Divas are making opera more accessible at Casa, March 14.
When mezzo soprano Barbara King and soprano Kathleen Morrison met during a production of Mozart’s the Magic Flute they connected on a personal and professional level and decided to bring their new show Divas Opera to venues all over Alberta.
““It’s not just park and bark. So we’re not just standing there singing,” said Kathleen Morrison, who has performed all over the world after graduating from the University of Lethbridge in 2005. She connected with Barbara King, who has been singing for 20 years and singing professionally all over Canada for the past six years.
“We got along well together and our voices worked together seamlessly,” King said.
They developed their Divas Opera: A Night At the Opera show over a year ago, performing their first show in May. They have performed 20 shows together since then and have several others planned around the Lethbridge show including High River the night after, Waterton Park and of course, Calgary.
The show comes to Casa, March 14 at 7:30 p.m., which will feature accompanist Bente Hansen and special guests, Megan Wittig and Lisa Mulgrew of the Little Lethbridge Opera Company, who will be performing “Three Little Maids from the Mikado.”
“Opera has the reputation of being boring and inaccessible and we want to change that. You don’t have to dress up. You can wear jeans if you want to. Though we’ll be dressed up. We want people to be comfortable,” King continued.
“You wouldn’t want to see Jennifer Lopez or Lady Gaga wearing the same dress throughout the show,” Morrison said, adding she is excited about the costume changes.
King noted they play different characters.
“There’s the fun gypsy diva, the serious diva, the bitchy prima donna diva — all the different kinds of Divas,” she listed.
Musical selections will include excerpts from Bizet’s “Carmen,” a duet on Bellini’s ‘Norma” and Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro.”
“You will recognize this music from commercials, TV and movies,” Morrison said, adding she is excited to return to perform in Lethbridge at casa.
“ You are so lucky to have a venue like casa,” she enthused.
“I’ve developed a relationship with Bente (Hansen). She taught me and she’s been trying to get me to come back. So I’m really excited about it,” Morrison said.
Divas Opera: A Night at the Opera begins at 7:30 p.m., March 14 in the ATB Community Room at casa.
Tickets cost $24 for adults,$18 for students and seniors.
Unfortunately, due to coronavirus concerns, this event has been cancelled.
