Before closing the book on a literary-inspired season, Manitoba Underground Opera has one more tale to tell... or, more precisely, a few of them.
A gender-bending, English adaptation of Jacques Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffman opens this week at the iconic Club 200.
“The last show of the season is generally something that I can just have a bit of a wild card time with,” says MUO Executive Director Brendan McKeen.
And what a card MUO has pulled.
Directed by Matthew Paris-Irvine, a cast of 19 singers – including soloists cast in multiple roles and a chorus – has been assembled to present an immersive theatre experience in one of Canada’s longest running gay bars.
“What I wanted to create was just something you'd never see again,” says McKeen.
Singing the title role of Hoffman is Manitoba-born, Ottawa-based tenor Adam Sperry who returns to MUO for his 7th production.
“It's the company,” says Sperry when asked about what keeps him coming back. “It's the people, the collaborative environment that they create every single time we put together a production.”
For McKeen, following Sperry’s growth as an artist has been inspirational and encouraging.
“This dude is ready to sing the big roles,” says McKeen. “Hoffman is no small feat. People wait years before they're even allowed to touch it, and most people don't even get the chance.”
In addition to being a demanding sing, the character himself can be tough to grasp.
Sperry breaks Hoffman down like a recipe: roughly 2 cups German Romantic Goethe, a cup and a half American 20th-Century beatnik Ginsberg, and then a heaping tablespoon of George Michael.
“Put that all together and there you have the title character,” says Sperry with a laugh.
MUO has cut the opera down to just under 2 hours in length, though the main plot remains the same.
Hoffman, the hapless romantic, reflects on his three failed loves – a mechanical doll, a beautiful songstress, and a sly courtesan – while sitting in a tavern. The opera plays out as he narrates those farcical follies, taking listeners on a journey that leads back to yet another (anticipated) letdown.
Featuring stunning music and dynamic staging, the 9-run production (September 18-29) is a thrilling capstone to yet another “weird and wonderful” MUO season.
“(The show) is such an immersive experience,” says Sperry. “I don't think that there are any opera productions where you quite literally are standing next to the soprano going up to a high E-flat and feeling it vibrate through your spine... it is a completely incredible experience.”
Tickets are $25. Show times vary by date with admission open to guest18-plus – by nature of the venue being a licensed establishment, not due to explicit content.
For more details, visit: www.manitobaundergroundopera.com