Manchester Opera House Archives

Madama Butterfly – Opera House, Manchester

13Jan

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Madama Butterfly – Opera House, Manchester

The heartbreaking beauty of this opera is perfectly presented by Director and Producer Ellen Kent in this sensitive and moving portrayal which captures passing moments of innocence and naïve humour but whose final scene touched me deeply. Marriage broker Goro (Yevhenii Vaskiv) shows US naval lieutenant Pinkerton (Giorgi Meladze) around the home he will share with his bride-to-be in Nagasaki, although American Consul Sharpless (Iurie Gisca) warns him of the tragic consequences that may follow. The Butterfly duly lands in the form of young Japanese girl Cio-Cio-San (Elena Dee) supported by maid Suzuki (Natalia Matveeva), and they are married by the Commissioner (Vitalii Cebotari). Her love makes her willing to sacrifice everything which sees her disowned by her uncle, a Bonze (Valeriu Co...

20Sep

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

North West

Annie – Manchester Opera House

The story of orphan Annie originates from a 1924 comic strip called Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray, lyricist Martin Charnin approached author Thomas Meehan to write the book of a musical, a wise choice considering his many successes since, with awards for co-writing The Producers, Hairspray, also writing the books for the musicals, Elf, and Young Frankenstein amongst others. Meehan created Annie, using some of the characters from the comic strip, but added to them, using Charles Dickens’ orphan characters as inspiration, which worked well with the musical being set at the time of the Great Depression of 1929. Lyricist Charnin, would then work with composer Charles Strouse, using Meehan’s book as the framework for Annie. We join Annie (Sharangi Gnanavarathan) and her fri...

Further Casting Announced for Manchester Panto

27Jul

By NewsdeskNo Comments

NEWS

Further Casting Announced for Manchester Panto

Further casting has been announced for Jack and the Beanstalk at Manchester Opera House this Christmas. Multi-award-winning star of stage and screen Myra DuBois joins the cast as Mrs Blunderbore, Samara Casteallo returns for another year in the Opera House panto as The Spirit of the Beans, and West-End performer Emma Williams joins the cast as Princess Jill, running from Saturday 2nd – Sunday 31st December 2023. The news follows the earlier announcement that Comedy superstar Jason Manford will return to lead the cast in the title role of Jack, alongside returning Manchester panto favourite Ben Nickless as Silly Simon, seeing the dynamic duo come together for a second year by popular demand. The self-declared ‘Siren from South Yorkshire’, the larger-than-life Myra DuBois became a hou...

10Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Madama Butterfly – Opera House, Manchester

Madama Butterfly is a staple of the operatic repertoire, so it is hard to believe that the original two-act version was so poorly received at its premiere in 1904 at La Scala in Milan. Puccini rewrote it in three acts to great success before reverting to the two-act formula that we see performed today. Marriage broker Goro (Ruslan Pacatovici) shows US naval lieutenant Pinkerton (Vitalii Liskovetskyi) round the home he will share with his bride-to-be in Nagasaki, although American Consul Sharpless (Vladimir Dragos) warns him of the tragic consequences that may follow. The Butterfly duly lands in the form of young Japanese girl Cio-Cio-San (Elena Dee) supported by maid Suzuki (Irina Sproglis), and they are married by the Commissioner (Vitalii Cebotari). Her love makes her willing to sacr...

8Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Tosca – Opera House, Manchester

Tosca is an opera in three acts by Italian composer Puccini, structured as a through-composed work, with arias, recitative, choruses and other elements musically woven into a seamless whole. Set in Rome in June 1800, the city is threatened by the advancing army of Napoleon Bonaparte. In the inside of the church of Sant' Andrea della Villa, Cesare Angelotti (Eugeniu Ganea), former Consul and now an escaped political prisoner, has taken refuge. He hides on the arrival of a Sacristan (Valeriu Cojocaru) before the painter Mario Cavaradossi (Vitalii Liskovetskyi) appears to continue work on his portrait of Mary Magdalene, based on a blonde-haired woman who is in fact Angelotti's sister, and he compares her to his dark-haired lover, the singer Floria Tosca (Elena Dee). Cavaradossi promise...

Johannes Radebe: Freedom UK Tour Comes to Manchester

4Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Johannes Radebe: Freedom UK Tour Comes to Manchester

TV dancing sensation and international champion Johannes Radebe is thrilled to be presenting his first UK Tour, Johannes Radebe: Freedom, which comes to The Manchester Opera House on the 6th April 2022. Johannes Radebe: Freedom is a celebration of music and dance, from African fusion to fiery Latin, classic dance arrangements and huge party anthems, with a company of exciting dancers. Johannes will take the audience on his personal journey, from growing up in South Africa, to travelling the world, winning titles and starring in Strictly Come Dancing. Born in the township Zamdela Sasolburg, South Africa, Johannes Radebe started dancing when he was seven. He was fascinated by the discipline and the glamour of Ballroom and Latin. Over the next 13 years, Jo...

Drag Royalty will Ru-Turn in 2022 for the UK’s biggest ever RuPaul tour

22Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Drag Royalty will Ru-Turn in 2022 for the UK’s biggest ever RuPaul tour

Manchester prepare yourself! Drag Royalty will Ru-Turn in 2022 for the UK’s biggest ever RuPaul tour. Join the queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK for an evening of endless eleganza extravaganza as this brand-new tour takes in theatres and venues across the country including a date at Opera House, Manchester, on Saturday February 12th. Witness the Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent of your favourite queens LIVE on stage as they sashay into a theatre near you. Tickets go on general sale from www.cuffeandtaylor.co.uk at 10am Friday March 26th. Acclaimed for their amazing production values, expect the unexpected in this glittering tour featuring UK Season 2 Finalists Tayce, Bimini Bon Boulash, Ellie Diamond and Laurence Chaney, along with stars from Drag Race UK. RuPaul’s Drag...

ATG Announce Free NHS Tickets and Casting for Pantomimes Across UK

16Nov

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

ATG Announce Free NHS Tickets and Casting for Pantomimes Across UK

Ambassador Theatre Group are delighted to announce that all tickets for the first performance of their pantomimes, produced by Qdos Entertainment in Manchester, Bristol, Milton Keynes, Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham will be gifted to NHS workers and their families. Mark Cornell, CEO at Ambassador Theatre Group said today “The Ambassador Theatre Group is delighted to be showing pantomimes in five of our venues in Bristol, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Stoke and Birmingham this Christmas, thanks to the support of The National Lottery. ATG and its staff are also inviting our magnificent NHS and their families to the first performance at each venue free of charge. We hope that this small gesture shows how incredibly grateful we all are for what the NHS has done for this country”. NHS worker...