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Brian Friel Inspired Opera Opens In Wexford As Part Of 2010 Festival

By: Oct. 20, 2010

Among the works featured in the 2010 Wexford Festival Opera is Winners from US composer Richard Wargo. The production is the first part of a two-act opera Ballymore and was inspired by Brian Friel's one-act plays Lovers (Winners and Losers). The tale follows teenagers Mag and Joe as their harrowing love story unfolds - they are destined to be married but fated to die in a boating tragedy. With its compelling plot, Winners proved the perfect inspiration for an operatic production.

Described by Opera News as a 'born composer', Richard Wargo is a graduate of New York's Eastman School of Music and is a two-time recipient of the F Lammot Belin Arts Scholarship. He also completed a residency programme at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Co. Monaghan, which led to the birth of Winners.

Like many Friel fans, Mr Wargo was introduced to the playwright's work in school. He says: 'The creation of Ballymore was an especially long journey that began when I was 17 years old and a junior at high school, when the simple story of a summer morning idyll of two young lovers unfolded before me. Little did I suspect, though, that this play would continue to haunt me for years to come. I became totally enthralled as the thought of composing a musical adaptation. Each time, I'd put the play aside, daunted by the prospect of setting so many pages of dialogue to music.'

In 1986, he wrote to Brian Friel for permission to compose an opera based upon his play. Richard Wargo says: "After several letters and a meeting with the playwright at his home in Greencastle, Co. Donegal, I was granted permission to go forward with the project. It's been both humbling and gratifying to work with the words of one of the great writers of the English language and it's been a long journey from Scranton Central High School to the prestigious Wexford Festival. This Irish premiere of Winners is very special to me. Although the work has been presented numerous times in the U.S., in a sense, I feel that with this, the Wexford production, Mag and Joe are coming home"

The Irish premiere also marks the international directorial debut of Michael Shell, who believes that Winners will have a particular resonance for its home audience. He says: "Because it is in the English language, Richard Wargo's composition stays true to the beauty of Brian Friel's writing."

Michael Shell made his stage directorial debut in 2006 and has worked on a considerable number of productions since including Cosi fan tutte and La Traviata. For Winners, he will be directing a formidable cast in Kristy Swift, Rob Gardiner, Jennifer Berkebile and Adam Cannedy.

Winners is part of the ShortWorks series at the 59th Wexford Festival Opera. Performances last approximately an hour and will take place on October 19/22/25 and 28th at 3.30pm in Whites Hotel, with tickets just €25.

With an increased number of seats in the internationally award-winning Wexford Opera House and an increase of events at this year's Festival Opera, some tickets are still available for the operas and daytime works, although demand remains high for many dates, especially over the bank-holiday weekend.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.wexfordopera.com or from Wexford Festival Opera box-office, telephone: Lo-call 1850-4-OPERA or (053) 912 2144. Daytime events from €15. Evening Operas from €25. No booking fee applies.

The 59th Wexford Festival Opera runs from Saturday, October 16, until Saturday, October 30.

The 59th Wexford Festival Opera is grant aided by the Arts Council, Failte Ireland, and Wexford County & Borough Councils. This year's production sponsors are INM plc, Zurich and the EPA.


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