Pacific Opera Victoria has built a loyal audience for its annual three-opera seasons of much-loved classics and exciting contemporary productions.

This seasonB次元官网网址檚 20th-century offering from POV is Jonathan DoveB次元官网网址檚 timely, darkly comedic and moving modern opera, Flight, which makes its Canadian premiere at the Royal Theatre with four performances between Feb. 20 to March 1.

British composer Dove collaborated with theatre-inspired librettist April de Angelis to create Flight from a true story of Iranian refugee Karimi Nasseri, 18 years stranded in a Paris airport. The opera premiered in 1999. Steven Spielberg partly based his film, The Terminal with Tom Hanks, on the same story. Dove has also written B次元官网网址淎irport Scenes,B次元官网网址� an orchestral suite inspired by his opera. It premiered in 2006.

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POV artistic director Timothy Vernon chose the Canadian team of director Morris Panych and set director Ken McDonald to stage DoveB次元官网网址檚 playful, sometimes risque茅 story of travellers and airport workers grounded overnight by a violent storm, and their contact with a refugee stuck in the airport. Panych and McDonald teamed up in 2016 for Pacific OperaB次元官网网址檚 acclaimed production of The Barber of Seville.

B次元官网网址淚 chose Morris to direct Flight because he has such a good grasp of contemporary theatre,B次元官网网址� Vernon says. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a great story, a very touching story. ThereB次元官网网址檚 lots of sex in it, and there is also a deeper, more sinister undertow regarding the plight of the refugee.B次元官网网址�

Flight will appeal to a broad demographic, he adds, but especially a younger audience.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a modern musical idiom with lots of tricky rhythms, but itB次元官网网址檚 not atonal B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 a very popular contemporary opera. Seattle is going to stage Flight next year, but this is the Canadian premiere. IB次元官网网址檓 very proud of that.B次元官网网址�

Sung in English with English surtitles of the libretto above the stage at the Royal, Flight will be performed by a 10-member cast in three acts, with two 15-minute intermissions. Local musician and educator Robert Holliston provides astute introductions to the opera with his pre-performance talks, one hour before each show.

Flight is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 20, Saturday, Feb. 22 and Friday, Feb. 28, all at 8 p.m.; and a Sunday matinee takes off March 1 at 2:30 p.m. Visit or for tickets or more information, or call the box office at 250-386-6121.

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