The Canadian Opera Company has invited Opera Revue to perform at their Free Concert Series. The concert takes place on October 14, 2025 at noon hour at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre of the Four Seasons Centre.
The conventional opera venue is a step out of the ordinary for the indie opera company.
Opera Revue was founded in 2017 by soprano Danie Friesen, who added pianist Claire Elise Harris in 2018, and baritone Alexander Hajek in 2021. They typically perform monthly in a mix of non-conventional venues (for opera) that have included bars, breweries, and more, building a following and community over the last few years.
During the pandemic, Opera Revue created weekly opera parody videos that became an online hit, and attracted new audiences.
LV talked to Opera Revue members soprano Danie Friesen, pianist Claire Elise Harris and baritone Alexander Hajek about the occasion.
Opera Revue: The Interview
The notes for the concert, part of the COC’s Vocal Series, talks about “a thoughtfully curated hour of opera arias, duets, and irreverent genre-adjacent selections, all presented with Opera Revue’s typical blend of accessibility, humour, and heart.”
“We’re going to be doing a whole mix of things. Which is sort of what our brand is,” says Friesen. “We don’t do full operas, so it’s a good gateway for people who don’t know opera.”
It begins with classical opera, and includes the music of Kurt Weill and others. “We’re also going to add in some of our operatic parodies that we’re quite well known for now.”
While not a parody per se, Opera Revue performed for hundreds of the opera curious as part of a promotion for the Dr. Oetker Suprema pizza launch. The imaginative trio managed to make a melodious Italian-style opera short from a marketing premise.
“It’s a different energy,” Danie says.
Alex notes that the full program hasn’t yet been submitted. “It will be listed traditionally,” he says. “People will think, I know that piece, but there will be some new… context,” he laughs.
“We’re quite thrilled to be doing this concert,” Danie adds. “Most of what we’re doing has been in casual settings. We are really thrilled to be in a more classical formal setting.”
She notes that the superior acoustics in the COC’s Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. “It’s acoustically wonderful,” she adds.
Despite the formal setting, though, she promises they’ll be performing with “our usual twinkle in the eye”.
“I think at this point, we can’t not,” laughs pianist Claire Elise Harris. “It’s what we do and what we’ve become.”
She believes the success of their performances are due to the fact that opera aficionados and newcomers to the art form alike can enjoy them.
“You have people who always go in and are knowledgeable about opera,” Harris says, “and others who can be introduced.”
She points out that the lunchtime concert series is free for audience members.
“It think it’s still accessible,” Claire adds. Making the art form accessible been one of the company’s mandates.
They’re hoping to see some of their bar and brewery fans show up to the tonier COC venue.
“Some of our fans have only heard opera in breweries and pubs,” Alex says.
Spreading The Word About Opera
Making opera available to everyone has always been important to Opera Revue. They report that many people have told them they’ve gone on to buy tickets to a full length production after experiencing one of their shows.
“Quite a few people have approached us and wandered in to [one of our shows],” Friesen says. They later end up at the Four Seasons.
“The more people we can share what we love with the better,” adds Claire.
“I think people can come in and expect not the usual show,” Danie adds.
Adding a touch of the irreverent helps to break the ice, so to speak.
“I’ve been to these preview concerts, and the genteel atmosphere…” Hajek says, “I think, oh Lord, somebody throw a pie or something.” An overly formal atmosphere is not something you’ll experience at any Opera Revue show. “Half the repertoire is opera comedy.”
It’s a contrast with the usual expectations for opera, with its preponderance of death and tragedy.
“There’s plenty of that going on outside,” Hajek notes. “Opera doesn’t have to be so dour.”
“We honour the art form, but we also don’t mind challenging it,” Danie says. “In general, opera has been shifting a bit in how they’re approaching audiences.”
Opera Revue’s shows include crossover material, and adding burlesque dancers to opera performance.
“You can reach different audiences that don’t think they like opera,” Friesen says.
She compares it to wine. Sure, there are wine snobs. “But you don’t need to spend a lot of money and know all about it. Bringing opera back to that is really important.” Once they’ve been introduced to it, the beauty of the art form will do the rest of the persuading. “There’s a reason this style of singing, this music, has survived.”
As she points out, even for singers, it’s a unique experience. “It hits your body in a different way than any other form of singing,” she says. “It needs to be introduced in a way that it’s for everyone.”
Alex notes that their audiences are multi-generational. Opera Revue takes that into account.
“For the younger crowd, especially with our parodies, we try to reach out with things that are on people’s tongues.” That includes current events, politics and issues like complaining about the transit system, or the price of houses in Toronto.
“We don’t need to sell opera to the older generations,” Hajek says. “[It’s about] teaching the younger crowd that opera is not only gorgeous but it’s politically relevant these days.”
- Find details on the free performance October 14 [HERE].
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