January 28, 2025 • 18 mins
Prepare to be enchanted by the stories and insights of Canadian baritone John Fanning, a treasured gem in the world of opera. As a recipient of the Ruby Award and a member of the Order of Canada, John shares his remarkable journey from the grandeur of opera stages to a more family-centered life in Waterford, Ontario. We'll uncover his thoughts on transitioning from teaching at the University of Montreal to the joys of retirement, where volunteering and family time now take center stage. Plus, get an insider's view of his thrilling return to the stage as Don Pasquale with Calgary Opera and the unique challenges and triumphs that come with embodying a new role at this stage in his career.
All episodes of The Opera Glasses podcast are hosted by the editor of Opera Canada, currently Michael Jones after Elizabeth Bowman hosted seasons 1 and 2. Follow Opera Canada on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Visit OperaCanada.ca for all of your Canadian Opera news and reviews.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Michael Jones (00:05):
Hello and welcome to Opera Glasses, the official
podcast of Opera Canada magazine.
I'm your host, michael Jones,and I'm pleased to be joined
today by one of the biggestnames in opera in our country,
recipient of a Ruby Award fromOpera Canada, which I have to
say and a member of the Order ofCanada Baritone, john Fanning.
(00:26):
John has sung in all of themajor Canadian houses as well as
across the States, includingperformances at both San
Francisco Opera and the Met.
He's currently in rehearsalsfor a new production of Don
Pasquale at Calgary Opera.
John, welcome to Opera Classesand thank you for joining us
today.
John Fanning (00:46):
Thank you, Michael , it's great to be here.
Michael Jones (00:48):
Well, it's really wonderful to have you here.
I'm pleased to welcome you aswe were just chatting about.
Off the record, I guess youwere one of the singers that was
established in quite a youngcareer, just as I was leaving
school.
So you are somebody that Iremember back from the earliest
parts of your career, and it'sreally a pleasure to meet you
(01:11):
today.
John Fanning (01:11):
Nice to meet you as well.
Michael Jones (01:13):
I wanted to begin because there's a couple of
things that I wanted to talkabout in the first section of
the interview.
I wanted to begin by readingthe sentence about you in the
press release from Calgary Operawhere they say beloved Canadian
baritone, recipient of theOrder of Canada, john Fanning,
(01:34):
comes out of retirement to starin his role debut as Don
Pasquale.
Now, I know that you left yourteaching work behind at McGill a
number of years ago, and sothis is, I suppose, what
retirement looks like for anartist in Canada.
So what does retirement looklike for you?
(01:55):
Well, retirement.
John Fanning (01:58):
You're exactly right.
I was at the University ofMontreal, not McGill, but yes,
that's what I retired from.
The career as singer tends toretire from you or tends to
retire you and that sort ofthing and I had left my agency
and that sort of thing and so Iwas happy to just move on.
(02:20):
And you know, we do volunteerwork, we do stuff like that.
Now my wife and I have enjoyedretirement a lot and I look
forward to that again in thefuture.
Michael Jones (02:34):
And are you still based in Montreal?
John Fanning (02:37):
No, I was only based there while I sang.
We were based in Dundas,Ontario, next to Hamilton, and I
guess two and a half years agowe moved down to Waterford,
Ontario, which is sort ofbetween Brantford and Simcoe.
If you know, we're closer nowto Lake Erie than Lake Ontario,
so yeah, we're down in that area.
Michael Jones (02:58):
That sounds lovely.
And what do you do inretirement?
John Fanning (03:02):
Well, as I say, we volunteer.
Part of the reason that Iretired from Montreal was also
that the grandkids were startingto come and as the grandkids
came, my wife sort of quitcoming to Montreal and it was
kind of not the ideal situation.
It was kind of like my careerbeing on the road.
(03:23):
I was on the road, eventeaching.
So you know, it was nice to gethome and to be with family.
So we do some babysitting, wedo some, you know, driving kids
around, things like that.
I don't do a whole lot of it,not nearly as much as my wife,
especially this month while I'mout here, but we do.
(03:47):
I get to take my grandson,matthew, to hockey and things
like that, so he's five, andKate takes Maggie to dance in
Waterford.
And we have a new grandson overhere who's a lovely boy, and so
we've got and he's in Waterfordas well.
So we're delighted, yep.
