GrimmFest
December 4 – 8, 2012
Locations: Vary (see below)
Cost: Varies (see below)
Target: Children, Youth, Families, Adults
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Brothers Grimm collected fairy tales, the Canadian Opera Company invites children and adults alike to take part in GrimmFest. Running from December 4 – 8, 2012, this week-long festival features a variety of family-friendly programming taking place all over the city of Toronto. The celebrations culminate in the 500th performance of The Brothers Grimm, a charming children’s opera by Canadian composer Dean Burry inspired by the tale-spinning siblings and their famous creations. Patrons are welcome to attend one or all GrimmFest events.
GrimmFest Schedule:
Happily Ever Opera
December 4, 2012, 12 – 1 p.m.
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St. W. (at University Avenue)
Tickets: Free, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Limited seating. Doors open at 11:30 a.m.
Artists of the Canadian Opera Company weave a spell of musical enchantment with a series of famous and lesser-known operatic arias and duets inspired by timeless tales of the Brothers Grimm.
Fairy Tales from Faraway Lands
December 5, 2012, 12 – 1 p.m.
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St. W. (at University Avenue)
Tickets: Free, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Limited seating. Doors open at 11:30 a.m.
Acclaimed Egyptian-Canadian vocalist Maryem Tollar and a colourful cast of characters explore fairy tales, legends and myths from around the world, drawing on timeless stories from Arabic, African, Persian, Balkan and Roma Gypsy cultures.
Opera Talks: The Brothers Grimm
December 6, 2012, 7 – 8 p.m.
North York Central Library Auditorium
5120 Yonge St. (north of Sheppard Avenue)
To register for this FREE event call the Languages, Literature and Fine Arts department at North York Central Library at 416-395-5639.
Canadian composer Dean Burry presents a talk on his opera, The Brothers Grimm, and sheds light on how it came to be the most-performed Canadian opera of all time.
The Brothers Grimm 500th Performance Party
December 7, 2012, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre
585 Dundas St. E. (west of Broadview Avenue)
Tickets: Free with a ticket to the December 7 performance of The Brothers Grimm
The COC is throwing a party to celebrate the most performed Canadian opera of all time, Dean Burry’s The Brothers Grimm. Attendees can meet the composer, enjoy light refreshments and take part in a variety of activities, including an exhibition chronicling the opera’s travels across Canada and abroad.
The Brothers Grimm
December 7, 2012, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
December 8, 2012, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre
585 Dundas St. E. (west of Broadview Avenue)
Tickets: $25 for adults, $15 for children (15 and under) Tickets can be purchased online at coc.ca or by contacting COC Ticket Services at 416-363-8231.
The COC presents The Brothers Grimm by Dean Burry, a family-friendly one-act opera about Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, who set out to create the most famous book of tales ever written and uncover memorable characters including Rapunzel, Little Red Cap and Rumpelstiltskin. The 45-minute opera is sung in English and performed by the young artists of the Canadian Opera Company, and concludes with a post-performance Q&A with the cast.
