If I blog rather less than some days for the next week, please bear with me: I’m in the throes of the final rehearsals leading up to Wednesday’s opening of the five-show run of Regina Lyric Light Opera‘s production of Candide, in which I play Voltaire/Pangloss/The Governor/The Host/The Sage.
It’s a lot of fun but I was at the theatre for 7.5 hours today and could be there as much tomorrow, when we add the orchestra for a full dress rehearsal, followed by a second dress rehearsal on Tuesday before the Wednesday opening.
Should you happen to be in the Regina area, please come see the show. As our director, Robert Ursan, puts it, it’s full of “Sex, jokes and adventure” (although you could just about take the comma out between “sex” and “jokes” and describe it as well–it’s a fairly adult show in content). It’s very funny, it has glorious music by Leonard Bernstein, and…well, I’m in it! In fact, I have what is perhaps the central role! What more incentive do you need?
Details: the show runs Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 24 to 28. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. The venue is the University Theatre, Riddell Centre, University of Regina. There’ll be a pre-show talk half an hour before each performance in the lobby, given by my lovely wife Margaret Anne Hodges, who also happens to be the vice-president of Lyric.
Tickets are $20 (reserved seating) and available online here, at Bach & Beyond in the Golden Mile Centre here in Regina, or at the door. On opening night only students get in for half price–just $10–provided they buy their tickets at the door.
Come out and see me sing a love song to a man in drag, wear a really ugly wig, play with a toy boat, and make out with a serving maid. (And if that doesn’t bring out the crowds, nothing will.)