Michael Jones (04:06):
That sounds really quite wonderful Now, but
you must still be singing,because Well I am now.
John Fanning (04:13):
I didn't do a whole lot of it Sort of
Christmas Eve and things likethat during the years but I
worked right up till COVID, youknow, and then, like everybody,
it was out of work also becauseof that, so that was also a good
time to break away.
I worked the November of 2019in Newfoundland.
(04:35):
They got the rights to do thePhantom of the Opera, so we did
a regional thing out there and Iadore Newfoundland, so I was
very, very happy to be there andthe show was really fun 28
years later going back to that,because I did it for two years
on the road and then, I think,seven months in Toronto so it
was nice to revisit that forsure.
Michael Jones (04:56):
That sounds wonderful.
So what was it like then?
John Fanning (05:01):
going and not just going back to singing and
learning, and but learning abrand new role at yeah, that's
kind of a skill, you know thatthat one acquires over a career,
and so it was a little bitdifferent.
Coming back to that, thesinging itself, I I sang through
the role um when it was offered, and um through parts of the
(05:24):
world at least and things likethat to see where it's at.
And it's a nice role.
It's a little lower sittingthan it used to be my roles and
so that's sort of taken out ofthe equation.
But there's a ton of words andmemory and I thought my memory
was still doing all right, sothat was okay.
And then I sort of went intotraining this summer with
(05:46):
singing and doing a lot of itand trying to get back into
shape.
Michael Jones (05:54):
So you've been working through the summer
getting back into shape for thesinging.
Now, did you know Don Pasqualeat all?
Had you sung Malatesta earlier?
John Fanning (06:03):
I had sung a couple of things from Malatesta
in concerts, you know, once ortwice apparently because my
score is underlined, and I hadtaught a young artist some of
Don Pasquale, you know, justgoing through the role and
trying to make it work for himand that sort of thing.
Michael Jones (06:21):
So other than that, nope, Okay, and was it
hard or was it to restart thatpart of your brain to to
actually learn to memorize allof that?
John Fanning (06:32):
Yeah, yeah, it was a challenge, we'll say, and it
it, you know it still is for asinger, when you do something a
lot, you see the page in yourmind, you know, and you think,
okay, that's that page, it's upin the right hand corner and
that took a while to come backand it, you know, thankfully
it's, it's coming back now muchbetter and uh, and things like
that.
But also, just knowing theopera and this is a very busy
(06:54):
production of this marvelouspiece and a beautiful production
I think it's really going to bea lot of fun.
I think the audience will loveit.
But, yeah, thinking ahead towhat's the next thing, you know
that has sort of slowed downmaybe a little bit over the
years and uh, so, trying to getthat back up to speed, and the
cast is terrific.
It's, uh, lucia cesaroni and,uh, john tessier and philip
(07:16):
addis.
So, uh, you know they've alldone it before.
So, uh, trying to catch up is,uh, it's been interesting I knew
that lucia had done it before.
Michael Jones (07:26):
She writes, of course, for Opera magazine quite
regularly, but she's also backfresh on stage with a brand new
baby who I think is about fourmonths at this point, yeah, and
he's out here with us, so she'sbusy, for sure, yeah.
And I also know John, I think,and this would date both of us,
(07:48):
so maybe I shouldn't tell thisfor John's, but John and I sang
in the National Youth Choirtogether, which was many, many
years ago.
He was there as the tenor, I'mguessing, from Alberta.
Aha, probably, and I was thereas the tenor from Ontario, so we
sang together many years agoI'm not going to admit how many.
That's right, well, not goingto admit how many.
John Fanning (08:14):
That's right.
Well, it's kind of the same.
John and I sang together.
I don't know how many either.
I think it was Romeo and Juliet, maybe that we did, I think in
Saskatoon I mean it's that fargone back.
But I think that's the onlyother time I ever worked with
him where Lucia and I didRheingold together.
She was one of the marvelousRheinmaidens in Victoria a few
years ago, and Phil's been afriend for quite a while, but
(08:35):
we've never sung together either.
So it's great to get with thesefolks.
Michael Jones (08:39):
It's a lovely cast.
It sounds like a wonderful castNow.
You said it's a really fun andbeautiful production.
What can you tell us about thisproduction?
John Fanning (08:48):
production.
What can you tell us about thisproduction?
