Cape Town Opera’s 2013 Season

The Mother City’s signature opera company stages three colourful shows to close the season

South Africa’s premier opera company, the Cape Town Opera, is entering the busiest phase of its 2013 season and presenting a trio of productions that, with vibrant costumes, characters and sets, give a whole new meaning to the concept of colourful. The three operas, Don Giovanni, Madama Butterfly and The Barber of Seville, will be staged in theatres around Cape Town for a few days each during August, September and November respectively.

Everyone from first-time opera-goers to aficionados will find something to delight in with the Cape Town Opera’s kaleidoscopic offering of bright backdrops, bold outfits, entertaining story-lines and animated moments of laughter, love, jealousy and hate. The company’s singers are ready for another successful run following the critical acclaim they received for productions staged earlier this year.  Each of the new shows will stand as testament to the company’s dedication to putting on top-quality operas that are accessible to all.  

Don Giovanni at the Baxter Theatre (20 – 24 August)

The Cape Town Opera has joined forces with the UCT Opera School to stage their take on one of the most widely performed operas in the world, Mozart’s Don Giovanni, at the Baxter Theatre from Tuesday, 20 August to Saturday, 24 August 2013. Kamal Khan and Matthew Wild will conduct and direct the thrilling tale of the legendary lover, sadistic manipulator and cold-blooded villain who has captivated audiences across continents. The show features scenes with partial nudity and violence, so the production is not suitable for children under the age of 16. The opera starts at 7:30pm each night, except for on Saturday, 24 August, when it kicks off at 6pm.

Madama Butterfly at the Artscape Opera House (19 – 27 September)

Puccini’s eternally popular opera Madama Butterfly returns to the Artscape Opera House from Thursday, 19 September to Friday, 27 September 2013 with Russian-born soprano Tatiana Monogarova in the lead role. The heart-rending production, which will be performed against the backdrop of a breathtaking Kabuki-inspired set,  tells the story of a naïve Japanese bride and a cruel American naval officer (played by South African tenor Rheinaldt Tshepo Moagi) who weds and then abandons her. The Cape Town Opera Voice of the Nation Chorus, led by Albert Horne, will join the talented cast to ensure that this staging of Madama Butterfly is as successful as its first back in 2009. The show starts at 7:30pm each night, except for on Saturday, 21 September, when it begins at 6pm.

The Barber of Seville at the Artscape Opera House (20 – 24 November)

Performed by the Cape Town Opera and the UCT Opera School, The Barber of Seville brings the 2013 season to a comic close from Wednesday, 20 November to Sunday, 24 November 2013 at the Artscape Opera House. The high-spirited tale of the antics of Figaro, the nimblest barber in Seville who gets tangled up in the affairs of Count Almaviva and his sweetheart Rosina, is presented with great humour and majestic music performed by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra.  Christine Crouse will direct the sensational cast and the orchestra is to be conducted by Kamal Khan. The opera starts at 7:30pm each night, except for on Saturday, 23 November, when it is on at 6pm, and on Sunday, 24 November, when it kicks off at 2:30pm.

Tickets for the Cape Town Opera’s 2013 Season

Tickets for the Cape Town Opera’s last three productions of the season are available via Computicket.com and at Computicket outlets. There is a special ‘buy 3 pay 2’ combo deal for opera lovers who want to attend all three of the shows; this costs R525p/p for category one seats and R375p/p for category two seats and is only available to the first 100 customers. Otherwise, tickets are priced individually as follows:

Don Giovanni: R125p/p or R175p/p.

Madama Butterfly: R125p/p, R250p/p or R350p/p

The Barber of Seville: R125p/p or R175p/p

Pensioners booking in advance get a 50% discount on tickets purchased for specific days of each opera (21 August for Don Giovanni, 25 September for Madama Butterfly and 21 November for The Barber of Seville). Otherwise, to qualify for the discount, senior citizens have to buy tickets at the theatre on the day of the performance.  

Students with a valid ID get a 50% discount on tickets purchased online or at outlets, block bookings of eight or more people get 10% off and Friends of the Cape Town Opera pay R50p/p for tickets booked before Thursday, 15 August for Don Giovanni; Sunday, 1 September for Madama Butterfly and Friday, 1 November for The Barber of Seville.

---

If you’re fan of the stage, read up on some of the finest theatres in Cape Town to get your fix of culture.

---

Use our events section for an up-to-date overview of happenings in Cape Town. Also don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, join our Google+ circle, connect with us on LinkedIn and check out our Pinterest boards for updates.