Future opera singers are easily identified at birth due to their multi-octave crying and graceful bows as they emerge from the womb. Check out how far these toddling tenors have come with this GrouponLive deal to see Opera Pro Cantanti perform at the Vancouver Welsh Society's Cambrian Hall. For $18, you get general admission for three to any upcoming performance (up to a $54 value). Performances take place most Sundays at 7 p.m.
As one of Canada's only repertory opera companies, Opera Pro Cantanti is the pride and joy of founder, artistic director, and occasional soloist Richard Williams––a man who has led choirs performing for the Royal Family. The company's aria belters constantly rehearse a collection of staple operas, allowing them to perform a rotating schedule of classics year-round. In anticipation of Verdi's 200th birthday in 2013, the singers have rolled out the composer's breakout hit, Nabucco, best known for “Va, pensiero,” a plaintive chorus sung by Hebrew slaves under the harsh rule of the titular Babylonian king. Opera Pro Cantanti rounds out the season with cornerstone works from Bellini, such as I Capuleti e i Montecchi, a retelling of Romeo and Juliet set amid the viciously warring factions of Venetian politics. Although the operas are big and the voices bigger, the performance space is quite intimate, with a homey atmosphere underlined by the singers' traditional, handmade costumes.