Well, it's very evocative andyou know sort of set in the
period of 1950s.
Italian cinema so, which I'mnot an authority at all, I've
seen, you know, some of themovies, but the sets and the
hairstyles, the costumes arefantastic.
The sets are great.
It's going to be not phantomwith things flying in and out,
(09:09):
but I think it'll be very.
It's going to be fun to see howit works on stage, for sure.
Michael Jones (09:15):
So if it's, if it's a 1950s Italian film set,
then you do.
You get to be the dashing olderactor, as opposed to the
doddering old fool thatsometimes John Pasquale is.
John Fanning (09:26):
Yeah well, it's excuse to the doddering old fool
that sometimes John Pasquale is.
Yeah well, it's excuse me, it'skind of the doddering older
actor.
It's not really a dodderer,I've got to say, but he it's
kind of an interesting study.
He's wondering about hisrelevance as the cinema changes
and you know, he's still tryingto do things.
(09:50):
Cinema changes and uh, you know,he's still trying to do things
and maybe you know whether it'sthe gestures are too much or too
big or old-fashioned, and andso it's that sort of idea and,
uh, and it is the uh, you know,the generational thing, both
with he and his nephew,obviously, and also he and
norina, and uh, and he andhimself.
You know, am I, can I still beloved at this age?
(10:10):
Or, you know, do I still got it?
Uh, that sort of thing and uh,yeah, so it's very interesting
it's, it's it's lovely how it itworks together and how some of
those pieces that, um, you know,you hopefully will have a lot
of empathy for Don Giovanni, donPasquale, and you know, because
(10:33):
he just is struggling with thatand realizes that his life is
basically over at some points.
Michael Jones (10:39):
Okay, well, that's good, and don't
mistakenly sing Mozart whenyou're there, because that would
.
So you talk about how beautifulthe costume is.
Have you, uh, the this the showis?
Have you had costume fittings?
John Fanning (10:53):
yes, I had one last night and, uh, my shoes are
killer.
Michael Jones (10:58):
They're uh like three-tone, they're fantastic uh
so we should have worn calgaryopera to watch out for your
shoes, which means they, they'regoing home.
John Fanning (11:11):
But all the costumes are just great and the
you know the hairstyles andLucia looks terrific and with
what they've done, we did somephotos and movies and things
earlier on which will be part ofthe production.
I'm still waiting to see howthat all works and so that's
interesting.
But no, it's.
Every costume I've seen arereal slick.
You know it's.
The suits are be part of theproduction.
(11:31):
I'm still waiting to see howthat all works.
That's interesting.
Every costume I've seen arereal slick.
The suits are beautiful for theguys.
It's going to be great.
Michael Jones (11:37):
The set.
Have you seen anything yet orother than models and sketching?
John Fanning (11:41):
Not really.
We're still in the rehearsalhall for a couple of days.
It looks very, very interesting, for sure.
Michael Jones (11:50):
Wonderful.
You talked about the idea ofyou're looking at Don Pasquale
as a person who's wondering ifhe still has it, if he still is
relevant.
So is that?
Does that feel like you at all,as you're going back to work
that you haven't done for anumber of years?
John Fanning (12:11):
Yeah, I think you know.
So I've gone also, even when Iwas still singing, you know,
into my 50s or whatever, and allthese young artists coming up
behind you know, not justbaritones, and it's like wow,
that's amazing, you know, andthat whole thing that's an
interesting thing about aginglike wow, that's amazing, you
know, and that whole thingthat's an interesting thing
about aging for me is theperspective's terrific, you know
(12:34):
, to look back and sort of go,okay, so that's what that meant,
or whatever, the aches andpains not so much, but you know,
to see how things do change,and you thought, okay, that's
what that person told me andthat's what meant, or that's
what I, you know how I shouldhave behaved and I didn't, or
whatever it might be, and, um,yeah, so that's very, very
(12:54):
interesting oh, that's no.
Michael Jones (12:56):
that sounds like it will bring something of you
to to a role, to a role that'soften just a broad comedic
takedown of the I hope so Good.
Well, that sounds really quitewonderful.
And so this production opens atthe beginning of February, is
(13:17):
that right?
John Fanning (13:18):
Beginning of June, I think yeah.
Michael Jones (13:20):
So go visit calgaryoperacom to get tickets.
