Ellen Kent brings two stunning operas to Bristol's Hippodrome this January
Posted on: 20 Nov 2017Following her recent critically acclaimed tours of Nabucco, Aida and La Bohème, award-winning producer Ellen Kent returns to Bristol with two stunning, traditional productions: Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, one of the world's most popular operas, and Verdi's Rigoletto, the dark opera they tried to ban.
**Click for Rigoletto Tickets** **Click for Madama Butterfly tickets**
Rigoletto, the magnificent masterpiece they tried to ban, will be presented at The Bristol Hippodrome on Thursday, January 18th, featuring a magnificent golden eagle and two royal greyhounds! Verdi’s dramatic and controversial opera is the tale of the jester’s daughter whose heart is stolen by a charming but unreliable ruler – and how her father’s attempts to prevent the love affair lead to tragedy. Based on a play by Victor Hugo, who penned Les Miserables, the opera was almost banned because it exposed the licentious behaviour of the powers-that-be at court.
Performed by a full orchestra, Rigoletto features two of the most celebrated tenor arias La Donna è Mobile and Questa o Quella, justly turned into classics by Caruso. When Hugo originally wrote the story it was called ‘The King Who Amuses Himself’, and it was banned due to its sexual content – at least officially. In reality, it was banned for political reasons as it made covert jabs at politicians of the time. Inspired by the tradition of renaissance painting, Verdi turned the tragedy into an opera, reflecting the sexual depravity of the Mantuan Ducal Court and featuring seductive, naked courtesans.
Although entirely fitting for naked women to appear, it incurred the outrage of the censors, and the rape scene in Verdi’s original version created an uproar at the time. The opera was banned after one performance until he agreed to remove the controversial scene. He then battled with censors in Italy and renamed the Opera, Rigoletto. Wishing to reproduce Verdi’s original intentions, Ellen Kent has tastefully reinstated the beautiful naked courtesans. The production has also sensitively reintroduced the rape scene.
International baritone Iurie Gisca, will be starring as Rigoletto alongside the beautiful soprano Alyona Kistenyova from Odessa National Opera, who is returning after her critically acclaimed performances of Aida, La Bohème, Carmen, Tosca and Die Fledermaus, to sing Gilda.
Spanish tenor Giorgio Meladze will be opening the tour at The Bristol Hippodrome and will star as The Duke of Mantua. Meladze has acquired critical acclaim in Europe, singing in Milan, Spain and across Europe. He also sang in Austria together with Jose Carreras in 2014, while Zara Vardanean, the American mezzo-soprano who trained at the Vienna State Opera, returns to sing the part of Giovanna.
Both Rigoletto and Madama Butterfly will be conducted by Vasyl Vasylenko, who is the artistic director and conductor at the National President's Orchestra of Ukraine, Kiev, and will be conducting 30 members of the outstanding National Ukrainian Orchestra.
Madama Butterfly, Puccini’s poignant and popular tale, on which the hit West End musical Miss Saigon is based, appears at The Bristol Hippodrome on Friday January 19th.
One of the world’s best-loved operas, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly tells the heart-breaking story of the beautiful young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American naval lieutenant – with dramatic and heart-wrenching results. This magnificent production boasts Puccini’s powerful score played by a live orchestra. Highlights include the melodic Humming Chorus, the moving aria One Fine Day and the unforgettable Love Duet. The production also features exquisite sets, such as a spectacular Japanese garden, and sumptuous costumes including antique wedding kimonos from Japan designed by the renowned Russian designer Felix Bessonov, from St Petersburg.
International Korean soprano Maria HeeJung Kim from the National Opera House of Seoul will be making her debut in the UK singing the role of the tragic Cio Cio San. The talented young star studied in Milan and made her debut as Madama Butterfly at the Milan Opera. HeeJung Kim has sung Madama Butterfly and La Traviata at major Opera Houses in Europe.
Spanish tenor Giorgio Meladze has been invited to open the tour at The Bristol Hippodrome, after a successful tour of Aida, La Bohème and Nabucco, and will be singing the parts of Pinkerton and The Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto. Meladze has acquired critical acclaim in Europe, singing in Milan, Spain and across Europe. He also sang in Austria together with Jose Carreras in 2014.
Zara Vardanean, the American mezzo-soprano, trained at the Vienna State Opera, returns to sing the part of Suzuki.
The operas will be conducted by Vasyl Vasylenko, who is the artistic director and conductor at the National President's Orchestra of Ukraine, Kiev, and will be conducting 30 members of the outstanding National Ukrainian Orchestra.
Award-winning producer and director Ellen Kent is the biggest supplier of opera and ballet in the UK and Ireland. Since 1983 she has achieved huge success with her theatre and opera productions. From her first opera, staging Nabucco to an audience of 7,000 in Rochester Castle, Ellen has devoted every minute of her life to ensuring her public get the best opera and ballet productions.
Ellen has orchestrated opera tours since 1992. March 2004 saw Ellen branch out into the Middle Eastern audience, becoming the first British Producer to perform Carmen in the Gulf in front of an audience with the Emir of Qatar in Doha and 3000 Royal Guests. Ellen went on to open the Beiteddine Festival in Lebanon later that year with her production of Turandot.
Ellen and her Company have been the recipients of many awards over the years. These include awards for breaking all opera box office records in the history of the Manchester Opera House as well as ‘Best Opera’ and ‘Best Contribution to Theatre in Liverpool’ in the Liverpool Daily Post Awards. Ellen has herself been nominated twice as ‘European Women of the Year’, been awarded a medal from the President of Moldova for ‘The best contribution to the arts in Moldova’ and received the ‘Medal of Honour’ and ‘Golden Fortune’ awards from the President of Ukraine.
Ellen Kent's Rigoletto at The Bristol Hippodrome on Thursday, January 18 at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £19.90 to £46.90 and are available online here.
Ellen Kent's Madama Butterfly at The Bristol Hippodrome on Friday, January 19 at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £19.90 to £46.90 and are available online here.
Article by:
Miri is an English literature student at the University of Bristol who enjoys folk-punk & math-rock music, trailing round art galleries, and playing video games. She is a keen follower of politics and will read any science fiction you throw her way. Having lived in and around Bristol for many years she has developed a keen interest in the Bristol underground music scene and independent restaurants.
