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Lepage returns to the COC with an enchanting program of short works by Igor Stravinsky. A playful mix of hand shadow puppetry, Kabuki theatre, Chinese opera and Vietnamese water puppetry, The Nightingale & Other Short Fables turns operatic convention on its head by bringing the musicians on stage and turning the orchestra pit into a water-filled stage.

Singers, acrobats, and nearly 100 gorgeously costumed hand-crafted puppets come together to bring these humorous and touching fables to life.

Be the first to experience this visually arresting world premiere program before it travels to other prestigious opera houses around the world.

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On Stage Oct. 17 to Nov. 5, 2009 

At the Four Seasons Centre, 145 Queen St. W., Toronto. Performance time is approximately two hours with one intermission. Sung in Russian with English SURTITLES™.

4 stars (out of four) "Breathtaking—both theatrically and musically. This has to be the most enchanting work for the musical stage to hit Toronto in years." (Toronto Star)

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Conductor: Jonathan Darlington
Director: Robert Lepage
Puppet Designer: Michael Curry
Set Designer: Carl Fillion

Nightingale: Olga Peretyatko
Fisherman: Lothar Odinius
Emperor: Ilya Bannik
Death: Maria Radner

• See Complete Cast & Creative Team

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The Program

Among the works on the program are Igor Stravinsky’s lushly orchestrated The Nightingale, an opera inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, as well as the folk-based melodies of his darkly comic animal fable The Fox, and the jazz-tinged orchestral piece, Ragtime. 

Ragtime, Pribaoutki, The Cat’s Cradle Songs, Two Poems of Constantin Balmont, Four Russian Peasant Songs, The Fox, The Nightingale

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The world premiere of a new co-production with Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and Opéra national de Lyon, in collaboration with Ex Machina. Lothar Odinius as The Fisherman in the COC production of The Nightingale & Other Short Fables. Photo: Michael Cooper © 2009