I can’t think of another word, but it’s exciting,” Prince George Soprano Paige Marriott told MyPGNow at Theatre NorthWest on Tuesday (today).
The 23-year-old will be gracing the stage in the role of Musetta for the Fraser Lyric Opera Society’s production of La Bohème. This will be her first performance since completing her studies at Capilano University in North Vancouver for musical theatre.
La Bohème is an opera by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini and is one of the best-known operas in the world.
Prince George’s Paige Marriott will be staging her talents at @theatrenwpg when @FraserOpera puts on its performance of La Bohéme. #CityofPG @mypgnow #Opera #Puccini pic.twitter.com/0MXWSNCqto
— Ethan Ready (@EthanReady) June 25, 2019
Founded in 2014, the Fraser Lyric Opera Society’s first production in Prince George was Beatrice and Benedick. La Bohème will mark the production company’s third opera in the Northern Capital.
Artistic Producer, Melanie Nicol says this year’s production will differ from those from years past.
“Usually, we’ve had some spoken dialogue in areas and ensembles, but Puccini is a little bit different in that when the music starts, the music starts and we don’t end until the end. It’s going to be exciting for Prince George audiences in that respect because it’s going to be something they haven’t heard before.”
It is the story of four starving artists living in a garret apartment in Paris and their passion and fight for art and love.
“As tragic and as sad, or even as happy as moments are, they’re just really enhanced by the music and so you don’t want the music to end. You want it to keep going. You’re going to want to get to the end and say keep playing so I can just sit and cry for a little bit longer,” said Nicol.
As for Marriott, it was Nicol’s first production of Beatrice and Benedick that sparked her interest in pursuing the opera.
“Seeing all the great actors and opera singers that she got to be a part of it ignited a flame inside of me to really be a part of it,” said Marriott, who grew up enjoying classical music while receiving voice lessons from Nicol.
Alongside Marriott, Toronto-born Soprano Vania Margani will be performing, as well as the return of bass-baritone Ian Fundytus.
La Bohème is scheduled to open on July 5. Shows will begin at 7 p.m. on July 5 and 6, with the July 7 performance being a matinee.
Tickets for the show can be purchased through the Theatre NorthWest website.
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