Purcell's Dido and Aeneas
Event description
Sorrow. Passion. Death.
Dido and Aeneas, which recounts the legendary loves of the title characters as told by Virgil, is widely regarded as the first work of English opera. Join Concordia Ensemble for their long-awaited staged production of this well-loved work by Henry Purcell.
The Story... The opera opens with the forlorn Dido, who is still mourning the death of her husband. Her sister, Belinda, convinces her that she must finally let go of his death many years prior, and look to Aeneas, who will help secure her new kingdom of Carthage. Dido is quite taken by Aeneas, and a passionate love affair soon ensues. Seeing her with Aeneas, the witches begin to plot Dido's downfall.
The Cast...
Ella Orehek-Coddington as Dido
Matthew Gaskin as Aeneas
Molly Ryan & Elizabeth Cooper as Belinda
Xiaoxu Aleta Shang as Second Woman
TBC as The Sorceress
Sarah Cherlin as First Witch
Sophie Blades as Second Witch
Wesley Yu as The Drunken Sailor
Michael Burden as The Spirit
The Musicians...
Omid Moheb Zadeh, Conductor
Jamie-Lee Xu and Ashly Zhang, Pianists
Seating is on a first come, first serve basis. We estimate the doors will open approx. half an hour prior to the performance time. Light refreshments will be available to audience members, with the suggestion of a gold coin donation.