out in Acts making it easier for you to follow.

Nick once told me that in order to fully enjoy an opera you need to do your homework first; read up about the storyline, listen to songs from it in advance and do any other background research that you can. It sounded all a bit too much trouble to me, but he was right! By doing your homework, you are better prepared for what you see and hear and can appreciate the music, the lyrics and the story even more.

This week I had the opportunity to attend a very special night at the Opera. Leeds’ resident Opera Company, Opera North played host to a group of bloggers and social media enthusiasts for their production of Bizet’s Carmen. As well as having the chance to network with other bloggers, we also had the opportunity to meet members of the company, both those who worked behind the scenes and two of the opera singers, Keel Watson and Claire Wild.

The tour of the stage and talk from the Technical Director was fascinating and I was secretly thrilled at being able to stand on the stage and see the many different aspects from it. The stage pitch was something new to me and it felt rather strange at first as you were aware of the slope (this particular one being 1:25) but then seeing it from an audience perspective later on, you were able to appreciate it.

It was also exciting and insightful talking to the performers. I had seen both of them in Operas before; Claire in Don Giovanni with Opera Holland Park and Keel in Carmen with English Touring Opera, where they both performed alongside my friend Nick! It was interesting to hear about rehearsal schedules and how the Opera gets put together and left me with a great respect for all the hard work that gets put in to each production, both from those performing and those preparing the staging and scenes. If that wasn’t demanding enough, fresh challenges arise when, like Opera North, they take their production on tour – no easy task I’m sure.

As for the show itself, there were many aspects that I enjoyed, some that I didn’t understand and some that I felt could have been left out. One thing it did do though was provide a lot of things to talk about and contemplate further and this in my opinion is never a bad thing as it shows that the opera did more than just entertain – it was thought provoking too.

I have seen Carmen before in a more traditionally staged version although with a smaller cast and I had done” my homework” and easily recognised the Overture, Habanera and The Toreador Song as familiar tunes. Having a larger ensemble cast and full orchestra certainly enhanced the performance of these songs and emphasized the richness and beauty of the music. The main performers were also brilliant, singing with such clarity and depth, it made all those hours of rehearsals worthwhile. Special mention should also go to Peter Auty who played Don Jose as he sang in spite of a chest infection and yet showed no sign of this in his performance.

I also particularly liked the stage setting for Act Three which opened with a forest scene and gentle snow fall. The contrast of the white snow falling against the dark trees and forest setting was simply beautiful and so distinctive, especially when compared to the other acts which were full of colour and vibrancy.

This particular version of Carmen had a more contemporary setting and Escamillo the bull fighter, became a knife fighting gangster with a pit bull dog whilst Don Jose the young corporal who falls in love with Carmen looked more like a scout leader than an army soldier. The opening scene with what I assumed was the village square with the cigarette factory behind it, was also slightly confusing as it seemed to be interspersed with sunbathers in swimming costumes. Similarly the scene of the town dance party at Lillas Pastia's looked more like a setting in a trailer park.

Opera North is renowned for its artistic risk taking and for pushing the boundaries of opera, to make it more accessible to a wider audience and to portray the emotions and conflicts of the traditional opera but in a more contemporary way. Whilst the cuts to the score meant that some of these emotions were lost, I do think that overall they achieved their aim. I personally, did not feel the need for the scene where Carmen appears semi-naked trying to seduce Don Jose but I can appreciate that it fitted with this particular production. I did enjoy the focus on Carmen’s character, how she was viewed as an object of desire and how she played on this but also became  victim to this as the men driven by their obsession with her, try to own her.

Overall I enjoyed the whole experience and I hope that Opera North and other companies will have more of these evenings as I think they provide an invaluable insight into the Opera World, make it more accessible to others and give them a chance to explore together the many sides to Opera. I would like to offer a huge thanks to Opera North and Emma Bearman (Culture Vultures) for organising the event. It was lovely to meet so many new people and also gain a greater insight into Opera.

For anyone that hasn’t seen an Opera before, I would echo the advice of my friend, do your homework in advance and you will definitely enjoy it more.

For more information on Opera North, its current productions and tour schedule see http://www.operanorth.co.uk/