Vancouver Opera's 'Canuck Così' Charms with 1930s Canadian Twist on Mozart Classic
Vancouver Opera's production of "Canuck Così," a revival of Manitoba Opera's 2023 creation, offers a delightful Canadian spin on Mozart's masterpiece Così Fan Tutte. Set in a 1930s-era CPR resort reminiscent of Banff Springs Hotel, this timely production arrives as a welcome distraction in our modern era. The show opened last weekend and runs through February 15th, 2026.
A Canadian Reimagining of Mozart's Masterpiece
The creative team, led by Director Robert Herriot and Manitoba Opera production manager Sheldon Johnson, has transformed Mozart's classic into pure Canadiana. Instead of the original Albanian disguises, the two young officers—tenor Owen McCausland as Ferrando and baritone Clarence Frazer as Guglielmo—become Mounties who disguise themselves as log drivers to test their fiancées' fidelity.
This production marks the third and final collaboration between Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, which premiered in Vienna on January 26th, 1790. Conductor Lelise Dala notes that Così represents a unique blend of opera buffo and opera seria, with Mozart and Da Ponte creating "a new genre in which the two co-exist in remarkable fashion."
Performance and Production Elements
The opening scene presents a postcard-perfect Kodachrome 1930s CPR hotel set that evokes seductive nostalgia. The vocal performances are lovely, with soprano Jamie Groote as Fiordiligi and mezzo-soprano Alex Hetherington as Dorabella delivering strong performances. Daniel Okulitch portrays Don Alfonso, while Daniel Curalli appears as Larry, the Bartender.
However, the dramatic pacing during much of the first act moves slowly, creating a languid atmosphere that some might describe as "Mozart on quaaludes." The performers occasionally seem emotionally disengaged, with dramaturgy as damp as a rainy Vancouver evening. Despite this, there are genuinely funny moments, including when the Mounties make their exit via canoe and when the fake lumberjacks perform a soft shoe number.
Thematic Considerations and Modern Relevance
A pre-show talk addressed issues of consent and misogyny—the title Così Fan Tutte translates as "Women are like that"—highlighting how the fiancées ultimately resist and survive the trap set for them. This production follows in the tradition of various Così adaptations, including a 2014 Canadian Opera Company production directed by Atom Egoyan set in a prep school.
Created eight years after Pierre Choderlos de Laclos published the scandalous Les Liaisons Dangereuses, both works share a modern spirit of "ironic self-awareness." The Vancouver production sometimes relies on cartoonish comedy that risks making the libretto silly rather than sardonic, with commedia dell'arte-inspired slapstick that could benefit from darker, subtler humor.
Musical and Dramatic Balance
Musically lush yet dramatically somnambulant at times, the production occasionally feels as if performers are underwater, possessing "all the edge of afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel." Whether due to opening night jitters or a temporal disconnect between the 18th, 20th, and 21st centuries, the opera rollercoasts from sublime to ridiculous, riding the highs and lows of love and deception.
Ultimately, Vancouver Opera's "Canuck Così" provides a charming, if occasionally uneven, Canadian interpretation of Mozart's timeless work. The production's unique setting and creative adaptations make it a noteworthy addition to the opera season, offering both beautiful music and a distinctive national flavor.
