Dressing Room Requiem
After their show is cancelled, cast and crew members come back to the theatre to pick up their belongings from the dressing rooms. Backstage antics occur as they remember the good, the bad and the absurd about life upon the stage, while embarking on a tour of some of the best music opera has to offer.
A performance of the best songs opera has to offer. This show would be a great introduction to opera, but I also enjoyed it as a long-time opera fan. The final singer is truly world-class, delivering a phenomenal performance of Nessun Dorma that left me in awe.
Arrive early to get a good seat, as there were over 100 people in the audience today.
A joyous introduction to some opera classics. Not too mention, you can't beat the acoustics of music in a church sanctuary
Stunning as always. Very rarely do you see a standing ovation before the show is over, but this show got one. Seriously, go and see it, you will not be disappointed.
Pop Goes The Opera has a history of excellent productions and this was no exception. Upon finding out that their show has been canceled, a group of singers responds in the traditional fashion: milling about, complaining, eating dummies, drinking and singing their favourite arias. La Traviata, Nessun Dorma, a preview of their 2026 Valentine's Day co-production Merry Widow and more. Holy Trinity's Sanctuary Stage is a great venue of spectacular singers. An hour very well spent.
Dressing Room Requiem gives audiences a behind the scenes look of the dressing room of a theater company in the aftermath of their show’s abrupt cancellation. This musical, put on by Pop Goes To The Opera is directed by Glynis Price, who also stage managed, designed and performed in the production. The show featured some dazzling vocals by the ensemble cast, including some outstanding solos that even non opera lovers can appreciate. That being said, it seems as if the group’s focus was more on the music itself than fleshing out the actual story. Nevertheless, you could tell the cast put a lot of time and care into every tune and what character development they did have. One downside to the show’s venue was the fact that their dialogue at times was drowned out by the piano’s transitions into the next song. The show would have been a better fit at a venue with less echo so audiences could overall hear everything more clearly. The final song was a moving piece called ‘Nessun Dorma’, in which the cast and crew of the show said their goodbyes to the theater. It’s a bittersweet moment that anyone who’s been a part of a show themselves can understand and connect with. Overall, Dressing Room Requiem is a show that balances a lot of heart with the cast’s (and the audiences) admiration for opera music. You can catch the show at the Edmonton Fringe Festival from August 14th - 24th 2025.