It sounds like a reallywonderful production of Don
Pasquale.
Are you happy with how you'resinging?
John Fanning (13:31):
Yeah, for the most part.
I mean it's so busy right nowthat I'm a little bit rough and
we're working until now at 10 atnight and then getting back up
in the morning.
So yeah, I wish I had aboutthree days off to let it all
come back.
So maybe a little more markingin the next couple of days, that
sort of thing.
But yeah, we've got a day offcoming up and I'll probably be
(13:52):
very quiet and that sort ofthing.
But in general, no, I wasduring the year.
I was pretty happy with howthings were going, so I felt
confident about the voice.
Michael Jones (14:02):
Well, that's wonderful.
So is there something that's upnext for you?
Do so is there something that'sup next for you.
Do you have plans at this point?
John Fanning (14:15):
I go home and have a concert pardon me whether you
can share them or not.
Yeah, yeah, no, I have aconcert just about right after
this of, um, of songs, of lovesongs, for sort of valentine's
day, and uh, I'm doing that withariana chris and uh, so that'll
be a lot of fun.
Michael Jones (14:29):
And then, no, no plans to get back on the stage,
and I think you know this willhopefully be a lovely way to
sign off or not, because Ialways talk about retirement for
artists in Canada reallymeaning that we might take fewer
gigs but we get to pick andchoose the ones that sound
(14:49):
really fun to us.
Yeah, really meaning that wemight take fewer gigs but we get
to pick and choose the onesthat sound really fun to us.
John Fanning (14:52):
Yeah, there's that , and I you know when I say I
haven't really sung in that I'vedone a couple of you know sort
of small recitals, that sort ofthing, and you know an evening
here or there, but in generalpretty quiet.
Michael Jones (15:06):
Well, and you must have somehow kept the
breath moving through theinstrument to be able to pick it
up again as readily as you have.
John Fanning (15:14):
Yeah, yeah, as I say, this year was quite a bit
of singing and just trying toget some flexibility back, still
looking for some of that andsome of the other things one
does.
But what's interesting to mewith this and and in doing this
role is that, you know, I sangold guys and I sang a lot of uh
comedies, uh, over the years.
(15:36):
But I sang, you know, thingslike danilo or um and uh, mary
widow or um, you know, pirateking and those sorts of things
which, uh, they still had youhigh notes or whatever, and were
different from this.
Whereas and I sang old guys inmy 20s, I was a father of, you
(16:00):
know, 30 year old tenor when Iwas 22, or whatever it was you
know, and so that was one thingI wanted to look at and that was
one of the things that madethis so interesting is that, now
that I am a guy that's in myseventies, uh, uh, if that's not
a secret uh, it's interestingto play a guy that says for a
guy in his seventies, you know,uh.
Michael Jones (16:18):
Wow, I would not have guessed that you were in
your 70s, so great complimentsto whoever's doing your work.
John Fanning (16:25):
Well, what little kids would say I'm probably 70
and a half.
Michael Jones (16:30):
Okay, so you're in your 70s, but it's a barely
thing.
Where's your recital of LoveSongs?
John Fanning (16:44):
songs.
It's in ancaster, uh yeah, andit's a.
There's a new theater therewhich I haven't seen yet.
I haven't been in, uh, andthey've um done that, and so,
yeah, that'll be um february11th actually, so which is an
easy commute for people in thegta area.
Michael Jones (16:57):
So there you go.
Should check that out and comedown to hear you sing thank you
for asking, asking.
There's no plans right now, sothat we can't tease that
audiences in other Canadiancities might hope to get that
opportunity to hear you.
John Fanning (17:12):
No, I think I've got a feeling this is it.
I think my wife has a feelingthat this is it.
I think she'll be happy for meto get home hopefully.
Michael Jones (17:21):
She'll be happy to have you take over some of
the driving duty again.
Well, it has been a realpleasure to talk with you, john.
I am so thrilled to get to meetyou.
I wish you and the other, johnand Lucia and Phil all the best
with your opening toy, toy toy,and I hope that we will get more
(17:44):
opportunities to hear you.
I think what I will go withwhat mature artists have to
bring to their craft, to theirunderstanding of roles, is
really important and as long asyou are healthy, I think opera
companies in Canada should beencouraged to keep pulling you
out of retirement.
