Opera Brigade, Brigade Operetta and Opera Circuit

Free activities

FREE
OUTDOOR

activities

Dates :

from July 23 to August 2

Location:

Several locations in Québec City and the surrounding areas (see below)

Rain

In case of light rain, the activities will still take place.

If the rain gets heavier, the performers will have to stop playing to protect their instruments and equipment. Since we can’t rule out a passing shower, an activity may be temporarily or permanently interrupted depending on the time.

If a day of heavy rain is expected, we will cancel the activities and announce it officially on social media.

As this year, circuit activities will take place indoors, and will be maintained in the event of rain.

Every day from July 23 to August 2

Free outdoor activities are at the heart of the Festival d’opéra de Québec program, bringing opera to the masses. The Opera and Operetta Brigades take over the parks of Quebec City’s boroughs with their charming castelet. This year, the Opera Circuit – in addition to allowing festival-goers to discover the city’s enchanting charms – reveals to hikers some of the jewels of Québec City’s religious heritage.

Refreshing and inspiring Brigades!

What better way to enjoy short one-act plays with staging and costumes than in a park! The two works on the program of the Opera and Operetta Brigades, La théière and À Clichy, will take you to very different worlds, while providing a good dose of inspiration and fun!

Times and locations to be announcedr

Locations of the Opera Brigade at 12 p.m. and the Operetta Brigade at 5 p.m.

Day	Date	Location
Wednesday	July 23	Plains of Abraham (near Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand)
Thursday	July 24	Université Laval campus, between the Jean-Charles-Bonenfant and Charles-De Koninck buildings
Friday	July 25	Forecourt of St-Michel-de-Sillery Church
Saturday	July 26	Rue du Campanile (Sainte-Foy)
Sunday	July 27	Bois-de-Coulonge Park (near the stables)
Monday	July 28	Ephraïm-Bédard House
Tuesday	July 29	Tessier-Dit-Laplante House
Wednesday	July 30	Domaine du Boisé (Boischatel), Main building parking lot
Thursday	July 31	Domaine Maizerets (behind Lacroix Pavilion)
Friday	August 1	Maison O’Neill (near the tent)
Saturday	August 2	Place de Paris

Note: Subject to cancellation in case of rain.

Project Masters

Brigade director

Érika Gagnon

Sets and costumes

Sophie Martel

OPERA
BRIGADE

The Teapot (La théière)

One-act opera

Music: Jean-François Mailloux

Libretto: Jean-Philippe Lavoie, inspired by Andersen's fairy tale

A Cont'opéra and Festival d'opéra de Québec coproduction

The teapot is proud of herself, convinced of her beauty and importance. She is admired for her elegant spout and graceful handle, but one day, she cracks. Abandoned by her owners, she is eventually used as a flowerpot, finding a new purpose and an unexpected form of happiness.

In this operatic adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, Jean-François Mailloux's music captures the author's melancholy wisdom, offering a reflection on the cycle of life, feminine destiny and resilience. A bittersweet allegory of the female condition!

Duration: ~25 minutes

Schedule: July 23 to August 2 at 12:00 PM

Distribution

THE TEAPOT

Priscilla-Ann Tremblay

Opera-classe-de-maître-Jean-François-Mailloux.jpg

PIANO

Jean-François Mailloux

FLUTIST

Jean-Philippe Lavoie

BRIGADE
OPERETTA

À Clichy

One-act operetta

Music: Adolphe Adam

Libretto: Granger et d’Ennery

À Clichy is a one-act operetta set in the prison of the same name, a facility known to incarcerate insolvent debtors. In adjacent cells, Hector and Prosper, one a poet and the other a composer, endure their imprisonment while dreaming of freedom, creativity, and success. The plot, subtle but no less amusing, is filled with misunderstandings and comical situations that foster a bond between the artists that even Du Cormier's schemes cannot break.

Adolphe Adam (1803-1856) was a French composer best known for his operas and ballets, including Giselle. He also wrote Minuit, chrétiens.

Duration: ~40 minutes

Schedule: Schedule: July 23 to August 2 at 5:00 PM

Distribution

HECTOR

Étienne Quirion

PROSPER

Pierre Rancourt

DU CORMIER

Michel Desbiens

PIANO

Jean-François Mailloux

OPERA
CIRCUIT

The Opera Circuit welcomes hikers at every station, with tunes that highlight the unbreakable link between opera singers, music and spirituality.

Stations	Location	Schedule	Performers
Station 1	Chapel of the Séminaire de Québec (2, Côte de la Fabrique)	1:00 p.m. 1:30 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 3:00 p.m.	Geneviève Dompierre-Smith, soprano Joël Turgeon, vibraphonist (July 23 to 30) Lise Lachance, pianist (July 31 to August 2)
Station 2	Holy Trinity Cathedral (31, rue Des Jardins)	1:30 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m.	Marc-André Caron, baritone-bass Steve Normandin, accordionist
Station 3	Outdoor Chapel of the Ursuline Monastery (18 Rue Donnacona)	2:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 4:00 p.m.	Louis-Charles Gagnon, tenor Michel Angers, guitarist & lutenist
Station 4	Chalmers-Wesley United Church (78 Rue Sainte-Ursule)	2:30 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m.	Andrée-Anne Laprise, soprano Bruce Gaulin, organist
Station 5	Saint-Dominique Church (175 Grande Allée Ouest)	3:15 p.m. 3:45 p.m. 4:15 p.m. 4:45 p.m. 5:15 p.m.	Émilie Baillargeon, soprano Marie-Hélène Greffard, pianist