TORONTO—Playing at the Berkeley Street Theatre Downstairs in the heart of downtown Toronto, Sanctuary Song is a new "Opera for All Ages" that combines theatre, music, dance and multimedia effects on an intimate stage to capture the fascinating story of Sydney, the elephant.
"They say that with kindness and a smile you can lead an elephant by a string," James the zookeeper tells his friend Sydney in a touching tribute to the power of freedom, kindness and friendship.
Having spent more than 20 years in captivity, Sydney is about to be released from the zoo into a sanctuary. But after all this time, the elephant no longer knows what freedom is. All she knows is that she has found safety and friendship with the kind-hearted zookeeper.
And while James is pained to lose his best friend, he kindly reminds Sydney that she deserves better than a cage.
Sydney starts smiling again as she recalls her innocent childhood days spent running and playing with her friend, Penny. She danced to the sounds of the forest until a money-hungry hunter captured her, selling her to the circus where she is forced to hide her sadness and loneliness behind a joyful dance.
Injured in a fire from which she barely escapes, Sydney is sent to the zoo where she befriends the kind-hearted but lonely zookeeper whose friendship allows her to forget the sorrows of captivity.
With the memory of her past regained, Sydney is now ready for freedom. Little does she know that in her new sanctuary, what awaits her is not only freedom but her long-lost companion, Penny.
Staged by Tapestry and Theatre Direct, two companies that promote the emergence of new works and bright talent, Sanctuary Song is a result of the collaboration between two award-winning Canadian artists, composer Abigail Richardson and writer Marjorie Chan. The result is a 45-minute opera that aims to please and educate all ages.
The stirring, melancholic music performed by a trio of violin, piano and percussion accompanies Sydney on her journey, while a round multimedia screen functions as a window into her memory – displaying the lush greens of the Asian forest, Sydney's home.
Chinese-born Canadian soprano Xin Wang brings enthusiasm and an expressive voice to Sydney the elephant, while James Crawford carries eloquence and dignity in his bass voice as the kind-hearted zookeeper.
This is a contemporary opera with an age-old message — that friendship and kindness can transform even the dreariest of circumstances. But ultimately friendship is about thinking of others first, even when that is painful. And no matter how sweet captivity is, it can never take the place of freedom.
Sanctuary Song is presented Tapestry & Theatre Direct in collaboration with the Luminato Festival of Arts and Creativity (luminato.ca) and runs from June 7-14 at the Berkeley Theatre Downstairs. For tickets or more information, see sanctuarysong.ca.
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