John Fanning (18:03):
Well, you're very kind, I appreciate it and it's
been lovely talking to you,michael, thank you, thank you so
much.
Michael Jones (18:11):
Once again it's been Michael Jones for Opera
Glasses podcast.
We've been speaking today toJohn Fanning.
We'll be back in a couple, inprobably about four to six weeks
, with another interview.
The next one up, I believe, isCheryl Hickman from Opera on the
Avalon in Newfoundland.
So please thank you for joiningus today and join us again.
Hello and welcome to Opera Glasses, the official
podcast of Opera Canada magazine.
I'm your host, michael Jones,and I'm pleased to be joined
today by one of the biggestnames in opera in our country,
recipient of a Ruby Award fromOpera Canada, which I have to
say and a member of the Order ofCanada Baritone, john Fanning.
(00:26):
John has sung in all of themajor Canadian houses as well as
across the States, includingperformances at both San
Francisco Opera and the Met.
He's currently in rehearsalsfor a new production of Don
Pasquale at Calgary Opera.
John, welcome to Opera Classesand thank you for joining us
today.
John Fanning (00:46):
Thank you, Michael , it's great to be here.
Michael Jones (00:48):
Well, it's really wonderful to have you here.
I'm pleased to welcome you aswe were just chatting about.
Off the record, I guess youwere one of the singers that was
established in quite a youngcareer, just as I was leaving
school.
So you are somebody that Iremember back from the earliest
parts of your career, and it'sreally a pleasure to meet you
(01:11):
today.
John Fanning (01:11):
Nice to meet you as well.
Michael Jones (01:13):
I wanted to begin because there's a couple of
things that I wanted to talkabout in the first section of
the interview.
I wanted to begin by readingthe sentence about you in the
press release from Calgary Operawhere they say beloved Canadian
baritone, recipient of theOrder of Canada, john Fanning,
(01:34):
comes out of retirement to starin his role debut as Don
Pasquale.
Now, I know that you left yourteaching work behind at McGill a
number of years ago, and sothis is, I suppose, what
retirement looks like for anartist in Canada.
So what does retirement looklike for you?
(01:55):
Well, retirement.
John Fanning (01:58):
You're exactly right.
I was at the University ofMontreal, not McGill, but yes,
that's what I retired from.
The career as singer tends toretire from you or tends to
retire you and that sort ofthing and I had left my agency
and that sort of thing and so Iwas happy to just move on.
(02:20):
And you know, we do volunteerwork, we do stuff like that.
Now my wife and I have enjoyedretirement a lot and I look
forward to that again in thefuture.
Michael Jones (02:34):
And are you still based in Montreal?
John Fanning (02:37):
No, I was only based there while I sang.
We were based in Dundas,Ontario, next to Hamilton, and I
guess two and a half years agowe moved down to Waterford,
Ontario, which is sort ofbetween Brantford and Simcoe.
If you know, we're closer nowto Lake Erie than Lake Ontario,
so yeah, we're down in that area.
Michael Jones (02:58):
That sounds lovely.
And what do you do inretirement?
John Fanning (03:02):
Well, as I say, we volunteer.
Part of the reason that Iretired from Montreal was also
that the grandkids were startingto come and as the grandkids
came, my wife sort of quitcoming to Montreal and it was
kind of not the ideal situation.
It was kind of like my careerbeing on the road.
(03:23):
I was on the road, eventeaching.
So you know, it was nice to gethome and to be with family.
So we do some babysitting, wedo some, you know, driving kids
around, things like that.
I don't do a whole lot of it,not nearly as much as my wife,
especially this month while I'mout here, but we do.
(03:47):
I get to take my grandson,matthew, to hockey and things
like that, so he's five, andKate takes Maggie to dance in
Waterford.
And we have a new grandson overhere who's a lovely boy, and so
we've got and he's in Waterfordas well.
So we're delighted, yep.
Michael Jones (04:06):
That sounds really quite wonderful Now, but
you must still be singing,because Well I am now.
John Fanning (04:13):
I didn't do a whole lot of it Sort of
Christmas Eve and things likethat during the years but I
worked right up till COVID, youknow, and then, like everybody,
it was out of work also becauseof that, so that was also a good
time to break away.
I worked the November of 2019in Newfoundland.
