"From Brecht to Broadway - Ladies sing Kurt Weill." When Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht first collaborated on the Mahagonny Songspiel, it turned into a scandal. One year later, the same team landed one of the biggest hits in 20th century theatre: the 3-Penny Opera. Emigration took him to Paris, where he composed chansons for Lys Gauty and ultimately to Broadway, where he continued to compose songs, musicals and operas. His collaboration with Ira Gershwin, Oscar Hammerstein II, A. J. Lerner, Walt Whitman and Ogden Nash among other great lyricists produced many more hits, some of which topped the pop charts and others became jazz standards! Opera Appassionata will present a sprinkling from Kurt Weill's many works which deal with love, jealousy, betrayal and … cars.

"Christmas Oratorio" - by Heinrich Schuetz. Handel's Messiah and Bach's Christmas Oratorio have overshadowed a third and earlier setting of the Christmas story by Heinrich Schuetz. Whereas Handel and Bach include a lot of meditative music in the form of arias, chorales and instrumental numbers, Schuetz sticks to the Biblical text and doesn't slow down the action with added numbers. Opera Appassionata will be performing this early Baroque masterpiece as a Collegium Musicum with soloists singing one to a part, bringing the timeless story alive in a theatrical way accompanied by orchestra.

"Serenades at Simmons" - The most relaxing concert ever! This is the perfect concert for the time of the year when the days are short and the weather is cold. You won't be sitting on hard pews or uncomfortable chairs, but lying on a Simmons mattress as you listen to serenades and lullabys drifting by you. Soloists slowly walk through the mattress gallery, singing to each one in the audience. Guitar and piano provide the accompaniment to romantic music from opera, art song, musical and pop song. This may well be one of the most memorable and relaxing concerts you will have ever been to! There is only limited space available for the the 2 concerts in January and 2 in February, so be sure to reserve your tickets now.

"Cavalleria rusticana" - Opera at the Winery by Pietro Mascagni. Opera Appassionata is returning to the Wellbrook Winery, with the best-known of Mascagni's operas: "Cavalleria rusticana". Turiddu has told everyone he's going to Francofonte to pick up some wine, but that's just a good excuse to be together with Lola while her husband Alfio is gone. Turiddu and all those that came to see "L'amico Fritz" know that there's no need to go all the way to Francofonte to get wine when you can have both wine and opera at the Wellbrook Winery in Delta, just a 25 minute drive from Vancouver! The heritage barn will provide a unique setting for this passionate opera performed with soloists, chorus and orchestra. Optional wine-tasting will be offered at all 3 performances.

Opera Appassionata stages events.