The Wexford Opera House is situated on the same site as the previous Theatre Royal
From Wexford Opera House there are views of Mount Leinster (38km away to the North West) and of Tuskar Rock lighthouse (26 km away to the South East)
Jedward – The CARNIVAL TOUR 2011
at O'Reilly Theatre
Concert - 7 Aug 2011 - 19:30 (120 mins)
Savvy Entertainment—Ireland’s newest and hottest music promotion company is proud to present Jedward.....The Carnival Tour 2011. After selling out a staggering 22 shows during their nationwide “Bad Behaviour Tour” in April, the Lucan twins are keen to get back out there and perform a brand new show for all their loyal fans.The guys are currently in Germany preparing to take to the stage on May 12th to represent Ireland in this years Eurovision Song Contest, with their hit single “Lipstick”. Jedward have become a pop phenomenon not just in Ireland, but right across Europe and the rest of the world thanks to their enthusiastic attitudes and contagious energy both on and off stage. The handsome twins have developed a huge following of devoted fans and this is growing day by day! Keen to offer a brand new experience, Jedward will tour Ireland once again in August with their “Carnival Tour 2011”. Expect all the fun of the fair with this exciting new Jedward show, featuring fire eaters, acrobats, dancers, amazing lighting effectsand of course....John & Edward! Special guests include Britain's Got Talent finalists Twist & Pulse who wowed audiences with their own form of street dancing—”Streetomedy” Damien Farrelly of 2FM will also be on hand to raise the roof and prepare everyone for the stars of the show...Jedward! This is Jedward like you’ve never seen them before!!
La cour de Célimène
at O'Reilly Theatre
Operas - 21 Oct (20:00), 27 Oct (20:00), 30 Oct (20:00), 3 Nov (20:00)
A hurt and humiliated woman takes her revenge on men, breaking their hearts while protecting her own. The only way to a happy marriage, she says, is to forego love.The surprising thing about La cour de Célimène is that it has been performed so little since it was first produced at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in 1855. Ambroise Thomas (1811-1896), who is best known for his opera Mignon (first performed in 1866 and performed at Wexford in 1986), spent several years in Rome during the 1830s where he immersed himself in the music of the leading Italian opera composers, Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti. Their influence is evident in La cour de Célimène, which is an opera comique, written in French and containing both spoken and sung passages. The neglect of La cour de Célimène for nearly a century and a half is difficult to understand, for it is generously endowed in every important area: attractive music, interesting orchestration, good ensemble writing, spectacular vocal solos, drama and duels, a clever and witty plot . . . this is an opera of wide appeal, which glitters with French sophistication and elegance.The character of Célimène, the flirtatious widowed Countess, dominates the opera. She is determined to make men fall in love with her, for her late husband’s infidelities caused her such distress that she wants to take her revenge on all men. Her heartless and cynically-flirtatious goings-on with her twelve suitors and her latest toy-boy – each of whom is convinced that she loves only him – are contrasted with her disapproving sister, the Baroness. The drama increases as events take several unexpected turns
Maria
at O'Reilly Theatre
Operas - 22 Oct (20:00), 28 Oct (20:00), 31 Oct (17:00), 4 Nov (20:00)
An old tale with contemporary relevance: a father who wants power and wealth rather than a happy marriage for his son tries to change the course of events through murder. True love that reaches beyond death and outwits evil.Roman Statkowski is regarded as one of the most important Polish composers before Szymanowski. He was a composition teacher in Warsaw when he entered a competition in 1903 to compose an opera inspired by Antoni Malczewski’s 1825 epic Romantic poem Maria (Ukrainian Tale). Statkowski wrote his own libretto as well as composing the music, and won the competition with Maria. Although it was successfully performed in Warsaw in 1906 it has been performed only a few times since then. The music is in the grand symphonic style of the 19th century Russian masters, but with an almost Wagnerian use of leitmotif that connects characters, action, emotion and memory. Statkowski studied with Rubinstein at St Petersburg and was influenced by Mussorgsky, Richard Strauss and Pfitzner.The love that Maria and her husband Waclaw share is opposed by Waclaw’s father who causes Maria to be murdered in order that Waclaw may marry a woman of much greater wealth and status. This is contrasted with the love that Maria’s father has for his child. Waclaw determines to kill his father for ordering his wife’s death, but Maria’s ghost appears, to stay his hand. Waclaw kills himself instead, and musically this enabled Statkowski to transform the gothic ‘Ukrainian Tale’ of the original poem into an operatic Liebestod, with Waclaw dying for love.
