Opera Atelier Presents MEDEA as Part of 16-17 Season, April 22-29

Opera Atelier's 16-17 season continues with Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Medea at the Elgin Theatre, Apr. 22-29, 2017. Following its Toronto run, Medea will tour to the Royal Opera House at the Palace of Versailles, marking the first time that Charpentier's masterpiece has played in the Royal Opera House. The production stars soprano Peggy Kriha Dye and Canadian tenor Colin Ainsworth, the powerhouse partnership that gained international acclaim in Opera Atelier's Armide.

A refugee from the Kingdom of Colchis (present-day Georgia) the powerful princess Medea forsakes her family and country to assist her lover Jason in his quest for the Golden Fleece. When he betrays her, she exacts a dizzying vengeance of which only a sorceress could be capable. Based on the ancient Greek myth popularized by Euripides' play of the same name, with a libretto by French dramatist Thomas Corneille, Charpentier's Medea premiered at the Théâtre du Palais-Royale in Paris in 1693.

Medea features soprano Peggy Kriha Dye and Canadian tenor Colin Ainsworth singing the lead roles of Medea and Jason. They are joined by Mireille Asselin (Créuse), Meghan Lindsay (Nérine), Jesse Blumberg (Oronte), Karine White (Cléone), Stephen Hegedus, Christopher Enns, Kevin Skelton, and Olivier Laquerre. Medea will be directed by Marshall Pynkoski and choreographed by Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg, with set design by Gerard Gauci and lighting design by Michelle Ramsay. The production will feature the full corps of Artists of Atelier Ballet, and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir under the baton of David Fallis. Medea is sung in French with English surtitles.

The tour of Medea to the Palace of Versailles (May 19, 20 and 21, 2017) is Opera Atelier's special project in honour of Canada's sesquicentennial, and is part of the company's engagement to perform at the Royal Opera House every two years. Opera Atelier has also been invited to perform a concert in the Royal Chapel - the first North American company ever to receive this honour. Mireille Asselin and Stephen Hegedus will sing Purcell excerpts in English accompanied by members of Tafelmusik, with dances performed by Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg, Juri Hiraoka and Tyler Gledhill, choreographed by Zingg. In addition, Opera Atelier has commissioned a new Canadian composition for period instruments by violinist Edwin Huizinga, which will feature Canada's acclaimed contemporary dancer Tyler Gledhill performing original choreography.

Opera Atelier is thrilled to announce the creation of our first promotional video created specifically for the company's Canada 150 production of Charpentier's Medea. The video features OA soprano Peggy Kriha Dye and Artists of Atelier Ballet Madgalena Vasko and Tyler Gledhill in scenes which underline the themes of obsession, betrayal and revenge that drive the opera's action. The video, by Toronto-based videographer and director Marcel Canzona, can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1zt7ZLDq5w

Tickets for Medea in Toronto start at $39 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 1-855-622-ARTS(2787) or www.ticketmaster.ca, or at the Elgin Theatre Box Office (189 Yonge Street). Group discounts (10+ people) are available by calling 416-703-3767 x222. For more information, visit www.operaatelier.com.

Every performance features a pre-show talk 45 minutes before curtain in the lower lobby of the Elgin Theatre, all ticket-holders welcome. One performance of Medea will be accompanied by ASL interpretation, funded by the Ontario 150 Partnership Program. Marshall Pynkoski will be giving a free lecture entitled "Staging Charpentier's Medea for the 21st Century" at the Alliance Française (24 Spadina Road) on March 29 at 7pm.

$15 Operatix tickets may be purchased by patrons aged 15-30 in person at the Elgin Theatre Box Office or online with the code OPERATIX. (Subject to availability. Valid I.D. required at pick-up.) NEW! Special Operatix Evening on Friday April 28, featuring a post-performance party with Opera Atelier artists for ticket-holders age 30 and under. The Operatix program is proudly sponsored by TD.

2016-2017 Major Sponsors

Season Presenting Sponsor: BMO Financial Group

Season Underwriter: El Mocambo Productions

Medea Production Sponsor: Brayton Polka

Opera Atelier gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of The Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council

Opera Atelier is North America's premier period opera/ballet company, producing the opera, ballet and drama of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. While drawing upon the aesthetics and ideals of the period, Opera Atelier goes beyond "reconstruction" and infuses each production with an inventive theatricality that resonates with modern audiences. Led by founding artistic directorS Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg since 1985, Opera Atelier has garnered acclaim for its performances at home as well as in the United States, Europe and Asia.