Robert McQueen, Director

Pacific Opera Victoria
Capriccio
February - March, 2010

Robert McQueen makes his POV debut as director of Richard Strauss' Capriccio in February 2010.

Robert McQueen is known to Canadian audiences from his ground breaking 2007 production of Mozart's The Magic Flute, set among British Columbia's native people, for Vancouver Opera. The production played to standing ovations following two and a half years of preparation that engaged a creative team of 16 First Nations and non First Nations artists.   Robert's English language adaptation of the libretto brought into focus the specifics of this unique production and included in the spoken text words and phrases of the Halq'emeylem language – the dialect of the Musqueam people. 

An inspiring, must-see production, well worth the wait, the investment and the risk:  a Magic Flute with real magic.
(Elissa Poole: The Globe and Mail)

It made me feel something rarely felt in theatre or opera or life today:  a sense of awe.
Steven Schelling: The West Ender

Mr. McQueen scored a huge success in December 2008 with the premiere of Where Elephants Weep in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Where Elephants Weep was created by Cambodian music composer Him Sophy, Franco-American librettist Catherine Filloux and U.S. executive producer John Burt. Where Elephants Weep is Cambodia's first rock opera and blends rock music with the sounds of its traditional instruments.

Other recent opera productions include:  La Bohème for the Canadian Opera Company (Director Robert McQueen, making his mainstage COC debut, shines right off the bat when a quartet of male bohos dance and sing in light mockery of their own poverty. Puccini would surely have appreciated the sumptuous design, superb acting and deft direction – Gord McLaughlin, Toronto Sun), and Il Barbiere di Siviglia for Arizona Opera (McQueen's non-stop whirlwind of comedic activity lent the production a Marx Brothers zaniness –Tucson Citizen, Daniel Buckley)  as well as productions of L'Elisir d'amore and Turandot. 

In workshop Robert recently served as dramaturge during the development of Vancouver Opera's adaptation of the Joy Kogawa novel Naomi's Road. In the theatre Robert's most recent productions have included:  I Am My Own Wife for the Belfry Theatre in Victoria, As You Like It for Bard on the Beach in Vancouver, The Spitfire Grill for the Grand Theatre in London Ontario, as well as a production of You Can't Take it With You for the 40th anniversary of his alma mater Studio 58 Theatre School in Vancouver.  Other recent productions include The Cradle Will Rock, Pal Joey, Hair, and Cabaret.

Additionally Robert was the Associate Director for the Broadway, U.S. national, Toronto and Las Vegas companies of the musical juggernaut Mamma Mia, and was Resident Director on the Hal Prince, Susan Stroman production of Show Boat. Recent and up-coming productions include Carousel at the Galaxy Theatre in Tokyo and the California premiere of Where Elephants Weep.

December 2009