Opera Atelier has announced that its 35^th Anniversary season is set to launch with a new work, titled “Something Rich & Strange.”

Premiering on October 28, 2020, the new work is inspired by the famous quote from Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” It will employ Baroque arias and dances to explore themes of sleep, dreams, and vision; featuring music by Handel, Lully, Locke, and Purcell.

The cast will include sopranos Mireille Asselin and Cynthia Smithers, tenors Colin Ainsworth and Christopher Enns, mezzo Danielle MacMillan, as well as Artists of Atelier Ballet. This production will also feature a new work by Canadian violinist and composer Edwin Huizing for soprano Measha Brueggergosman.

“Something Rich & Strange” will be held in Koerner Hall at the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, in accordance with health regulations, and will mark the company’s debut at the venue.

“Whether watching the livestream of ‘Something Rich & Strange,’ or sitting in the theatre, the production will provide its viewers with a cathartic experience that — for a short time — lifts them out of a challenging reality,” said Artistic Director and Choreographer Lajeunesse Zingg in a press release.