ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD to Close Toronto City Opera's 80th Anniversary Season
Director Amanda Testini leads the production at Trinity-St. Paul's Centre, with the North York Concert Orchestra.
Toronto City Opera will present a fully staged production of Jacques Offenbach's operetta Orpheus in the Underworld, featuring a full orchestra provided by the North York Concert Orchestra (NYCO), on June 27 and 28, 2026, at Trinity-St. Paul's Centre.
Directed by Amanda Testini, Offenbach's operetta turns classical mythology on its head in a witty, satirical romp through Ancient Greece. When Orpheus and Eurydice find themselves unwilling participants in a divine drama, the gods intervene and hijinks ensue. Bursting with infectious melodies - including the famous "Can-Can" - Orpheus in the Underworld is a fast-paced, irreverent comedy sure to delight audiences.
For the first time in TCO history, this production will feature a full orchestra, courtesy of the North York Concert Orchestra, conducted by Rafael Luz.
"Self-aware and delightfully irreverent, Orpheus in the Underworld subverts character and plot expectations, pokes fun at virtue and authority, and reminds us not to take life - or even opera - too seriously." says director and choreographer Amanda Testini. "Our production is filled with larger-than-life performances, playful Greek tropes, and a hot-as-Hell party in the Underworld. In this operetta, we go on a journey where we start by doing what society expects of us and by the end we embrace the liberation of doing what we want - even if it's a little bad."
With costume design by Alexandra Christofides and lighting and projection design by Nathan Bruce, Trinity-St. Paul's will be transformed into a topsy-turvy, delightfully anachronistic version of Ancient Greece.
Toronto City Opera Artistic Director Jennifer Tung says, "We want to close this special 80th anniversary season with something fun that also provides lots of opportunities for our TCO Chorus. A few other companies in the country, including Toronto's Canadian Opera Company, presented Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice this season, and we thought it would be wonderful to offer the comedic version of the story instead." Highlighting the excitement of TCO's first fully orchestrated production, Tung adds, "Through our collaboration with NYCO, this toe-tapping operetta will make for a truly entertaining evening."
"We are incredibly excited to be partnering with Toronto City Opera for this production," says conductor Rafael Luz. Reflecting on the significance of the collaboration, Luz adds, "Now in its 51st season, NYCO has a long history of collaborating with organizations across the city, and it feels especially meaningful to join forces with TCO as they celebrate their 80th anniversary season and continue their legacy of bringing opera to Toronto audiences."
The cast features some of Toronto's most exciting emerging professional singers. Soprano Teresa Tucci stars as Eurydice, who longs for excitement beyond her unhappy marriage to her image-obsessed husband Orpheus, played by tenor Jeffrey Liu. Pluto, King of the Underworld, portrayed by tenor Christian Matta, and Jupiter, King of the Gods, played by baritone Matthew Black, complete a divine love triangle with Eurydice.
Mezzo-soprano Jada Alexiou plays the personification of "Public Opinion," who drags Orpheus on his quest to rescue Eurydice. Rounding out the cast are sopranos Ana Isabella Castro, Alice MacGregor, and Aemilia Moser as the goddesses Diana, Cupid, and Minerva. The Toronto City Opera Chorus portrays the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus as they journey to the Underworld in search of a good time.
The June 27th performance will celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community with "Pride Night at the Opera". The audience is encouraged to dress up in camp-inspired Greek mythology costume, take photos, and participate in an audience vote to decide who wins "best dressed" of the night. The "Can-Can"ned food drive will take place at both performances, in support of the Daily Bread Food Bank. Audiences are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to support members of the Toronto Community facing food insecurity.
Now celebrating its 80th anniversary, Toronto City Opera continues its proud tradition of bringing accessible, high-quality opera to the community. Founded as an opera workshop at Central Technical School in 1946, TCO has grown into one of the city's most inclusive opera companies, offering emerging professionals the opportunity to perform leading roles while welcoming community members to sing in the chorus of fully staged productions.
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