Gianni di Parigi
at O'Reilly Theatre
Operas - 5 Nov, (20:00) 2 Nov (20:00), 23 Oct (17:00), 29 Oct (20:00)
It’s a good idea to know the woman you’re going to marry – and it’s a clever woman who sees what the man’s getting up to!Donizetti is one of the most frequently-performed composers at Wexford and Gianni di Parigi is the fifteenth of his operas to be staged during the sixty years of the Festival. It is one of Donizetti’s least-known works and was written in 1831 in a fruitless attempt to get a well-known singer to perform it in Paris so as to make Donizetti’s name better known. The first performance was to be a pirated one in La Scala in 1839, put on against Donizetti’s wishes.The story of Gianni di Parigi derives from a popular 15th century romans de chevalerie about the heir to the throne of France, the Dauphin. He is betrothed to the Princess of Navarre, but they have never met, and he wants to see her for himself before they get married, to find out if she is really as good and beautiful as he has been told. So he disguises himself as a wealthy burgher and goes to an inn which the Princess has reserved for herself and her entourage on their journey to Paris for her marriage. The disguised Dauphin insists on staying at the inn himself, bribes the innkeeper, commandeers the food and drink and is then able to ask the Princess to dine with him. The Princess sees through the plot and is well aware of the burgher’s true identity, but she thinks highly of his enterprise, goes along with the ruse and all ends very happily.
Mad for Opera - Shortwork
at Whites Hotel
ShortWorks - 22 Oct, (15:30) 27 Oct (15:30), 3 Nov (15:30)
In the tradition of the fondlyremembered ‘Postcards’ productions, this ShortWorks programme features some of the many dramatic and poignant arias and ensembles in opera that have been inspired by madness; exploring emotions and situations that range from comical to heartbreaking.
Double Trouble - Shortwork
at Whites Hotel
ShortWorks - 2 Nov, (15:30) 31 Oct (11:00), 23 Oct (12:00), 29 Oct (15:30)
Two one-act operas poignantly depict different aspects of love. The Telephone by Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-2007) was first performed in 1947. A man tries to stop the woman he loves from talking to other people on the telephone and to pay attention to him and to his proposal of marriage. The hopefulness and optimism of love before marriage in The Telephone, is followed by Trouble in Tahiti by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990). In this marriage, hope and optimism have died. First performed in 1952, it portrays one day in the unhappy lives of a married couple who long for love but are unable to communicate their emotional needs.
Gala Concert
at O'Reilly Theatre
Concert - 26 Oct 2011 - 20:00
The Gala Concert is one of the highlights of the Wexford Festival Opera diary, and features a collection of party pieces – some of which may be rather unexpected – from members of the Festival company.All proceeds go toward supporting the programmes of Wexford Festival Opera.Early booking is advised.
Lunchtime Recitals
at St Iberius Church
Concert - 30 Oct, (13:05) 4 Nov (13:05), 5 Nov (13:05), 27 Oct (13:05), 28 Oct (13:05), 2 Nov (13:05), 3 Nov (13:05), 26 Oct (13:05), 31 Oct (13:05), 29 Oct (13:05)
Continuing a long-established Wexford tradition, the popular lunchtime recitals (approximately fifty minutes) will be given in St Iberius Church in the centre of Wexford. These recitals afford a unique opportunity to hear the Festival’s opera stars display their vocal talents in other types of repertoire, and on an intimate concert platform rather than on the operatic stage. The artists will be announced at the beginning of the Festival.
Schubert Concert
at Jerome Hynes Theatre
Concert - 22 Oct 2011 - 11:00
Exploring the variations that Schubert wrote on some of his songs, including the Trout Quintet and Death and the Maiden, with voice, piano and strings.
Choral Concert
at Rowe Street Church
Concert - 5 Nov 2011 - 15:30
The new Chorus of Wexford Festival Opera will be conducted by their Chorus Master, Gavin Carr, in a performance of Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem Op. 45 in the version arranged by Brahms for two pianos. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) wrote the Requiem after the death of his mother in 1865, but he had also been thinking of writing a choral work in memory of his mentor and champion Robert Schumann, and Ein deutsches Requiem, nach Worten der heiligen Schrift (‘A German Requiem, to words of the Holy Scriptures’) was Brahms’s heartfelt response to both events. He selected his texts from Luther’s Bible with great care, for his object was the consolation of the living; the work has no relation to the canonical Office of the Dead.
Evening Cabaret
at Whites Hotel
Other Events - 23 Oct (21:30), 31 Oct (21:30)
What better way to prolong an enjoyable evening than to relax at a table with a glass of your favourite beverage and talk over the evening’s opera with friends? You can do just that at our new Evening Cabaret, where you will be entertained by artists of the company as they perform a variety of musical cocktails and nightcaps. ‘Come hear the music play. Life is a cabaret, old chum, Come to the cabaret . . .’.
