The Seven Deadly Sins - on K Road

In a collaboration of unique talent Opera returns for a brief season to its original home in Auckland, the Mercury Theatre. Auckland Opera Studio is paring a talented group of New Zealand singers with respected choreographer and dancer Michael Parmenter and the Auckland Chamber Orchestra to present a dynamic evening of opera and dance featuring Kurt Weill/Berthold Brecht's rarely seen opera Seven Deadly Sins and Arnold Schoenberg's String quartet No.2, Opus 10.

26 April, 27 April,29 April, 8pm-10pm
The Seven Deadly Sins - on K Road

In a collaboration of unique talent Opera returns for a brief season to its original home in Auckland, the Mercury Theatre. Auckland Opera Studio is paring a talented group of New Zealand singers with respected choreographer and dancer Michael Parmenter and the Auckland Chamber Orchestra to present a dynamic evening of opera and dance featuring Kurt Weill/Berthold Brecht's rarely seen opera Seven Deadly Sins and Arnold Schoenberg's String quartet No.2, Opus 10.

26 April, 27 April,29 April, 8pm-10pm
The last time the former home of Auckland theatre and opera hosted a dramatic production was over ten years ago and Aucklanders will delight in seeing the classic theatre brought alive again with this minimalist production in an exciting opera experience Beyond the Box.

Stage director Patrice Wilson, in keeping with the ethos of the Auckland Opera Studio and her own naked approach to opera and to Brecht's stripped away style, puts the focus of this piece on the singers, with a cast of young dramatic performers who play out the many faces and present the 'sins' as a kinetic ballet for voices.

The second half of the evening juxtaposes the dramatic Brecht/Weill 'Sins' with the exquisite music of Schoenberg's String Quartet No. 2, Opus 10. The poetry of Stefan George, sung by the gifted American soprano Jennifer Aylmer and danced by Michael Parmenter, presents another layer and face.

Jennifer comes to New Zealand from New York, where she studied at the Julliard School. She is the recipient of many honours and awards and has performed in many of the great opera houses across America, including at the Metropolitan opera house in New York. She brings a wealth of experience to the Schoenberg. Renowned New Zealand soprano Andrea Creighton returns from Paris to take the lead of
Anna 1, in Weill's contemporary allegory of a young woman's journey through America, always in duality with her Anna II torn between her family's expectations and her all too human needs (the deadly sins).

The music is written in seven movements (seven 'sins') corresponding to Anna's journey. In a premier move the American Kurt Weill Foundation for Music has generously sponsored this production.
Andrea is joined by the dynamic cast of New Zealand professionals including Jack Bourke, baritone Philip Rhodes, bass James Ioelu and performer Brendan Casey.

Finally, the cast will be accompanied by Musical Director Peter Scholes with the Auckland Chamber Orchestra, who also accompanied the singers in Idomeneo. Peter and his chamber orchestra are well known and much-loved by New Zealand music goers. Brecht's epic theatre asks the audience to be more than just the unseen spectator in the theatrical illusion. This evening promises to be exciting, perhaps outside the box, of your usual night at the Opera.

BEYOND THE BOX - BOOKINGS - www.kroad.com
The Auckland Opera Sudio presents three performances only:
26 April, 27 April,29 April, 8pm-10pm
Mercury Theatre , Mercury Lane, Newton