Last year when Alberta Ballet collaborated with Edmonton Opera, it was a resounding hit with audiences and critics alike.
Riding the crest of glory from Motzart's Requiem, the two companies are joining forces once more for a double bill presentation of Songs of a Wayfarer and The Seven Deadly Sins coming to the Northern Alberta Jubilee on April 9 and 10.
Working with Edmonton Opera’s Brian Deedrick and conductor Peter Dala, choreographers Emily Molnar and Alberta Ballet principal dancer Yukichi Hattori have respectively created Songs of a Wayfarer set to Gustav Mahler’s composition and The Seven Deadly Sins using Kurt Weill’s music.
The Seven Deadly Sins first premiered in 1933 shortly before Adolph Hitler took power and shows how desperate people were to be rich and how people with little money had virtually no freedom or power.
In the opening night performance, St. Albert’s own Galien Johnston plays the lead role of Anna, a woman pushed by her family into seeking material gain and her subsequent rebellion.
Songs of a Wayfarer instead comes out of a dark period in Mahler’s life that produced some surprisingly poignant works. This piece is a cycle of four songs that follow love’s journey from the heat of passion to betrayal and heartbreak.
The Jubilee is at 11455-87 Ave. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets prices range from $42 to $102. Call the Edmonton office at 780-428-6839 or purchase online at www.albertaballet.com.
The Edmonton Women’s Film Society presents the Sixth Annual Film Festival, Reel Femme, a platform for women’s voices on Saturday, April 10.
In the Stanley Milner Library at 2 p.m., Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of Global Economy, looks at the role women have played in the Caribbean island and the need for empowering them in the country’s rebuilding efforts.
After the screening a discussion follows of recent developments, the role of women in rebuilding and what can be done for Haiti. Guests include Dr. Malinda Smith from the University of Alberta, Sushila Samy from Alberta Human Rights, Nyambura of Edmonton Multicultural Society and Miguelin Valcin from Haiti. Tickets are $5.
At 7 p.m. in Metro Cinema there is a Canadian short film package with a new music video by poet Karen Hines, a National Film Board award-winning animation by Jean-Francoise Levesque and a look at MĂ©tis artist Mo Clark. Tickets are $8.
Following at 9 p.m. is Crackie, a Canadian feature length film starring Mary Walsh. Tickets are $10.