Do you believe in the afterlife? Have you ever visited a fortune teller or had your tarot cards read? Do you ever find yourself rooting for the villain?

The Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and Saskatoon Opera are teaming up to present Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Medium. The opera, sung in English, is a short, two-act tale of the dark and mysterious world of Madame Flora (Baba), a medium who uses her clients’ grief to deceive them in fake seances. All is going according to plan until one night she encounters a spirit of her own and things slowly unravel.

“There’s not one person who won’t have a visceral experience.”

This concert, at Convocation Hall, is unlike anything the creative team has done before. The performance will be held in the round placing the audience amongst the performers.

“I’ve wanted to do this piece since 2017 and it’s the first time we are staging a performance this immersive way,” says SSO CEO and Creative Producer Mark Turner. “We’re always searching for ways to give a deeper experience of the music. With the audience all very close to the performers, there’s not one person who won’t have a visceral experience.”

“It’s not black and white, good and bad, she lies somewhere in the shades of grey.”

Saskatoon’s own Anastasia Winterhalt will take the lead as Madame Flora. While she’s no stranger to the stage, this performance is the first full opera performance Winterhalt’s taken on in nearly two decades. The music teacher, adjudicator and vocal coach is thrilled to be part of the production.

“I’ve been a fan of Menotti for as long as I’ve studied opera. Preparing for this role has pushed me dramatically and artistically in ways I’ve never been pushed before,” says Winterhalt. “Madame Flora is not your typical damsel in distress. She’s had to struggle to survive and been through so much. She’s not evil and really struggles with her own morality. It’s not black and white, good and bad, she lies somewhere in the shades of grey.”

“Madame Flora has such a massive story arc with so much drama, finding the right artist to portray her was key to staging this performance,” says Turner. “Anastasia is a perfect fit for Flora in all her character development. If she had said. ‘No’, we wouldn’t be doing it. I’m so excited all the pieces have come together.”

“There’s no shield from the audience in this performance.”

For Winterhalt, this concert will hinge on the energy in the room.

“There’s no shield from the audience in this performance. Normally, you can’t see the house because of the lighting but here, the audience will be right beside us, responding every step along the way,” says Winterhalt. “The audience will feel the joy, pain, and sorrow with us as it unfolds. It’s a real gift.”

While both in-person performances are sold out, a few tickets may still be released last minute. The concert Saturday January 18th will also be available live online via ConcertStream.tv.

THE MEDIUM

Friday Jan. 17, 2025

Saturday Jan. 18, 2025

Convocation Hall

Tickets $43 – $50

*Livestream Saturday Jan. 18th $22 – $35

For all the details follow this link.

 

 

 

 

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