ELLEN Kent’s production company visits Limerick again this month with two great operas by Verdi, ‘Aida’ on Thursday 24 and ‘Nabucco’ on Friday 25, 8pm. Expect full scale staging with an enormous cast, international class singers, and of course, pyrotecnics and lighting to recreate Egypt’s wonders and the hanging gardens of Babylon.
The Chisinau National Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra are joined on stage by children from local stage schools. This tour features celebrated international soloists sopranos Elena Dee and Ecaterina Danu, and tenors Sorin Lupu and Nicolae Busuioc.
This story of Aida, Egyptian princess, includes temple dancers, cages of exotic birds and parrots, ballet sequences, pillared sets with tomb paintings and Bedouin dancers. There is even a ceremonial march for which a wall of fire extends across the stage in a massive burst of flames.
About 40 local dancers, children and adults, join the 80-strong cast as slaves and soldiers.
On bank holiday Friday 25, ‘Nabucco’ follows the plight of the Hebrew slaves, sentenced to death by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. More next week but you can book for these full scale Verdis at box office and online at www.uch.ie for the 8pm operas.
