The Sault Opera Legacy

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1972

Escamillio (played by Jim Phillips) and Chorus in Act III of "Carmen"

In 1972, Sault Opera aimed for opera productions with Bizet's "Carmen" in the spring and Mozart's "Don Giovanni" (directed by James Whicher, who came back to the Sault from St. Catharine's to direct the opera and take the lead part of Don Giovanni) with a new music director, Anton Gartshore, in the fall of that year.

A wardrobe department under the supervision of Vilma Ambel came into existence under the auspices of a Federal grant (the Local Initiatives Program), and Sault Opera's own stage sets and properties were constructed and acquired during this period also.

During the technical rehearsal of "Don Giovanni", a stagehand, the whole pit orchestra, and Mr. Whicher were all nearly asphyxiated during the running of a smoke machine under the riser that the character of Don Giovanni was supposed to disappear. Needless to say, that particular smoke machine was never used in the performances and the effect was achieved by the creative lighting design of Jim Collis.

Masetto (played by Ted Hallin) and the Peasant Girls in "Don Giovanni"

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