The Flying Dutchman Sets Edmonton Opera's New Season to Sail

Wagner's

The Flying Dutchman

As the sea rages, a cursed captain scours the globe aboard his ghost ship, searching for his only salvation: a woman's love. Edmonton Opera opens its 45^th season with a haunting production of Wagner's The Flying Dutchman, October 25, 28 and 30 at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster, call 780-451-8000 or visit www.ticketmaster.ca. All performances begin at 7:30pm*.

"I am delighted to be bringing this important piece back to the Edmonton stage after a far too long 20-year hiatus," says Brian Deedrick, Artistic Director of Edmonton Opera. "The Flying Dutchman explores the loneliness and mystery of the outsider, and I believe we see in the Dutchman elements of Wagner as he saw himself: separate, an outsider, at odds with society."

Jason Howard and Susan Marie Pierson, the artists who sparked audiences' excitement in 2006's Bluebeard's Castle & Ewartung, reunite to bring Wagner's genius to life, joined by Marc Embree, Scott Scully, Emilia Boteva, Director Brian Deedrick and Conductor John Keenan. The Flying Dutchman runs two hours and 45 minutes, including an intermission, and is sung in German with English supertitles.

The legend of the Flying Dutchman has circulated throughout the western world for hundreds of years. To seafarers, the Dutchman is a glowing phantom ship, and, normally accompanied by a raging storm, it is usually a sign of doom to most sailors. A 17^th century Dutch sea captain, famous for making unusually fast trips between Holland and Indonesia, is widely believed to be the man at the heart of the legend. His ability as a swift sailor was attributed to a deal made with the devil. Today, the legend of the Flying Dutchman lives on, referenced in opera, books, music, theatre, as well as in television and film.

Wagner completed his adaptation of the legend in 1841; he was working on several projects at but was having difficulty getting his works to the stage. He had had multiple operas rejected by opera houses before finally breaking onto the scene with The Flying Dutchman (Der Fliegende Hollˆ§nder), his first critical operatic success. It opened in Dresden in January of 1843, and Wagner conducted the premiere himself.

The Flying Dutchman runs at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium with all performances beginning at 7:30pm. Subscriptions and single tickets for Edmonton Opera's 2008-2009 season are on sale now. For subscription details contact the Edmonton Opera Box Office at 780-429-1000 or visit www.edmontonopera.com. For single ticket information, contact Ticketmaster at 780-451-8000 or www.ticketmaster.ca.

*Please note: Parking at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium is extremely limited due to construction. Please make the appropriate time allowances for travel to and parking at the Auditorium.