(04:35):
They got the rights to do thePhantom of the Opera, so we did
a regional thing out there and Iadore Newfoundland, so I was
very, very happy to be there andthe show was really fun 28
years later going back to that,because I did it for two years
on the road and then, I think,seven months in Toronto so it
was nice to revisit that forsure.
Michael Jones (04:56):
That sounds wonderful.
So what was it like then?
John Fanning (05:01):
going and not just going back to singing and
learning, and but learning abrand new role at yeah, that's
kind of a skill, you know thatthat one acquires over a career,
and so it was a little bitdifferent.
Coming back to that, thesinging itself, I I sang through
the role um when it was offered, and um through parts of the
(05:24):
world at least and things likethat to see where it's at.
And it's a nice role.
It's a little lower sittingthan it used to be my roles and
so that's sort of taken out ofthe equation.
But there's a ton of words andmemory and I thought my memory
was still doing all right, sothat was okay.
And then I sort of went intotraining this summer with
(05:46):
singing and doing a lot of itand trying to get back into
shape.
Michael Jones (05:54):
So you've been working through the summer
getting back into shape for thesinging.
Now, did you know Don Pasqualeat all?
Had you sung Malatesta earlier?
John Fanning (06:03):
I had sung a couple of things from Malatesta
in concerts, you know, once ortwice apparently because my
score is underlined, and I hadtaught a young artist some of
Don Pasquale, you know, justgoing through the role and
trying to make it work for himand that sort of thing.
Michael Jones (06:21):
So other than that, nope, Okay, and was it
hard or was it to restart thatpart of your brain to to
actually learn to memorize allof that?
John Fanning (06:32):
Yeah, yeah, it was a challenge, we'll say, and it
it, you know it still is for asinger, when you do something a
lot, you see the page in yourmind, you know, and you think,
okay, that's that page, it's upin the right hand corner and
that took a while to come backand it, you know, thankfully
it's, it's coming back now muchbetter and uh, and things like
that.
But also, just knowing theopera and this is a very busy
(06:54):
production of this marvelouspiece and a beautiful production
I think it's really going to bea lot of fun.
I think the audience will loveit.
But, yeah, thinking ahead towhat's the next thing, you know
that has sort of slowed downmaybe a little bit over the
years and uh, so, trying to getthat back up to speed, and the
cast is terrific.
It's, uh, lucia cesaroni and,uh, john tessier and philip
(07:16):
addis.
So, uh, you know they've alldone it before.
So, uh, trying to catch up is,uh, it's been interesting I knew
that lucia had done it before.
Michael Jones (07:26):
She writes, of course, for Opera magazine quite
regularly, but she's also backfresh on stage with a brand new
baby who I think is about fourmonths at this point, yeah, and
he's out here with us, so she'sbusy, for sure, yeah.
And I also know John, I think,and this would date both of us,
(07:48):
so maybe I shouldn't tell thisfor John's, but John and I sang
in the National Youth Choirtogether, which was many, many
years ago.
He was there as the tenor, I'mguessing, from Alberta.
Aha, probably, and I was thereas the tenor from Ontario, so we
sang together many years agoI'm not going to admit how many.
That's right, well, not goingto admit how many.
John Fanning (08:14):
That's right.
Well, it's kind of the same.
John and I sang together.
I don't know how many either.
I think it was Romeo and Juliet, maybe that we did, I think in
Saskatoon I mean it's that fargone back.
But I think that's the onlyother time I ever worked with
him where Lucia and I didRheingold together.
She was one of the marvelousRheinmaidens in Victoria a few
years ago, and Phil's been afriend for quite a while, but
(08:35):
we've never sung together either.
So it's great to get with thesefolks.
Michael Jones (08:39):
It's a lovely cast.
It sounds like a wonderful castNow.
You said it's a really fun andbeautiful production.
What can you tell us about thisproduction?
John Fanning (08:48):
production.
What can you tell us about thisproduction?
Well, it's very evocative andyou know sort of set in the
period of 1950s.
Italian cinema so, which I'mnot an authority at all, I've
seen, you know, some of themovies, but the sets and the
hairstyles, the costumes arefantastic.
The sets are great.
It's going to be not phantomwith things flying in and out,
(09:09):
but I think it'll be very.
It's going to be fun to see howit works on stage, for sure.
Michael Jones (09:15):
So if it's, if it's a 1950s Italian film set,
then you do.
