‘Collective’ performs in Barbados this weekend

They have been invited to perform their highly acclaimed production of Mozart’s comedic opera, The Impresario. Performances were scheduled for Thursday at the Divi Southwinds Beach Hotel, and yesterday and tomorrow at the Parish Church of St Thomas.

Proceeds from this year’s festival will go to the Precious Touch Foundation, a registered Charity to assist terminally ill children.

The Impresario, a singspiel of dialogue and music, features fresh staging by Dr Helmer Hilwig and side-splitting comedy in an extended and newly updated English translation by American playwright, Callie Kimball. Both the cast and the audiences relate easily to this production as the themes are universal and very contemporary with all the “behind the scenes” ambitions, rivalry and cattiness that exist in the theatre and elsewhere.

The Young Artist Collective’s successful premier performance of Impresario last month was hailed by local newspapers as “a real musical treat, a delight”. Young Trinidad tenor, Raguel Gabriel portrays Maestro Capogrosso, the Impresario, caught between two rival divas, sopranos Natalia Dopwell (Mrs Cantwell) and Ayrice Wilson (Ms Honeybell). Daniel De Crainie Pierre appears as the comical assistant, Buffo and Mezzo-Soprano Diahann White as the viking opera singer who snatches the top billing. Trinidad’s most accomplished pianist, Enrique Ali, performs the role of the audition accompanist in Impresario and CMDFTT Musical Director June Nathaniel will conduct the ensemble.

For more information on the 100 Voice Project visit

www.100voiceproject.com.