ROSE MARIE Opens at the John Bassett Theatre, 4/15

Wish Opera will present the operetta Rose Marie, composed by Friml and Stothart, with lyrics by Hammerstein II. Set in the Canadian Rockies, Rose Marie La Flamme, a French-Canadian girl, falls in love with miner Jim Kenyon, an English-Canadian boy; Mounties, music and mayhem ensue! The charming score is full of popular melodies, including the much loved Indian Love Call - "When I'm calling you..." These concerts mark Wish Opera debuts for both conductor Kerry Stratton and stage director Lesley Ballantyne. Starring as Rose Marie is the dynamic French-Canadian mezzo-soprano Maude Brunet; tenor Todd Delaney as Jim Kenyon; rounding out the cast are bass-baritone Olivier Laquerre; baritone Michael York; contralto Deborah Overes; mezzo-soprano Sarah Christina Steinert; actor Sundance Crowe; soprano Anne Marie Ramos; and bass Dan Mitton.

Wish Opera collaborates with Canada's creative elite to produce opera with fashion and style. Partners in Rose Marie include Charles Pachter, renowned for his iconic renderings of the Canadian flag, the Queen astride a moose, and depictions of Margaret Atwood and Pierre Trudeau; Maynard Johnny Jr. and Bernice Gordon, native artists; Commute Home, interior designers; Eurolite's chandeliers; and Chair Source, purveyors of the funkiest chairs and furnishings imaginable. Fashion designers include Denis Gagnon; Marie Saint Pierre; Girl Friday; Cabaret; Breeyn McCarney; Natasha Lazarovic; EMC2 Salon, the fab hair designers; and Sutherland Models for the on-stage fashion show as part of this dynamic production. Before curtain, Constable Terry Russel will appear, dressed in his Royal Red Surge regalia, to inform the audience the significance of the Mounties uniform.

The evolution of Rose Marie: In the early 20th century, producer Arthur Hammerstein was looking for "exotic" locales for popular new shows, and sent his nephew Oscar Hammersin II and Otto Harbach to Quebec. Hammerstein and Harbach were captivated with Canada, and Rose Marie was born. The operetta played in the 1920s in New York, London, and Paris, all to packed houses. It came to Canada in 1925, was staged at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto; was mounted again in 1937 and 1945 in French, and was performed in its original English in the 1950s. Film versions hit the silver screen before Hollywood's golden age - a silent film version in 1928 featured the then-unknown Joan Crawford. However, the best known version is the 1936 classic, starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy - it became their best-known film. A 1954 MGM spectacular was also produced, which featured, among others, Fernando Lamas (Lorenzo's dad) and Bert Lahr (the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz) and fancy choreography by Busby Berkeley!

Wish Opera gratefully acknowledges its sponsors: Wish Group, AIIM, Century 21 Millennium, Tanya Chernova, EMC2, Notable TV, Horne LLP, D&D Leasing, MAC Cosmetics, Fourmark, Render Media, Benson Kearley, RBC Dominion Securities, CGX Energy, and PeopleStore.

Community Outreach: Wish Opera is committed to promoting the operatic arts to Canadian youth and to assist children in realizing their WISHes. WISH believes children are the foundation of the future, and sponsors their attendance at special performances. Wish Opera donates a portion of all ticket revenue to the Hospital for Sick Children, and sends artists to perform at Sick Kids' in-house theatre.

Next on the Wish List: Gounod's Roméo et Juliette at the John Bassett Theatre, October 28 & 29.
For tickets and information, please visit www.wishopera.ca.

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