You get to be the dashing olderactor, as opposed to the
doddering old fool thatsometimes John Pasquale is.
John Fanning (09:26):
Yeah well, it's excuse to the doddering old fool
that sometimes John Pasquale is.
Yeah well, it's excuse me, it'skind of the doddering older
actor.
It's not really a dodderer,I've got to say, but he it's
kind of an interesting study.
He's wondering about hisrelevance as the cinema changes
and you know, he's still tryingto do things.
(09:50):
Cinema changes and uh, you know,he's still trying to do things
and maybe you know whether it'sthe gestures are too much or too
big or old-fashioned, and andso it's that sort of idea and,
uh, and it is the uh, you know,the generational thing, both
with he and his nephew,obviously, and also he and
norina, and uh, and he andhimself.
You know, am I, can I still beloved at this age?
(10:10):
Or, you know, do I still got it?
Uh, that sort of thing and uh,yeah, so it's very interesting
it's, it's it's lovely how it itworks together and how some of
those pieces that, um, you know,you hopefully will have a lot
of empathy for Don Giovanni, donPasquale, and you know, because
(10:33):
he just is struggling with thatand realizes that his life is
basically over at some points.
Michael Jones (10:39):
Okay, well, that's good, and don't
mistakenly sing Mozart whenyou're there, because that would
.
So you talk about how beautifulthe costume is.
Have you, uh, the this the showis?
Have you had costume fittings?
John Fanning (10:53):
yes, I had one last night and, uh, my shoes are
killer.
Michael Jones (10:58):
They're uh like three-tone, they're fantastic uh
so we should have worn calgaryopera to watch out for your
shoes, which means they, they'regoing home.
John Fanning (11:11):
But all the costumes are just great and the
you know the hairstyles andLucia looks terrific and with
what they've done, we did somephotos and movies and things
earlier on which will be part ofthe production.
I'm still waiting to see howthat all works and so that's
interesting.
But no, it's.
Every costume I've seen arereal slick.
You know it's.
The suits are be part of theproduction.
(11:31):
I'm still waiting to see howthat all works.
That's interesting.
Every costume I've seen arereal slick.
The suits are beautiful for theguys.
It's going to be great.
Michael Jones (11:37):
The set.
Have you seen anything yet orother than models and sketching?
John Fanning (11:41):
Not really.
We're still in the rehearsalhall for a couple of days.
It looks very, very interesting, for sure.
Michael Jones (11:50):
Wonderful.
You talked about the idea ofyou're looking at Don Pasquale
as a person who's wondering ifhe still has it, if he still is
relevant.
So is that?
Does that feel like you at all,as you're going back to work
that you haven't done for anumber of years?
John Fanning (12:11):
Yeah, I think you know.
So I've gone also, even when Iwas still singing, you know,
into my 50s or whatever, and allthese young artists coming up
behind you know, not justbaritones, and it's like wow,
that's amazing, you know, andthat whole thing that's an
interesting thing about aginglike wow, that's amazing, you
know, and that whole thingthat's an interesting thing
about aging for me is theperspective's terrific, you know
(12:34):
, to look back and sort of go,okay, so that's what that meant,
or whatever, the aches andpains not so much, but you know,
to see how things do change,and you thought, okay, that's
what that person told me andthat's what meant, or that's
what I, you know how I shouldhave behaved and I didn't, or
whatever it might be, and, um,yeah, so that's very, very
(12:54):
interesting oh, that's no.
Michael Jones (12:56):
that sounds like it will bring something of you
to to a role, to a role that'soften just a broad comedic
takedown of the I hope so Good.
Well, that sounds really quitewonderful.
And so this production opens atthe beginning of February, is
(13:17):
that right?
John Fanning (13:18):
Beginning of June, I think yeah.
Michael Jones (13:20):
So go visit calgaryoperacom to get tickets.
It sounds like a reallywonderful production of Don
Pasquale.
Are you happy with how you'resinging?
John Fanning (13:31):
Yeah, for the most part.
I mean it's so busy right nowthat I'm a little bit rough and
we're working until now at 10 atnight and then getting back up
in the morning.
So yeah, I wish I had aboutthree days off to let it all
come back.
So maybe a little more markingin the next couple of days, that
sort of thing.
But yeah, we've got a day offcoming up and I'll probably be
(13:52):
very quiet and that sort ofthing.
