A small town in rural Tennessee is set ablaze when a beautiful young woman unwittingly sparks the jealousy of her repressive religious community and its predatory preacher.
Rarely performed in Toronto, Susannah is the second most popular American opera after Porgy and Bess, with a gorgeously tuneful score rooted in American folk melodies and hymns. Though it premiered in 1955 and was awarded the New York Music Critics Circle Award for Best New Opera in 1956, the opera received new life in the 1990’s when Susannah became a signature role for American soprano Renée Fleming, who headlined its 1999 premiere at the Metropolitan Opera. Two of the opera’s most stunning arias, “The Trees on the Mountains” and “Ain’t it a Pretty Night” quickly became cornerstones of Fleming’s repertoire.
Floyd adapted the story of Susannah from the apocryphal story of Susannah and the Elders. It is a dramatic tale of the injustice and ostracization faced by an innocent young woman, Susannah, in the conservative religious community of New Hope Valley, Tennessee. Written during the McCarthy years in the US, its themes of oppression, intolerance, and resistance continue to resonate today.
Fully staged performances with piano accompaniment. Susannah will be sung in the original English with English supertitles.
TICKETS
Balcony $35
Regular $45
Premium $55
Special $25 tickets Students/ArtsWorkers/35 & under Regular or Balcony
Discount of $5 per ticket for groups of 5 or more
Balcony $30
Premium $40
Premium $50
For group sales email quantity, performance date & seating preferences to info@torontocityopera.com
$2.50 booking fee per ticket. No HST
All sales are final
Email: info@torontocityopera.com
2024/02/22 - 2024/02/25
Additional time info:
There will be one 20 minute intermission.
SUSANNAH OPERA CHAT
There will be a pre-performance 30 minute opera chat for Susannah by noted opera musicologist and dramaturg Margaret Cormier before each performance. The opera chat will be on the 3rd floor of the Miles Nadal Centre 1 hour before curtain : 6PM on Feb 22, 1PM on Feb 24 and 25.
Margaret will be signing copies of her new book which will be published in January. More about Margaret on her website.
Al Green Theatre
750 Spadina Ave. (at Bloor), Toronto, ON M5S 2J2
Limited wheelchair seating and accessible seating are available.