Classical preview: Trio of operas on tour

It must be going towards 25 years ago that I first met Ellen Kent at the Buxton Opera House together with her totally unknown opera company from some far distant place in Eastern Europe.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Jan 2018, 10:56 BST
POPULAR: Madama Butterfly is one of the operas in Ellen Kents new season.POPULAR: Madama Butterfly is one of the operas in Ellen Kents new season.
POPULAR: Madama Butterfly is one of the operas in Ellen Kents new season.

She then described herself at a crossroads in life, her love of opera pointing her down a road that she hoped one day would take opera to those parts of England that had never seen a live performance before.

You would have been brave to place a bet on her succeeding, but Ellen Kent and Opera & Ballet International are just about to start another winter and spring tour that will take them to 38 theatres, both large and small, having over the years sold three and a half million tickets nationwide.

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Arriving at Sheffield’s City Hall (February 1 and March 22), local theatres also include Buxton Opera House (February 4); York Grand Opera House (March 1); Bradford Alhambra Theatre (March 16 and 17); and Hull New Theatre (March 27 and 28).

Always staged in a traditional setting and dress, they feature soloists mostly from Eastern Europe, together with a chorus and orchestra tailored to the size of venues on the tour.

This first half year contains three of the best known and most popular operas – Verdi’s La Traviata and Rigoletto, and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

Tickets are available now from Sheffield City Hall 0114 2789789; Buxton Opera House 01298 72190; York Grand Opera House 0844 8713024; Bradford Ahambra Theatre 01274 432000; Hull New Theatre 01482 300306.

Related topics:SheffieldCity HallEngland