Preview
FILUMENA
The Banff Centre and Calgary Opera
Starring Laura Whelan, Gaetan Laperrière and David Pomeroy
Conducted by Bramwell Tovey
Written by John Estacio and John Murrell
August 8 and 10
Eric Harvie Theatre, The Banff Centre
"It’s thrilling," says Laura Whelan about her Betty Mitchell Award nomination for Filumena. "This is the biggest role I’ve done so far. To be recognized for it is completely unexpected."
Just in time for the landmark show, Calgary’s Betty Mitchell theatre awards finally added Calgary Opera to their list of eligible companies. A hit with both audiences and critics, the production chalked up four nominations including Outstanding New Play, Outstanding Musical Direction and Outstanding Production of a Musical.
Whelan was in rehearsal for The Banff Centre’s remount of the opera when she heard the news of her nomination for Outstanding Performance in a Musical. "It was a complete surprise to me," she says.
Filumena received national attention in February when it premièred in Calgary. Not only was it that rare beast, a new opera, it was an opera that was Canadian to the core, with music by composer John Estacio and a libretto by playwright John Murrell. The homegrown story came from a lurid-but-true tale of crime and punishment in the Crowsnest Pass during the Roaring ’20s. It’s based on the tragic life of Florence Lassandro, an Italian immigrant drawn into the underworld of Alberta’s bootleggers and gangsters. After a shootout that left a policeman dead, Lassandro went down in history as the only woman hanged for murder in Alberta.
The Banff Centre production reunites the cast of the original production under conductor Bramwell Tovey. It’s a rare opportunity to re-experience Filumena pretty much as it was performed last winter.
According to Whelan, the appeal of the tragic story isn’t hard to understand. The characters experience grand passions and express them beautifully. Fate deals roughly with Filumena, ending her life on the gallows, but there is a heroic quality in the way she handles the twists and turns of her difficult life.
For the soprano, the show is a highlight in a career that has been on the rise in the last few years. She has performed across Canada, singing with symphonies in Ottawa, Victoria, Toronto and Quebec. Last year she appeared in The Marriage of Figaro for Opera Ontario, then sang the lead role of Mimi in Pacific Opera Victoria’s production of La Bohème. She followed that with Filumena.
"It’s such an honour to be the first person to play the title role in the world première," she says.
Based in Toronto, Whelan’s career keeps her on the move. Her training includes degrees in music from the University of Victoria and the University of Toronto along with studies in England and Vancouver. Although it has paid off with applause and awards, it’s a demanding life requiring constant mental and physical discipline. Whelan wouldn’t have it any other way.
"It’s difficult, but I couldn’t imagine any other career for me," she says. |
Copyright ©2003 FFWD. All rights reserved.