#THEATRE: CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY PRESENT “OPERA REVUE” FREE CONCERT SERIES

It has finally happened. The Canadian Opera Company has invited Danie Friesen, Alexander Hajek and Claire Elise Harris, otherwise known as Opera Revue, to perform at their Free Concert Series.

October 14, 2025
Noon
(doors open at 11:30 AM admittance will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis)
Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre
145 Queen St W, Toronto

“We are truly honoured to perform at the COC’s noon hour concerts. The chance to sing for aficionadoughs…we mean aficionados (see our pizza opera) is something Opera Revue has been aspiring to since our inception. We normally perform in casual settings like bars, nightclubs like The Rivoli (opera’s got range!) to raucous, hooting and hollering audiences, so to perform in the glorious acoustic that is the Four Seasons Centre is a treat for us. Are we intimidated by the prestige of Canada’s only opera house? Not a chance! You’d best believe we’re still gonna do what we do: bring the fun back to opera,” said Soprano Danie Friesen.

“Could events like Opera Revue’s be opera’s greatest hope for survival?”
-Joshua Chong, Toronto Star, Dec 2022

“Three musicians put the fun back into opera.”
-Dawn Martens, Opera Canada, Aug 2024

“The genius of Opera Revue’s project: to upend one’s expectations by throwing you off your little pedestal so that they can put you onto something else. This is their vaudevillian way of things.”
-Nirris Nagendrarajah, OperaWire, Nov. 2024

Opera Revue’s mission is to circumvent the stigmas and barriers that block many from hearing live opera music. Over five years, through accessible, fun, and affordable performances in Toronto bars including Granite Brewery, Castro’s Lounge, Drom Taberna, The Drake Hotel and The Emmet Ray, Opera Revue have built a generationally diverse community that includes opera lovers, opera performers, and the opera curious. They have also created unique shows for a number of larger live music venues, including a 2024 residency at the Redwood Theatre, and shows at The Dakota Tavern and Revival.

They were recently commissioned by Dr. Oetker to compose and create a one-act opera, Suprema: The Opera for Aficionadoughs, which was performed free for the public at TD Music Hall over three weekends in July to launch the company’s new Suprema line of pizzas.

Opera Revue have not gone unnoticed by the press. In addition to being the cover story for OPERA CANADA, they’ve been covered by CBC National, Global News, Toronto Star, CBC’s Day 6, CBC’s Fresh Air, Opera Wire, Ludwig van Toronto, BlogTO, and they sang Christmas carols on CTV Your Morning on December 24, 2024

ABOUT OPERA REVUE
Opera Revue began with the question “Why does opera get such a bad rap?”. And they came up with several answers: It’s expensive. You have to dress up. It’s snobby. You can’t drink, except during intermission. You can’t talk. It’s snobby. You can’t get up and move around. And it’s snobby.

So, that’s what they have set out to change. Opera Revue is a great way to introduce opera to people who have never seen it before, as well as a new way for opera lovers to enjoy it. By performing opera and art song in a casual bar setting, audiences can feel comfortable to talk, drink, and to share the experience with those around them. The goal is to take away the exclusive nature of opera and make it accessible for all.

Opera Revue was founded in 2017 by soprano Danie Friesen. Pianist Claire Elise Harris joined the company in 2018, and baritone Alexander Hajek rounded out the team in 2021. Through monthly opera performances, Opera Revue has built a generationally diverse community that mixes opera lovers, opera performers, and the opera curious, with new young audiences finding it fun rather than daunting. During the Covid-19 crisis, Opera Revue put out weekly comedic operatic parody videos online to connect with their community digitally, while drawing in new audiences.

#FOOD: LUCIE AND THE SOCIAL CATERING & CO. ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP WITH CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY

MICHELIN-recommended fine dining restaurant Lucie and The Social Catering & Co. is excited to announce their partnership with the Canadian Opera Company (COC). The partnership will officially kick off with an exclusive dining experience as part of the Centre Stage Gala at the COC on October 30, 2024. The event will take place at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, where 200 guests will be served a unique menu designed by Lucie’s executive chef, Arnaud Bloquel.

The Canadian Opera Company is the largest opera performance organization in the country and one that is renowned for its artistic excellence, ambitious sense of innovation, and deep commitment to the development of emerging artists.

The company performs with the acclaimed COC Orchestra and Chorus, led by Johannes Debus and Price Family Chorus Master Sandra Horst, and operates out of Canada’s first purpose-built opera house, the stunning Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts which attracts thousands of arts and culture lovers every year from locally and abroad.

Throughout the COC’s regular season, Lucie will also offer a three-course pre-theatre menu that will provide guests with an opportunity to enjoy a curated dining experience prior to attending performances. This menu will be available at Lucie’s location at Scotia Plaza, which offers nearby parking at a discounted rate of $13 for four hours. This partnership offers theatre lovers the chance to enjoy a dining experience alongside the artistic performances of the Canadian Opera Company.

In addition to creating an unforgettable dining experience for the COC’s signature event and major gala, Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition, Lucie will oversee culinary offerings for all donor engagement activities and Board meetings, as well as curating exceptional concessions for all attending a live opera performance.

“The Canadian Opera Company is delighted to welcome Lucie and The Social Catering Co. as our preferred culinary vendor. This collaboration is a wonderful extension of the longtime friendship Yannick has had with myself and we look forward to elevating our patrons’ visits to the opera house with thoughtfully curated and impeccably prepared items that cater to the senses as holistically as the opera-going experience itself,” says Christie Darville, COC Deputy General Director.

As part of the collaboration, The Social Catering & Co. will serve as the exclusive catering partner for the Canadian Opera Company.