But in general, no, I wasduring the year.
I was pretty happy with howthings were going, so I felt
confident about the voice.
Michael Jones (14:02):
Well, that's wonderful.
So is there something that's upnext for you?
Do so is there something that'sup next for you.
Do you have plans at this point?
John Fanning (14:15):
I go home and have a concert pardon me whether you
can share them or not.
Yeah, yeah, no, I have aconcert just about right after
this of, um, of songs, of lovesongs, for sort of valentine's
day, and uh, I'm doing that withariana chris and uh, so that'll
be a lot of fun.
Michael Jones (14:29):
And then, no, no plans to get back on the stage,
and I think you know this willhopefully be a lovely way to
sign off or not, because Ialways talk about retirement for
artists in Canada reallymeaning that we might take fewer
gigs but we get to pick andchoose the ones that sound
(14:49):
really fun to us.
Yeah, really meaning that wemight take fewer gigs but we get
to pick and choose the onesthat sound really fun to us.
John Fanning (14:52):
Yeah, there's that , and I you know when I say I
haven't really sung in that I'vedone a couple of you know sort
of small recitals, that sort ofthing, and you know an evening
here or there, but in generalpretty quiet.
Michael Jones (15:06):
Well, and you must have somehow kept the
breath moving through theinstrument to be able to pick it
up again as readily as you have.
John Fanning (15:14):
Yeah, yeah, as I say, this year was quite a bit
of singing and just trying toget some flexibility back, still
looking for some of that andsome of the other things one
does.
But what's interesting to mewith this and and in doing this
role is that, you know, I sangold guys and I sang a lot of uh
comedies, uh, over the years.
(15:36):
But I sang, you know, thingslike danilo or um and uh, mary
widow or um, you know, pirateking and those sorts of things
which, uh, they still had youhigh notes or whatever, and were
different from this.
Whereas and I sang old guys inmy 20s, I was a father of, you
(16:00):
know, 30 year old tenor when Iwas 22, or whatever it was you
know, and so that was one thingI wanted to look at and that was
one of the things that madethis so interesting is that, now
that I am a guy that's in myseventies, uh, uh, if that's not
a secret uh, it's interestingto play a guy that says for a
guy in his seventies, you know,uh.
Michael Jones (16:18):
Wow, I would not have guessed that you were in
your 70s, so great complimentsto whoever's doing your work.
John Fanning (16:25):
Well, what little kids would say I'm probably 70
and a half.
Michael Jones (16:30):
Okay, so you're in your 70s, but it's a barely
thing.
Where's your recital of LoveSongs?
John Fanning (16:44):
songs.
It's in ancaster, uh yeah, andit's a.
There's a new theater therewhich I haven't seen yet.
I haven't been in, uh, andthey've um done that, and so,
yeah, that'll be um february11th actually, so which is an
easy commute for people in thegta area.
Michael Jones (16:57):
So there you go.
Should check that out and comedown to hear you sing thank you
for asking, asking.
There's no plans right now, sothat we can't tease that
audiences in other Canadiancities might hope to get that
opportunity to hear you.
John Fanning (17:12):
No, I think I've got a feeling this is it.
I think my wife has a feelingthat this is it.
I think she'll be happy for meto get home hopefully.
Michael Jones (17:21):
She'll be happy to have you take over some of
the driving duty again.
Well, it has been a realpleasure to talk with you, john.
I am so thrilled to get to meetyou.
I wish you and the other, johnand Lucia and Phil all the best
with your opening toy, toy toy,and I hope that we will get more
(17:44):
opportunities to hear you.
I think what I will go withwhat mature artists have to
bring to their craft, to theirunderstanding of roles, is
really important and as long asyou are healthy, I think opera
companies in Canada should beencouraged to keep pulling you
out of retirement.
John Fanning (18:03):
Well, you're very kind, I appreciate it and it's
been lovely talking to you,michael, thank you, thank you so
much.
Michael Jones (18:11):
Once again it's been Michael Jones for Opera
Glasses podcast.
We've been speaking today toJohn Fanning.
We'll be back in a couple, inprobably about four to six weeks
, with another interview.
The next one up, I believe, isCheryl Hickman from Opera on the
Avalon in Newfoundland.
So please thank you for joiningus today and join us again.
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