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For Immediate Release: April 19, 2016 • Please include in your listings/announcements
A TAPESTRY OPERA PRODUCTION
The World Premiere of
ROCKING HORSE WINNER
A Co-commission by Tapestry Opera and Scottish Opera
Libretto by Anna Chatterton | Music by Gareth Williams
Based upon the D.H. Lawrence short story The Rocking Horse Winner
May 27 – June 4, 2016
Berkeley Street Theatre
TICKETS NOW ON SALE!
Tapestry Opera’s exciting recent momentum continues this spring with another world premiere,
ROCKING HORSE WINNER, commissioned in partnership with Scottish Opera. This modern
adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s masterful short story—an intimate psychological look at love, luck and
greed—comes to life with a libretto by Dora Mavor Moore Award-winning playwright Anna Chatterton
and music by Irish-Scottish composer Gareth Williams. ROCKING HORSE WINNER premieres in
Toronto at the Berkeley Street Theatre on May 28, (preview performance May 27) and continues to
June 4, 2016. Tickets are now on sale at www.tapestryopera.com.
A chilling drama about the alienating force of greed, ROCKING HORSE WINNER explores the
relationship between Paul, a young man with a developmental disability, and his emotionally distant
mother. Paul becomes obsessed with solving the “bad luck” of his family, to win the love of his
mother, and to meet the increasing demands of their household. His pursuit arouses a strange magic
that both connects him to luck, and makes him vulnerable to haunting voices only he can hear.
An all-Canadian cast and creative team unites some of the most respected young specialists in the
country. Directed by Tapestry Opera’s Artistic Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori, the production is
musically helmed by Conductor-in-Residence Jordan de Souza, who was recently appointed the
position of Studieleiter (head of music staff) at the Komische Oper Berlin for its 2016-2017 season.
Award-winning designers Camellia Koo, Michelle Ramsay and Ming Wong have created an
evocative setting to draw audiences into the magic of Paul's world and the love, greed, and
heartbreak in his family.
The cast features soprano Carla Huhtanen as Ava, Paul's remote mother; tenor Keith Klassen as
Oscar, Ava's cavalier but secretly poor brother; baritone Peter McGillivray as Bassett, Paul's healthcare worker; and in his professional debut with Tapestry Opera, tenor Asitha Tennekoon as Paul.
“Although this opera is based on text written in 1926, it has shocking relevance to us today,” says Michael Mori. “The seductive dangers of prestige and money are familiar themes, as we’re all keenly
aware of modern wealth disparity and news headlines about the one per cent. This compelling story,
paired with Gareth’s deeply affective score and Anna’s lyrical words, creates a mesmerizing
experience – I’m very proud to debut it to the world here in Toronto.”
Tapestry Opera and Scottish Opera have been working together since 2009 through Tapestry Opera’s international LibLab: Composer-Librettist Laboratory. This is their fourth collaboration, following
Tapestry Opera’s recent critically acclaimed North American premiere of Scottish Opera’s The Devil
Inside in March 2016; M’dea Undone, which had its world premiere May 2015; and Pub Operas in
2011. ROCKING HORSE WINNER was conceived in 2011, two years after Gareth Williams and Anna
Chatterton met at Tapestry’s International LibLab in 2009. It was developed during Williams’ residency with Scottish Opera.
Librettist Anna Chatterton has been a Playwright-in-Residence at Tarragon Theatre since 2011 and
is the 2015-2016 Playwright-in-Residence at Nightwood Theatre. Chatterton’s libretti have been commissioned and produced by the Canadian Opera Company, World Stage at Harbourfront Centre,
The Banff Centre, and The Theatre Centre. Composer Gareth Williams recently completed a post as
Composer-in-Residence with Scottish Opera, where he created many site-specific operas, including
Breath Cycle - a work created specifically for patients with Cystic Fibrosis (with Canadian
poet/playwright David James Brock, another collaborator of Gareth's from the 2009 International
LibLab). His next project is a new work for BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra about the 306 British
men shot for cowardice during WW1.
Tapestry Opera continues to drive the evolution of opera with an innovative 36th season, which
included Songbook VI, Tap:Ex Metallurgy, and the North American premiere of Scottish Opera’s The
Devil Inside. Tapestry Opera’s 37th season will be announced in late May, 2016.
A TAPESTRY OPERA PRODUCTION
The World Premiere of
ROCKING HORSE WINNER
A Co-commission by Tapestry Opera and Scottish Opera
Libretto by Anna Chatterton | Music by Gareth Williams
Based upon the D.H. Lawrence short story The Rocking Horse Winner
Preview performance: Friday, May 27, 2016
Opening Night: Saturday, May 28, 2016
Runs until June 4, 2016
Performance Schedule: May 27, 28, 31, June 2, 3, 4 at 8pm • May 29 at 4pm
Berkeley Street Theatre – Downstairs, 26 Berkeley Street, Toronto
Regular Tickets $36 - $112 (including HST and all service charges)
Preview Performance: All seats only $25
Tickets available online at CanadianStage/TAPESTRY,
in person at the Canadian Stage Box Office or by calling 416.368.3110
For more information:
www.tapestryopera.com
@TAPESTRYOPERA
facebook.com/TapestryOpera
#rockinghorsewinner
Media Contact: FLIP PUBLICITY, 416.533.7710 • @FLIP_PUBLICITY
Ashley Belmer X253, [email protected] or Carrie Sager X224, [email protected]