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The Maestro's Company

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The Maestro's Company
Written byHugh Stuckey
Directed byWilliam Fitzwater
Starring
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
ProducerRichard Davis
CinematographyRobert McDonnell
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkSBS
Release13 January (1985-01-13) –
7 April 1985 (1985-04-07)

The Maestro's Company is an Australian television series that originally aired on SBS in 1985. Conceived by Marcia Hatfield, it was designed to introduce children to opera.

Synopsis

Two children stumble across an old theatre occupied by an opera company of puppets.

Production

The show cost $1.3 million and featured puppets created by Beverley Campbell-Jackson, each costing $10,000. It features songs sung by real opera stars such as Dame Joan Sutherland, Placido Domingo and Renata Tebaldi. The song were taken from Decca recordings. The show was filmed in Balmain's Bijou Theatre.

Cast

Reception

Bronwyn Watson of the Sydney Morning Herald gave it a positive review stating "The Maestro's Company is a good mixture — it doesn't lose the flavour of the opera nor does it overdose on singing. I think it is a successful marriage between television and opera." Also in the Sydney Morning Herald Jacqueline Lee Lewes writes "As clever and refreshing the may be, Maestro's Company is definitely one for kids."

Soundtrack

A double record soundtrack titled The Maestro's Company of Arias and Scenes from the operas featured in the TV series was released on Decca Jubilee.

References

  1. ^ Morris, Joan (13 January 1985), "Ethiopia pilgrimage by pop and TV stars", The Canberra Times
  2. "Viewing highlights", The Age, 4 April 1985
  3. Cohen, Lysbeth (10 January 1985), "Maestro makes Marcia's mark in children's film", The Australian Jewish Times
  4. ^ Watson, Bronwyn (19 November 1984), "Network 0/28 lures the kids with opera", The Sydney Morning Herald
  5. Saw, Ron (6 November 1984), "Cutting the anaesthesia out of opera", The Bulletin
  6. Lee Lewes, Jacqueline (13 January 1985), "Stringing along with the opera puppets. . .", The Sydney Morning Herald
  7. Hoffmann, W.L. (11 February 1985), "As on TV", The Canberra Times

External links

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