ALICE THROUGH THE OPERA GLASS

Prepare yourself for a journey which will introduce you to a ‘frabjous’ world of opera where music and singing go hand and hand with zany characters, big personalities, and exotic places.

Alice and White Rabbit have to cleverly maneuver their way through the chess game of Operaland to reach their final goal. Each character they meet along their way adds a new dimension through some of opera’s classic hits.

The characters in Operaland speak Italian, German, French and English, but music is a universal language which we can all understand and enjoy. Try to listen for the different languages when Alice and Rabbit meet their new friends.

Let your imagination run wild while you experience the over-the-top wonderfulness inspired by the style of Lewis Carroll.

SIMON BRUCKARD, ConductorBROCK ROBERTS, Director

WELCOME

Alice and White RabbitCostume design by Isaac Lummis

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PRODUCTION

ComposersGeorges Bizet, Léo Delibes, George Frideric Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Giuseppe VerdiLibretto Emma Muir-SmithConductor Simon BruckardDirector Brock RobertsSet Designer Candice MacAllisterCostume Designer Isaac LummisLighting Designer Peter DarbyProduction Manager Eduard InglésStage Manager Michele ForbesAssistant Stage Manager Carli GriffinPrincipal Repetiteur Phillipa SafeyRepetiteur Adam McMillanChorus Preparation Tom GriffithsOrchestral arrangements and additional music Richard Mills, Simon Bruckard, Julian LangdonScene Descriptors Emma Muir-Smith, Brock Roberts

CASTAlice Georgia Wilkinson White Rabbit Timothy Reynolds Elettra / 1st Lady / Frasquita Emily BurkeMallika / 3rd Lady / Carmen Shakira DuganAlfredo Carlos E. Bárcenas

Papageno Stephen MarshQueen of the Night Esther Counsel

CHORUSEsther Counsel, Ben Glover, Joshua Erdelyi-Götz, Chloe Harris, Teresa Ingrilli, Phoebe Paine, Amelia Wawrzon, Simon Wright

ORCHESTRAConcertmaster Peter ClarkViolin 2 Cameron JamiesonViolin 3 Ioana TacheViola Susanna LingCello Mee Na LojewskiDouble Bass Giovanni VinciFlute/Piccolo Kim FalconerOboe Jasper LyClarinet I Luke CarbonClarinet II Amy WhyteBassoon Chris MartinHorn I Tim SkellyHorn II Phoebe SmithiesKeyboard Adam McMillan

SEASON STAFFSound Technician Jarrad GilsonCostume Supervisor Kate Glenn-SmithSurtitle Operator Timothy Mallis

14, 15, 17 JUNE 2019Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse

Running Time is approximately 55 minutes, with no intervalSung in French, Italian and German, with scene descriptors

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SYNOPSISSCENE 1 RiverbankAlice and her friend White Rabbit are relaxing by the riverbank. Realising he is late, White Rabbit leaps up and trips over a mysterious flute. A note attached to it says that it belongs to the Queen of the Night who lives in The Dark and Scary Castle on the Hill in Operaland. White Rabbit plays a few notes on the flute and immediately starts behaving strangely. Alice realises that he’s been cursed and has turned into the Mad Hatter. They have only one hour to return the flute and reverse the curse.They hear Alfredo singing. He is from Operaland and points them in the right direction.

‘De’ miei bollenti spiriti’ from La traviata (Verdi)

SCENE 2Mallika’s Garden

Alice and White Rabbit meet Mallika in her beautiful garden. Alice and Mallika admire the flowers while White Rabbit has a tea party by himself.

‘Flower Duet’ from Lakmé (Delibes)

Mallika suggests they visit Elettra, who lives under the sea. Alice and White Rabbit dive into the stream and swim to the ocean, surrounded by fish. The mermaid Elettra greets them.

‘Voyagers’ Chorus’ from Idomeneo (Mozart)

SCENE 3Under the Sea

Elettra and White Rabbit exchange jokes. Elettra says that the people on the Enchanted Island may be able to help them.

Alfredo Elettra

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SCENE 4Enchanted Island

Alice and White Rabbit put on their rose-coloured glasses and everything looks more beautiful.

‘Chorus of Enchanted Islanders’ from Alcina (Handel)

Alice starts to feel miserable. She’s sick of strange worlds and just wants her friend back to normal. White Rabbit sings a song to cheer them up.

‘A Wand’ring Minstrel, I’ from The Mikado (Gilbert and Sullivan)

Alice feels better but realises that they have only ten minutes left to return the flute. Alfredo and his friend Papageno appear.

‘Pearlfishers’ Duet’ from The Pearlfishers (Bizet)

Just when Alice thinks they are never going to find the Queen of the Night, Alfredo shows them The Dark and Scary Castle across the water.

SCENE 5The Scary Castle on the Hill

The Queen of the Night casts a spell on Papageno making him unable to speak.

‘The Hm Hm Quintet’ from The Magic Flute (Mozart)

Although they are three minutes late, the ladies agree to take them to the Queen of Night. Alice begs her to reverse the curse. The Queen is impressed with her courage and agrees to lift the spell on one condition – that Alice and her friends sing her favourite piece of music.

‘Toreador song’ from Carmen (Bizet)

Alice and White Rabbit wake up on the riverbank. Alice is relieved that White Rabbit is back to his usual self and wonders if it was all a dream.

The FishermenCostume designs by Isaac Lummis

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COMPETITIONDownload a copy of the set drawing and colour it in for your chance to win a family pass to Victorian Opera’s production of The Selfish Giant.

Download your A4 copy from victorianopera.com.au/colouring

To enter, choose one of the following options:• Scan and email to info@victorianopera.com.au

• Mail to PO Box 524, Carlton South, Victoria, 3053 • Post on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #voAlice

HURRY!

Competition

closes 30 June

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THE SELFISH

GIANT

SIMON BRUCKARD

An enchanting new family opera

based on Wilde’s fairy tale

BOOK NOW | victorianopera.com.au | (03) 8606 4200

17 - 19 OctoberGasworks Theatre, Albert Park

victorianopera.com.au

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Leo & MinaFink Fund

The Marian & E.H.Flack Trust

Freda Freiberg