Opera
Semele
By George Frideric Handel
Canadian Opera Company
Conducted by Christopher Moulds
Directed by Zhang Huan
A centuries-old Ming Dynasty temple shares the stage with an inflatable puppet, debaucherous monks, sumo wrestlers, and one aroused donkey in the Canadian Opera Company’s East-meets-West presentation of Semele, George Frideric Handel’s sublime operatic adaptation of the titular Greek myth. Chinese visual artist Zhang Huan—renowned for his provocative interrogations of eastern culture—makes his directorial debut, transforming the restored 17-ton temple into an altar, palace, crematory, and heaven to tell of the karmic fate of Semele (performed by Jane Archibald), whose attempt to trade sexual favors for divinity goes up in flames.
Set design by Zhang Huan
Costume design by Han Feng
Original lighting design by Wolfgang Göbbel
Lighting recreation by Willem Laarman
Co-production of Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels and KT Wong Foundation
This production was made possible by a generous grant from the KT Wong Foundation in association with PACE gallery.
Leadership support for opera at BAM provided by
Aashish & Dinyar Devitre
To support the next generation of critics, practitioners, and arts enthusiasts, BAM offers full and part-time students ages 29 and under up to two $10 tickets to available live performances.
This day-long seminar offers an in-depth look at the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Semele, including the unique challenges involved in bringing a restored 17-ton temple to the BAM stage.
Writer Daniel Mendelsohn joins philosopher Simon Critchley to discuss the various ways Greek myth has been interpreted and appropriated across cultures—and the truths these stories continue to reveal.
Meet fellow Friends of BAM over a glass of wine before Semele.