Ellen Wieser does her best nasty stepsister at the Arts Court in Ottawa. They are rehearsing Cinderella for Opera Lyra’s upcoming production of the classic fairytale.
After a difficult year, Opera Lyra’s new season of intimate community performances and grand opera is breathing new life into the struggling company.
Last winter, Opera Lyra cancelled its final two productions of the year because of growing debt and disappointing ticket sales from the season’s first production.
Adding to its woes, was the disappearance of $11,000 from its coffers.
But after help from the National Arts Centre and other funders, Opera Lyra is back and better than before with its 2012-2013 season.
“We’re very hopeful that they will have a long life in the future,” says Rosemary Thompson, a spokesperson for the National Arts Centre.
Taking over Opera Lyra’s box office functions is one of many things the NAC has agreed to do in order to help Ottawa’s only opera company find its way out of financial difficulties.
Jeep Jeffries, the new general director of Opera Lyra, says they chose two of the ten most popular and frequently produced operas, La Bohème and La Traviata, for this year’s main stage productions.
Opening with a classic at the NAC, La Bohème was well reviewed, but more significantly, the show was wildly successful in terms of ticket sales.
“One of our shows is on a Monday, which is always a tough sell,” Jeffries says. But he boasts that on average they sold 85 per cent of Southam Hall’s 2,323 seats.
The final performance was completely sold out.
Jeffries says the turnout at La Bohème was up 20 per cent from last year, with ticket sales rivalling some of Opera Lyra’s best years.
For this season, the second main stage production, La Traviata, will be done only as a concert version.
“That means no scenery, limited costumes, no props and perhaps a bit of fancy lighting," Jeffires says.
“It’s a good deal cheaper than it would be if we were doing a normal production.”
This will allow Opera Lyra to put on a full season while still watching its expenses. If its finances continue to improve, the company hopes to have two full main-stage productions in the 2013-2014 season.
Jeffries says he hopes one day to offer three main stage productions in a season.
Jeffries says he hopes that introducing a new, younger audience to the capital’s opera scene will also help with the recovery process. Cinderella will tour schools in the Ottawa area in addition to its five public performances at the Arts Court Theatre Nov. 3-9.
“Seeing a very charming and funny performance of Cinderella might make you think that would be a pretty fun thing to do later in life,” Jeffries says, eager to spread his own passion for opera.
The one-hour adaptation of Gioachino Rossini’s La Cenerentola will follow the story we all know and love, with slight variations. Jeffries says he wants students to experience a more “intimate and friendly environment.”
“It’s really nice that they’re able to book the theatre space here,” says Arts Court Coordinator, Monique Lachapelle. “And to give the community an opportunity to access an opera.”
With a successful production under its belt and a new one opening next month, Opera Lyra Ottawa is much closer to Cinderella’s happily-ever-after than they were this time last year.
“We are not entirely out of the woods now, but good progress has been made,” Jeffries says.
“And we’ll continue to make good progress, I think.”