Opera in the Pa
WAITANGI DAY CELEBRATIONS
GUEST ARTIST / 6 FEBRUARY 2021
Opera in the Pa / Ko te pā o puoro whakaari
A beautiful evening in celebration of Waitangi Day, the historic day in New Zealand history where the Maori and the British signed the Treaty.
Held on the lawn at the Rotorua Arts Village, Christian is thrilled to return to his home town to provide some of the operatic entertainment, that will be interwoven with Maori Waiata and Pacific Island music, creating the highly sought-after and extremely popular summer evening concert.
Flight
MINNESOTA OPERA
THE STEWARD / JAN/FEB 2020
Inspired by a true story, Jonathan Dove’s Flight is a comedic drama centered on 8 strangers, who's halted travel plans merge with the tale of a stranded refugee.
Edward Tulane (workshop)
MINNESOTA OPERA
BRYCE / DECEMBER, 2019
In preparation for the premiere of the opera Edward Tulane by Paola Prestini, Mr. Thurston was cast in the Orchestra Workshops as multiple characters.
The orchestra workshop plays a vital role in the development of the vision of the composer, conductor, director and producers of any new opera.
La traviata
MINNESOTA OPERA
THE MARQUIS / MAY, 2019
To live and die for love. Boasting sumptuous, hummable melodies, this beloved opera is a timeless depiction of what it means to live and die for love.
The Fix
MINNESOTA OPERA
BUCK WEAVER / MARCH, 2019
Shoeless Joe and the 1919 Black Sox Scandal.
An opera based on the notorious World Series scandal of 1919, featuring legendary figures such as Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ring Lardner, and Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis.
The Italian Straw Hat
MINNESOTA OPERA
EMILIO / JAN/FEB, 2019
The composer of The Godfather film scores wrote this hilarious and edge-of-your-seat comedy, full of laughs and drama. Everything that can possibly go wrong does - before it all turns out okay again!
Silent
Night
MINNESOTA OPERA
LIEUTENANT GORDON / NOVEMBER, 2018
A moment of peace in the midst of war. Silent Night recounts a miraculous moment of peace during World War I. The Pulitzer Prize-winning music masterfully juxtaposes the bombastic sounds of war with serene songs from home.
Thaïs
MINNESOTA OPERA
ATHANAËL (COVER) / MAY, 2018
Spiritual conviction meets earthly desire. A devout monk seeks to convert Thaïs, a ravishingly beautiful courtesan, but realizes too late that his pious obsession is rooted in lust, not religion.
Rigoletto
MINNESOTA OPERA
MARULLO / MARCH, 2018
A fool’s revenge. Verdi’s time-honored tale of seduction and bitter revenge is boldly imagined in this new production. The disfigured jester Rigoletto must do everything in his power to protect his innocent daughter from the lecherous Duke of Mantua before she falls into his clutches.
Dead Man Walking
MINNESOTA OPERA
JOSEPH DE ROCHER (COVER) / JAN/FEB, 2018
Divine intervention. The most performed new opera of the 21st century, this heartbreaking story of grief, grace, and redemption is a modern classic. Based on Sister Helen Prejean’s memoir that inspired the Oscar-winning movie of the same name, it recounts her courageous struggle to provide spiritual guidance to a condemned Louisiana murderer in the months leading up to his execution.
Le nozze di Figaro
MINNESOTA OPERA
COUNT ALMAVIVA / NOVEMBER, 2017
Comedy, classism, and calamity. All is fair in love and war in this new staging of Mozart’s timeless comedy of errors, widely considered the perfect opera. Mozart’s infectious score brings humor, drama, and humanity to this story of class conflict
