NE OF the first things North Vancouver resident Rob Hallam did after taking the helm of the Van- couver Opera was to commission a new opera by Vancouver librettist Tom Cone. It was a bold step for the 30- year-old company, which hadn't commissioned a single work in three decades. It was a move that symbolized things to come. Since stepping into the shoes of general director of the Vancouver Opera in.the fall of 1991, Hallam has done better than talk about the need for opera to shed its Evelyn Jacob elitist image — he’s implemented so many innovative changes that en opera in Vancouver will ever be SPOTLIGHT FEATURE ‘the same, - : “Change is the operative word these days. Arts organizations in general need to be more flexible ar:d be willing to try new things,” says Hallam, a baby-faced business whiz who looks much “NEWS photo Mike Wakefield ' CHANGE IS the operative word at the Vancouver Opera these days. General Director Rob Hallam has so many changes up his sleeve that opera in Vancouver will never be the same. . BURRARD INLET ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PROGRAM PUBLIC MEETINGS 7:00 p.m. to 9:60 p.m. ‘Pacific Marine Training Institute Rooni 103, 265 West Esplanade . Li North Vancouver H.R. MacMillan Planetarium - Auditorium, 1100 Chestnut Street Kitsilano Point, Vancouver March 23 March 24 March 25 Port Moody Recreation Centre Room C, 300 focn Road ’ Port Moody. BIEAP invites public input on issues related to Burrard Inlet environmental and developmental issues. ? more information piease call BIEAP at 775-5196 Foi younger than his 40 years. Just to give you an idea of the reforms Hallam has introduced: first, there’s the New Works Pro- gramme, which spawned Cone’s The Architect and through which the company has commissioned a second original opera by Van- couver composer John Oliver, (The VOA plans to stage Oiiver’s electric Alternate Visions in the Vancouver Planetarium.) ; Second, there’s The Young Company — a troupe of six fresh young Canadian vocalists who will join the VOA next January and tour the Lower Mainland in sepa- rate operatic productions. New adaptations of Verdi's La Traviata and Strauss’ Die Fleder- maus are planned for next year's program lineup, and for the first time ever, the VOA will launch a five-opera season. But by far the biggest change will come in the way the company interacts with its audience and Vancouver's artistic community. The Varicouver Opera has tradi- tionally catered to city dwellers — opera lovers living outside Van- couver were basically left to fend for themselves. No more. This spring the company will _ present its first-ever sunday mati- i nee of La Boheme aimed directly at suburban opera-goers. The per- formance will be a shortened ver- sion of the original work and feature singers from the com- pany’s Artists in Resiclence pro- gram. : Prior to opening, members will take the production to various Lower Mainland stages (North Shore residents can attend an April 6 performance at Centennial Theatre). : “? think it is presumptuous of us to think that someune living -outside Vancouver would drive 45 minutes on a weeknight to see opera at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre,” says Hallam. In these competitive times, he says arts organizations can’t afford to ignore the communities in which they work. ; “Some arts groups, when they are the only game in town, tend to be arrogant. | think that is inap- propriate.”’ THE NORTH SHORE NEWS is pleased to offer a very limited number of free. tickets to the Wellness Show. One ticket per person will be given to the first 20 people who come to The Wellness Show office at 4574 W. 6th Avenue Vancouver on Thursday, March 18, after 8:30 a.m. with a generous donation for the FOOD BANK. The Wellness Show is on March 19, 20 and 21 at the Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre. aN The hard times have forced many arts groups to reach out to the community, often through desperate measures — floating a symphony in English Bay comes to mind ~ in an attempt to renew interest and boost ticket sales. So the Vancouver Opera is no exception. But while many are just barely hanging on, the company has weathered the recession better than most. Last season the YOA reported a $140,000 surplus, bringing its ac- cumulated deficit down to just ’ Baby Spring Lettuce, Laced with Honey $4 1734 Marine Drive, West Vancouver. IN-LINE SKATE SHOW AND SALE mrarenom's OS, PLACE STADIUG~ MAACH 10-21, 1803 - ‘ pi | Be a part of the excitement! Mountain Bike Challenge Celebrate Grilled Papaya, Strawberry Pepper Compote \ 050 IGYOLE: CATCH THE EXCITEMENT OF TWO CORPORATE CHALLENGES FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT ALPINE PROMOTIONS: TEL / FAX 731-9693 over $75,000. Hatlam, who tooks every inch the MBA he is — dressed more like a banker than an impresario — is confident he can keep the company from slipping too deep into the red. This is the man, after all, who brought the Edmonton Opera back from the brink of bankruptey. - . In 1983, while still a business student, Hallam devised a finan- cial strategy that would turn the See Opera page 26 Spring at Bermuda Onion Soufflé Raspberry Vinaigrette East Coast Mussels, Fresh Pepper Salsa Green Apple Sorbet oft. {X e “A to ~ ‘ . 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