BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE

Music by Béla Bartók
Libretto by Béla Balázs

aPRIL 5, 9 & 11, 2025

Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

Conducted by Jonathan Brandani

Stage Direction by Alain Gauthier

GIANNI SCHICCHI

Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giovacchino Forzano

secrets. lies. consequences

In Bluebeard’s Castle, the newly-married Judith discovers seven locked doors in the castle of her husband, Duke Bluebeard, prompting her quest to uncover his dark and mysterious past, one door at a time.

 In Gianni Schicchi, the recently deceased aristocrat Buoso Donati has left a large inheritance to a monastery, and his greedy relatives must enlist the help of the clever peasant Gianni Schicchi to alter the will. When he does, it's not quite what they had in mind.

 Premiering in 1918, amidst the aftermath of World War One and the Spanish Flu pandemic, these operas reflect the era’s disillusionment and existential questioning. Bluebeard’s Castle delves into the human psyche, while Gianni Schicchi combines comedy with the opera world’s most famous aria “O mio babbino caro.”

artists

Conductor - Jonathan Brandani

Stage Director - Alain Gauthier

CAST

Bluebeard & Gianni Schicchi - Giuseppe Altomare

Judith & Nella - Sara Gartland

Lauretta - Kirsten LeBlanc

Rinuccio - Christopher Oglesby

Zita - Marianne Cornetti

Simone - Alain Coulombe

Gherardo - Arieh Max Sacke

La Ciesca - Alessia Vitali

Betto - Tyler Fitzgerald

Marco - Phillip Addis

Maestro Spinellocio & Pinellino - Nicholas Murphy

Gherardino - Cantare

Ser Amantio Di Nicolao - Colin Mackey

Guccio - Luke Noftall

Featuring - The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Main Stage performances are at 7:30 pm at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

Student Dress Rehearsal (April 3) is at 7 pm. More info is available here

Sung in Italian with projected English translations

Run time is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes including one intermission

Seating is assigned (view map)

Know before you go

Synopsis (linked when available)

Study Guide (available one month before opening night)

Accessibility

Frequently Asked Questions

Ticketing Information

Production information

Set & Projection Designer - Scott Reid

Costume Designer - Heather Moore