+++
author = ["authors/greg.md", "authors/jenna.md"]
categories = "Editorial"
date = "2018-12-30T16:57:03+00:00"
disclaimer = ""
image_gallery = []
preamble = ""
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1546189070/media/2018/12/sqFledermaus.jpg"
primary_image_credit = "Adam Fisher (Eisenstein) and Lara Ciekiewicz (Rosalinde) in Die Fledermaus, Toronto Operetta Theatre, 2018. Photo: Gary Beechey, BDS Studios."
related_articles = []
related_companies = ["scene/companies/tongue-in-cheek-productions.md", "scene/companies/canadian-opera-company.md", "scene/companies/toronto-operetta-theatre.md", "scene/companies/toronto-symphony-orchestra.md"]
related_people = ["scene/people/vanessa-oudereimerink.md", "scene/people/natalya-matyusheva.md", "scene/people/lauren-margison.md", "scene/people/andrew-haji.md", "scene/people/tyler-duncan.md", "scene/people/allyson-mchardy.md", "scene/people/claire-de-sevigne.md", "scene/people/caitlin-wood.md", "scene/people/michael-robertbroder.md", "scene/people/adam-fisher.md", "scene/people/lara-ciekiewicz.md"]
short_description = "There's little wrong, though, with heading into a new year with good tunes in one's head, and an acute anticipation of good things to come."
slug = "holiday-recap-forbiddens-traditions"
title = "Holiday recap: forbiddens & traditions "
youtube_url = ""

+++
It's good to be back, readers. Not just back, but improved: for a short while, we handed the Schmopera reins over to our superb man behind the scenes, [Andrej](https://twitter.com/dr_drej), who has given the site a makeover from the inside out - thanks for noticing!

The technical work gave us little choice except to take a luxurious bit of vacation from writing (no complaints); still, we were out and about, catching shows and saving our notes for the New Year.

[Gregory Finney](/authors/greg/), our formidable Toronto contributor, caught the latest presentation by the fledgling [Tongue In Cheek Productions](/scene/companies/tongue-in-cheek-productions/), [**_Verbotenlieder_**](/dont-miss-verbotenlieder/). Canada's female operatic talent filled Lula Lounge to sing a ballsy selection of arias and duets traditionally reserved for the gentlemen; Finney calls it, "the kind of evening out I hope we see a lot more of in 2019."

> My hunch had been that all you needed for a great, hilarious _Die Fledermaus_ was a stellar cast.

Finney writes, "\[_Verbotenlieder_'s\] neat musical ear-play was probably most present with the famed _Pearl Fishers_ duet, sung by [Jennifer Taverner](/scene/people/jennifer-taverner/) and [Beste Kalender](/scene/people/beste-kalender/) and the Rodolfo/Marcello duet from _La bohème_, sung beautifully by soprano [Vanessa Oude-Reimerink](/scene/people/vanessa-oude-reimerink/) and mezzo-soprano Alexandra Beley." Finney's also highlighted Brittany Cann's _Don Quichotte à Dulcinée_ ("Dear Toronto, this is a voice to watch"), and [Lauren Margison](/scene/people/lauren-margison/)'s appropriation of tenor arias from _Madama Butterfly_ and _Turandot_. Plus:

"[Natalya Gennadi](/scene/people/natalya-matyusheva/) sang Lensky's Aria from _Eugene Onegin_, and if you missed it, I'm sorry for you," says Finney. "I'd would say it was some of the best singing I heard this year, not just this night."

Greg caught the _verboten_, and I saw the traditional: the Toronto Symphony Orchestra sounded particularly Canadian in its holiday run of Handel's **_Messiah_**, which featured home-grown soloists [Claire de Sévigné](/claire-de-sevigne-sing-fast-high/), [Allyson McHardy](/scene/people/allyson-mchardy/), [Andrew Haji](/scene/people/andrew-haji/), and [Tyler Duncan](/scene/people/tyler-duncan/). De Sévigné rang like a bell even at the briskest of tempi; McHardy gave an intimate, human sound; Haji was a breath of fresh air from his first "Comfort ye"; and Duncan was the jolt of caffeine that suited his bombastic "Why do the Nations so Furiously Rage Together?"