Dr Tom Walsh Lecture
at Jerome Hynes Theatre
Other Events - 29 Oct 2011 - 11:00
Wexford Festival Opera celebrates two significant anniversaries in 2011: the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Festival and the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr Tom Walsh (1911-1988), who was one of the founders of the Festival and its first Artistic Director (1951–1966). His skills as an impresario were developed during the late 1930s when he reformed the Wexford Operatic Society as the Wexford Musical Society, and then formed the Wexford Theatre Guild during the war years. In 1950 he set up the Wexford Opera Study Circle and invited Sir Compton Mackenzie to give the inaugural address. Mackenzie suggested that they put on an opera themselves, and so an operatic legend was born. The Dr Tom Walsh Lecture is presented by Wexford Festival Opera to honour the memory of ‘Dr Tom’.This year’s lecture will be given by Brian Dickie, a former Artistic Director at Wexford Festival Opera (1967-1973). He was General Administrator of Glyndebourne Festival Opera until 1989 when he became General Director of Canadian Opera, a post he held for five years. In 1999 he was appointed General Director of Chicago Opera Theater, a position he has held with great distinction and from which he steps down this year.We invite you to join us for a cup of tea or coffee in the foyer of the Jerome Hynes Theatre after the lecture.Kindly Supported by Victoria Walsh-Hamer
Day Time Events Package
at Day Time Package
26 Oct (All Day), 27 Oct (All Day), 28 Oct (All Day), 29 Oct (All Day), 31 Oct (All Day), 2 Nov (All Day), 3 Nov (All Day), 4 Nov, (All Day)
• Arrive in Wexford to a fresh coffee and explore the attractions of the eclectic Fringe Festival with art exhibitions, antiques fair, music, drama and much more!• Take in 50 minutes of musical bliss at a Lunchtime Recital with one of the stars of the 2011 Festival.• Enjoy a delicious three course lunch at the 4-star Whites of Wexford.• Experience an afternoon ShortWorks opera in Whites of Wexford, a one hour operatic production with minimal production but big heart!Dates available:October 26–28, October 31, November 2–4.For groups of 15 or more the group organiser receives a complimentary €55 Daytime Events Package! Group bookings through Box Office
Giselle
at O'Reilly Theatre
Ballet - 21 Nov 2011 - 20:00
For its Winter Season at the Cork Opera House, Cork City Ballet presents the full-length ballet Giselle – the poignant and tragic love story about a peasant girl who dies and comes back from the dead to save her lover. The show opens Thursday 17th November and will run for four performances only including a matinee on Saturday 19th. From there it moves to the Wexford Opera House for one performance only on Monday 21st at 8pm.The title role of Giselle - the most celebrated ballet of the romantic era – will be danced by one of the leading ballerinas’ of the Kirov Ballet Company. Irish ballerina Monica Loughman makes a welcome return as does leading ballerina Chika Temma who will be dancing one of the principal roles along with soloists and the full corps de ballet from Cork City Ballet.Directed by the company’s Artistic Director Alan Foley, this production of Giselle will be reproduced for Cork City Ballet by Yuri Demakov who trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School in Moscow. It promises to enthral audiences with the symphonic beauty of the original choreography of Marius Petipa, Jean Corelli, and Jules Perrot, combined with stunning costumes made at the Kirov theatre in Russia.
Rebecca Storm
at O'Reilly Theatre
Concert - 10 Dec 2011 - 20:00 (150 mins)
This Autumn Rebecca Storm will undertake a “Greatest Hits” nationwide tour with her band playing all the most memorable songs from her career to date including “Tell Me It’s Not True” & “Marilyn Munro” from Blood Brothers, “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” from Evita and “Woman In Love” & “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” from The Streisand Songbook with songs from Evita, Cats, Chess and more. Don’t miss this unforgettable concert with the leading lady of Irish Musical Theatre.
Tommy Fleming - Going Back
at O'Reilly Theatre
Concert - 18 Feb 2012 - 20:00
Tommy Fleming is known as the "Voice of Ireland". Wherever he travels across the world his unique and powerful voice has captivated audiences. Tommy returns to Wexford Opera House as part of his “Going Back” Irish Tour along with his 9-piece band. This promises to be one of the most exciting and memorable concert tours that Tommy has ever embarked on. Under the direction of David Hayes (Tommy’s Musical Director for over eighteen years), this will undoubtedly be a magical experience. The concert will feature tracks from Tommy’s new CD & DVD “Going Back” plus all the old favourites like you’ve never experienced them before. Tommy's concert at the Wexford Opera House will be, as always, very special. Tommy and his band are a musical expierence not to be missed, with something for everyone.
