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Suburban bliss unravels in Bernstein 1-act operaCape Town Opera07/06/2012 10:14:18 
“Trouble in Tahiti” recounts the events of a typical day in the life of an unhappily married couple desperately trying to keep up appearances... at the Fugard Theatre. Leonard Bernstein's brilliantly concise one-act opera “Trouble in Tahiti” recounts the events of a typical day in the life of Sam and Dinah, an unhappily married couple desperately trying to keep up appearances in American suburbia in the early 1950s. Through a series of seemingly inconsequential vignettes, the sadness at the heart of their loveless marriage is laid bare - a breakfast quarrel, a glimpse of self-satisfied Sam at the office, Dinah confiding in her psychoanalyst, Sam showering in the gym after winning a handball tournament, and Dinah recounting the plot of the awful Technicolor musical which she watched alone to while away her afternoon: "Trouble in Tahiti". Characteristically, Bernstein filled the piece with gloriously memorable tunes drawing on a wide range of musical styles, ranging from heartfelt operatic arias to toe-tapping numbers inspired by popular music - notably for the trio of jazz singers which narrates the piece in the style of 1950s advertising jingles. By turns witty, entertaining and moving, "Trouble in Tahiti" brings classical and popular influence together with the brilliance which was to make the composer of "West Side Story" one of the most adored musicians of the twentieth century. This small "pop-up" touring production, performed with reduced orchestration for 7 players, was created for Cape Town Opera's 2012 National Tour, and has already delighted audiences in town halls from De Aar to Rustenburg. Directed by Matthew Wild and designed by Tina Driedijk, it stars CTO Staff Soloist Violina Anguelov alongside the young stars of CTO's Voice of the Nation Studio, recently returned from CTO's triumphant 6-city tour of the United Kingdom. The opera will be preceded by a 50-minute musical lecture called "The Musical Marriages of Leonard Bernstein", with performances of favourite Bernstein songs about love and marriage from other works, and an exploration of the relationship between his music and his famously complicated personal life. Performances are at the Fugard Theatre on August 15, 17 and 18 at 19:30, and tickets are R90. Book at Computicket outlets, Computicket online or through Computicket telephone bookings on 083 915 8000. Artslink.co.za Account: Lesley Liddle lesleyl@capetownopera.co.za 021 410 9820 071 684 2839 Cape Town Opera Web site: http://www.capetownopera.co.za
Related Venue:
The Fugard Theatre, Cnr of Harrington Street and Caledon Street District Six Cape Town Western Cape South Africa
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