A night of operatic parody

Every comedian loves to spoof a pompous ass, especially if it’s a politician. But poking a stick at the puffed up grandeur of opera comes a close second.

And the PreTenors do it brilliantly – evoking belly laughs from contemporary classical music references and the behind-the-scenes insecurities of those mighty tenors that command world stages.

Yes, the PreTenors dare to put renowned Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras on the roasting spit.

Lauded tenors in their own right, Martin Murphy, Trent Worthington and Ron Long, lend the gags a genuine authenticity with the power of their vocal chops.

Once again they step into their merciless alter egos as Luciano Paparazzi (Murphy), Placebo Domingo (Long) and Jose Whocarras (Worthington), three tenors that reveal both the passion and ludicrousness of their chosen field.

The trio has not performed in St. Albert since Oct. 2014, however they return for a runaway performance on Friday, May 20 at the Arden Theatre. Accompanying them is pianist Jeremy Spurgeon.

During the two-hour event, the PreTenors perform favourites that audiences bank on – classic works such as Nessun Dorma and La Donna Mobile.

“Nobody comes to see us to see a different genre. They expect to see what they love,” said Murphy.

When the PreTenors first presented their witty parody at the Edmonton Fringe Festival nearly 20 years ago, it was a series of silly sketches skillfully woven together with beautiful operatic numbers.

As the years flew by, the tenors lengthened the show and added special guests.

“The PreTenors know how to handle their end, but with guests, it’s the cherry on top of the cake especially if they blow everyone’s socks off.”

In this show, mezzo-soprano Kathleen Corcoran, and husband and wife duo Christine Bandelow and Kevin Dabbs add their brand of stage mystique – but on a more serious note.

Murphy and Corcoran, now an instructor at Augustana College, go back to 1987 singing in Pro Coro Chamber Choir. Murphy credits Corcoran for helping him discover his operatic voice pushing it “two gears.”

One piece she sings is David Foster’s song The Prayer, a beautiful song popularized by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli.

“I want her to do a super-soprano piece that puts tingles on your neck.”

Bandelow, an in-demand performer has performed with Murphy on numerous occasions. Their last revue together was Mayfield Dinner Theatre’s Back to the ’80s: A Most Excellent Musical Adventure.

She will sing a medley of Julie Andrews' charts and one of Elsa’s songs from Frozen while Dabbs takes on Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias’ huge country hit To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.

Ron Long, who replaced original founding tenor Michel Landry after he retired three years ago, will be performing his second show with the PreTenors.

“He’s a strong singer and he has a boyish exuberance. Michel was more of a sophisticated ladies man. Ron does it too, but he has a boyish charm that adds youthful vigour to the show.”