<figure data-type="image">{{% md %}}![](https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1546223125/media/2018/12/CompositeMessiahJagGundu.jpg)

{{% /md %}}<figcaption>Clockwise from top left: Allyson McHardy, Claire de Sévigné, Tyler Duncan, and Andrew Haji perform Handel's <em>Messiah</em> with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra under Johannes Debus. Photos: Jag Gundu.</figcaption></figure>

COC Music Director Johannes Debus took the podium. He brought operatic flair to this oratorio, and peppered it with surprises enough to keep Handel's very, _very_ familiar score sounding new. And the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir was on point, earning bragging rights with collective coloratura and a stunning colour palette from start to finish. They do sound great under Interim Artistic Director & Conductor David Fallis.

> Caitlin Wood's Adele was a delightful surprise; almost understated in spoken dialogue, Wood exploded with personality - and thrilling ring - each time she sang.

More traditions - and more Canadians - were in Toronto Operetta Theatre's production of _Die Fledermaus_. The star of the show was inarguably [Lara Ciekiewicz](/scene/people/lara-ciekiewicz/)'s Rosalinda, who gave a wow-worthy combination of womanly sound and agile fireworks. [Adam Fisher](/scene/people/adam-fisher/) was her smarmy husband, Gabriel Eisenstein; yet the friendly warmth in his sound gave us less of a loathsome liar and more of a bumbling idiot who makes poor decisions. [Caitlin Wood](/scene/people/caitlin-wood/)'s Adele was a delightful surprise; almost understated in spoken dialogue, Wood exploded with personality - and thrilling ring - each time she sang. Elizabeth Beeler's Orlofsky was vague and bland, her dialogue spoken with a thick Russian accent reminiscent of Alison Brie as Zoya the Destroya on _GLOW_. And [Michael Robert-Broder](/scene/people/michael-robert-broder/) was a sullen Dr. Falke, a slight and constant snarl in his sound.

<figure data-type="image">{{% md %}}![](https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1546223254/media/2018/12/Fledermaus2.jpg)

{{% /md %}}<figcaption>Caitlin Wood (Adele) and Elizabeth Beeler (Orlofsky) in <em>Die Fledermaus</em>, Toronto Operetta Theatre, 2018. Photo: Gary Beechey, BDS Studios.</figcaption></figure>

Toronto Operetta Theatre, for me, has always been a place to hear Canada's excellent talent, if not a place for forward-thinking production value. My hunch had been that all you needed for a great, hilarious _Die Fledermaus_ was a stellar cast.  Yet even the top-notch performances by Ciekiewicz, Fisher, Wood, and Robert-Broder were dampened by missed comedic opportunities and some hokey English dialogue - a product of Ruth and Thomas Martin's translation, plus additions made by stage director and TOT head Guillermo Silva-Marin. Though it's par for the course in operetta, to have odd contemporary cultural reference in the dialogue, but I'd call this version overkill. I counted at least four Trump references, a Martha-Stewart-prison groaner, a dash of #MeToo, and a vaguely French, Tar-_get_-inspired pronunciation of "Value Vil-_lage_".

So, like a microcosm of any healthy opera-going year, the last few weeks of 2018 were a mixed bag. There's little wrong, though, with heading into a new year with good tunes in one's head, and an acute anticipation of good things to come.

Readers, we always want to hear from you: if you know of a production or artist deserving of some spotlight, let us know. Get in touch at [hello@schmopera.com](mailto:hello@schmopera.com), or shout-out at us via [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Schmopera), [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/schmopera/), and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/schmopera/).