| Gerald Isaac |
Introduction “But it is Gerald Isaac in the role of Njegus, who stops the show. He is all over the stage singing and dancing – with a vitality and energy rarely seen. Indeed his performance alone is worth the price of admission.” San Francisco Chronicle, Robert Commanday BiographyThe multi‑faceted career of tenor Gerald Isaac embraces the worlds of opera, music theatre, and drama. The Canadian actor, singer, dancer has performed many leading roles for the Canadian Opera Company, the Charlottetown, Stratford, and Shaw festivals, as well as for the major opera companies of Canada and the United States. His performances as Maximillian in CANDIDE at the Stratford Festival led to his debut with the Canadian Opera Company as Orlovsky in DIE FLEDERMAUS. He subsequently performed Orlovsky and Njegus in THE MERRY WIDOW in productions at the National Arts Centre (Ottawa), New York City Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, San Francisco and Edmonton operas with conductors including Richard Bonynge and Erich Kunzel. He was Monostatos in the Opera Atelier production of THE MAGIC FLUTE in Toronto (soon to be remounted and toured by the Toronto company) and was Don Basilio and Don Curzio in Opera Hamilton’s production of LE NOZZE DI FIGARO. Mr. Isaac was also featured by Toronto's Opera Atelier on a tour to Tokyo as Basilio and Curzio in the Mozart's masterpiece and he brought the house down with his trio of roles in that company's performances of Molière's LE BOURGEOIS GENTILHOMME in Singapore and Toronto. He appeared as Monsieur Reyer in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Toronto) and returned to the Stratford Festival as Mendel in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Mr. Isaac scored a personal triumph as John Styx in ORPHÉE AUX ENFERS in Lyon and sang the role of Arnalta in Houston Grand Opera’s production of L'INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA. He was Bardolfo in FALSTAFF in Lausanne and reprised his portrayal of Monostatos in THE MAGIC FLUTE for Opera Atelier’s latest revival of that revered production. Mr. Isaac was seen at the Princess of Wales Theatre starring as Zazu in the long-running hit, THE LION KING and he joined the Huron Country Playhouse for their production of THE SECRET GARDEN Mr. Isaac starred in the "Live from Lincoln Center" PBS Broadcast of New York City Opera's NEW MOON in the comic lead role of Alexander and created the role of Christoph in the Emmy Award‑winning BEETHOVEN LIVES UPSTAIRS. He has performed this role with numerous orchestras including the Houston Symphony, Toronto Symphony, and the National Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The Attic recording, SWEET AIRS THAT GIVE DELIGHT features Mr. Isaac singing Berthold Carriere compositions especially written for him. He appeared in the Gemini Award‑winning television musical THE TRIAL OF RED RIDING HOOD and performed as Dick Powell in the 1930's vocal trio RUBY, DICK, AND JOAN. January 2012Full RepertoireTheatre
Opera
TELEVISION/FILM LIFE ON VENUS AVENUE Handyman CHUM CITY
RADIO TZARINA CBC
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Reviews“Gerald Isaac turned Njegus’ song in praise of his Parisian sophistication into nothing less than a one man show.” Toronto Star – William Littler
“Most laurels go to Gerald Isaac who comes to the show after years of playing the singing roles in Shakespeare’s lyrical, pastoral and fantastic scenes at Stratford Festival. Every syllable of the jeweled lines falls from Isaac’s lips in glittering clarity. Only once does he offer us his astounding utterly masculine chorister’s alto. This is in If Music be the Food of Love from ‘Twelfth Night’. Elsewhere Isaac employs straight tenor with occasional bursts into pop to amaze us with his ranges of tone and volume. The quality of Isaac’s mime and dancing is most impressive in the choreography that Kelly Robinson has injected into such items as the threnody from THE TEMPEST entitled Full Fathoms Five My Father Lies.” The Sunday Sun – McKenzie Porter
“But the driving force of this MARRIAGE OF FIGARO which is sung in English, is a saucy Harlequin played by Gerald Isaac.” The Globe and Mail – Tamara Bernstein
“Gerald Isaac still making as distinctively manic Monastotos, the malicious Moor, as can be found in most operatic memory banks.” The Toronto Star – William Littler
“Tenor Gerald Isaac stole the show with his Prince Orlofsky portrayal (usually played by a pant-role mezzo). He is an opera singer who can dance the Russian trepak and the French can-can.” The Times Colonist (Victoria) – Barb Little |