Pacific Opera Victoria opens new season with Verdi’s Il trovatore on October 16
Promotional artwork for Pacific Opera Victoria’s production of Verdi’s Il trovatore, running October 16–24, 2026.
Photo credit: Pacific Opera Victoria
Pacific Opera Victoria will open its 2026–27 mainstage season on October 16 with Giuseppe Verdi’s Il trovatore at Victoria’s Royal Theatre, in a co-production with Vancouver Opera. Four performances are scheduled through October 24, preceded by a community preview on October 14.
The opera, sung in Italian with English surtitles, centres on a conflict involving the troubadour Manrico, the nobleman Count di Luna, Leonora and Azucena, whose history connects the two men. Pacific Opera describes the work as a drama of love, revenge and mistaken identity, with music that includes the familiar Anvil Chorus. The production is directed by Brenna Corner, with Giuseppe Pietraroia conducting.
Argentinian-Spanish tenor Marcelo Puente sings Manrico, opposite Grant Youngblood as Count di Luna. Canadian soprano Kirsten LeBlanc, who comes from New Brunswick, takes the role of Leonora, while Italian-Canadian mezzo-soprano Simona Genga portrays Azucena. Adam Lau performs Ferrando, with Calgary-born Tim Carter as Ruiz and B.C.-born Jennifer Turner as Inez. The Pacific Opera Chorus and supernumeraries also appear in the production.
The design team includes Québec set designer Olivier Landreville, lighting designer Sophie Tang and projection designer S. Katy Tucker, with Jacques Lemay directing the fight sequences. The company estimates a running time of two hours and 45 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission.
The October 14 community preview begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton Street. Presented as the final dress rehearsal, it includes the cast, orchestra, sets, costumes and lighting, although the artistic team may stop to make last-minute adjustments. Preview tickets cost $15. Pacific Opera's youth and schools guidance says registered Ticket Access Program partners and educational groups can book, while families attending with children can contact the Pacific Opera box office directly. The company also provides box-office and online booking instructions for students and community members.
Opening night is Friday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m., followed by Sunday, October 18 at 2:30 p.m., Thursday, October 22 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, October 24 at 4 p.m. Regular tickets start at $37.50, and a pre-performance talk is scheduled one hour before each mainstage performance. Tickets are sold through the Royal & McPherson Theatres Society.
Pacific Opera’s Ticket Access Program also distributes free tickets to regular performances through participating community organizations. The Royal Theatre offers wheelchair-accessible seating on the main level, but the building does not have an elevator.
Audience members should be aware that the production depicts physical violence, including by poison, beheading, depictions of child murder, kidnapping and attempted assault. Cast and production information remain subject to change.
Royal Winnipeg Ballet opens its 2026–27 mainstage season at Winnipeg’s Centennial Concert Hall on Oct. 8 with Stravinsky Stories, a double bill that brings Alexei Ratmansky’s The Fairy’s Kiss to the company alongside the world premiere of a new Firebird by choreographer Houston Thomas.