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.”
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)