Roger Waters: Another Brick In The Wall - The Opera; Montreal March 2017
Written by Matt   
Saturday, 05 March 2016
Another Brick In The Wall - The Opera; Montreal, March 2017

Roger Waters is scheduled to appear on the TV show "Tout le monde en parle" at 8pm Sunday night, on Radio-Canada. The show features several guests in discussion around a table, and is a very popular, prime-time programme. For more information on the show, visit Radio-Canada.ca.

He is appearing on the show to talk about the just-announced staging of The Wall as an opera. Another Brick In The Wall - The Opera receives its world premiere at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts, in Montréal, Quebec, Canada on March 11th 2017, with subsequent performances taking place on March 14th, 16th, 18th, 20th, 22nd and 24th.

The world premiere is being presented as part of thecelebrations of Montréal's 375th Anniversary. The project brings together Québecois baritone, Étienne Dupuis, who will play Pink, the fallen rock star; and three exceptional artists: Julien Bilodeau, composer of the new opera vision of the work; Dominic Champagne, director of this monumental 80s music endeavour; and Alain Trudel, conductor of the Orchestre Métropolitain.

"It's a great honour to welcome Roger Waters in Montréal. This project creates a stylistic shock, representing daring and unprecedented collaborations. Montréal is without a doubt a lively and inspiring city. In fact, it was in our beautiful city, 40 years ago, that Mr. Waters' The Wall project first started to germinate," explained Gilbert Rozon, Commissioner of Montréal’s 375th anniversary celebrations.

Roger Waters announcing Another Brick In The Wall - The Opera, in Montreal March 2017

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy, Minister of Public Security and Minister responsible for the Montréal region, Martin Coiteux said: "Reflecting our vibrant metropolis, Montréal's 375th anniversary festivities will offer our artists, artisans and creators an opportunity to showcase their talent. A deeply rooted ambassador in the city's cultural network, Opéra de Montréal has concocted an extraordinary event, which will not only stimulate tourism and the economy, but will also certainly be among the most anticipated artistic performances in the 2017 cultural calendar."

The Mayor, Denis Coderre added: "The Montréal community is delighted at the idea of welcoming Mr. Roger Waters, and sharing this important anniversary with him."

Finally, Pierre Dufour, Opéra de Montréal's Executive Director, and Michel Beaulac, its Artistic Director, noted that "[t]his unique project breaks down barriers between opera and rock, while conveying the universality of singing and music."

Another Brick In The Wall – The Opera features ten soloists, 48 chorus singers, 70 musicians and a team of design professionals who will aim to infuse the work with a new dimension. Pink’s alienation and isolation, as the main character, in addition to the difficulties facing his entire generation regarding disillusionment, find a new vehicle for expression in opera.

A pre-sale for tickets has just started and these can be purchased through this direct link at Ticketmaster.com where some of the shows are now available - we presume others will be added in due course. For more information on Another Brick In The Wall - The Opera and other events, visit OperaDeMontreal.com.

Our thanks to all those who have written regarding the TV appearance, and the opera, and in particular, Paul Cousineau and John McHugh. The picture of Roger here [click the thumbnail to the right] launching the series of performances is by Yves Renaud.

Finally, here's a sneak preview of what to expect: