{"id":100612,"date":"2023-11-28T11:40:40","date_gmt":"2023-11-28T16:40:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=100612"},"modified":"2023-11-28T11:40:40","modified_gmt":"2023-11-28T16:40:40","slug":"interview-opera-revue-takes-art-form-neighbourhood-pub-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2023\/11\/28\/interview-opera-revue-takes-art-form-neighbourhood-pub-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Opera Revue Takes The Art Form To Your Neighbourhood Pub And Beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"
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L-R: Danie Friesen, Claire Elise Harris, Alexander Hajek (Photo courtesy of Opera Revue)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was in 2017 that Opera Revue was founded by soprano Danie Friesen<\/strong> as a way of taking the art form to a wider audience, including those who wouldn\u2019t go to see it in its usual formal environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI originally started it six, seven years ago now,\u201d Danie says. \u201cI came to opera later, in my 20s,\u201d she explains. While she came to love opera, friends would complain that it was expensive and inaccessible. \u201cIt started with an argument with my ex,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n

It sparked an idea. \u201cMaybe, how we present it, especially to newer audiences, could be done differently.\u201d<\/p>\n

Putting arias into neighbourhood pubs was the first step.<\/p>\n

\"Opera
Opera Revue on stage (Photo courtesy of OR)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Opera In The Hood<\/h3>\n

As Danie relates, the idea crystallized via a chance connection. \u201cA friend of mine owns a bar in the Beaches,\u201d she explains, \u201cit was his idea to do a show in his place first.\u201d As it typical with small venues, he wanted a quick date, and the very first show was put together in about six weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was packed immediately,\u201d Danie says. \u201cAfter that we kind of built a bit of reputation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pianist Claire Elise Harris<\/strong> joined OR in 2018, and the core team was rounded out by baritone Alexander Hajek<\/strong> in 2021. Alex could see that, even in the relatively diverse Toronto opera world, there was a niche they could fill. \u201cThis sort of opera cabaret doesn’t exist,\u201d Alex says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe like to fill in a bit of a gap,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

Some of the other venues they approached may have been leery at first of what they saw as a very nichey kind of act, but most came around.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve staged performances at neighbourhood bars in Toronto, including the Dakota Tavern, Castro\u2019s Lounge, Granite Brewery and The Emmet Ray. During the pandemic lockdowns, OR produced a series of weekly YouTube videos titled the Isolation Series, including both opera and opera parodies. The latter were immediately popular.<\/p>\n

Their programmes typically include a selection of pieces drawn from various repertoire \u2014 a kind of opera\u2019s greatest hits, along with the odd musical theatre piece. OR is also becoming known for their opera parody pieces, many of which take a swipe at the vagaries of Toronto life, including municipal politics and social issues like the homeless crisis.<\/p>\n