International Symphony Orchestra
 

2009/2010 Season “Sounds Spectacular”
to open with

“Primadonna Returns”
Featuring the Magnificent “Mary Lou Fallis”

The International Symphony Orchestra will open its 2009/2010 Season, “Sounds Spectacular”, with North America’s uproariously funny “Queen of the High C’s”, the incomparable, Mary Lou Fallis.  Ms. Fallis and orchestra will serve up a side-splitting smorgasbord of the soprano’s greatest hits; both familiar, and delightfully outrageous.  Repertoire will include: selections by Rossini; favourites from Sarah Binks Songbook by John Greer (Elegy for a Calf, Ode to the Chore); and works reflecting on significant historical events, such as, Snow Shoe Tramp, Oh, What a difference since the Hydro Came, and Have Courage My Boy to Say No!

Under the baton of popular returning International Symphony Orchestra Maestro, Jerome David Summers, performances will take place on Friday, September 25^th, 7:30 p.m., Imperial Theatre, Sarnia and on September 26^th, 7:30 p.m., McMorran Theatre, Port Huron.

Soprano, teacher, comedian, and writer, Mary Lou Fallis received her B MUS (Toronto) in 1970, and her M MUS (Toronto), 1972. Taught voice and piano first by her grandmother, choral conductor Jennie Bouck, she made her operatic debut at 15 in a CBC-TV production of The Magic Flute. She studied with Irene Jessner 1966-70 and Maureen Forrester, 1970-2 at the University of Toronto, and with Bernard Diamant privately, beginning in 1971. She won the CBC Talent Festival in 1973 and the Metropolitan Opera Regional Auditions in 1974. She was a member of the COC 1964-7 and in 1969, performing in numerous roles for lyric coloratura. She sang with the Toronto Symphony on many occasions (eg, in the Canadian premiere of Mahler's Symphony No. 8 in 1983), and also with other orchestras throughout Canada, and performed in recital, as a founding member of the Arioso Trio, as a member of Camerata, with whom she recorded, and with the Aldeburgh Connection.  At the request of Elyakim Taussig, Fallis (assisted by actor Heath Lamberts) created Primadonna, a one-woman concert theatre piece for the 1981 Stratford Summer Music. The success of this comic view of a singer's world, which garnered an ACTRA award, gave a new direction to her career. With Duncan McIntosh she next developed Emma, Queen of Song, based on Albani's career, for the 1984 Shaw Festival (where her accompanist was Carl Morey). She and McIntosh then wrote  The Mrs. Bach Show, first presented at the 1985 Edmonton TriBach Festival. In 1989 she was invited to present her shows at the Edinburgh Festival, and in 1990 she returned to Great Britain for a three-month tour. In 1991 she created The Madcap Adventures of Fräulein Mozart (Ms Mozart) for Toronto's Glory of Mozart festival. While frequently appearing in revivals of her comedic shows, Fallis also maintains a profile as a serious singer, with engagements including Bach's Magnificat with Tafelmusik, and as Polly Peachum in The Beggar's Opera in Edmonton. Later comic creations included Primadonna's First Farewell Tour, and for the Stratford Festival's 50th anniversary in 2002, Primadonna Does Shakespeare. Fallis's comedic ability led to her being called the successor to Anna Russell.

Mary Lou continues to perform with orchestra, and in recital format, throughout Canada and abroad.
She has enjoyed recent acclaim as a judge on the popular CBC series, “Bathroom Divas”.

The International Symphony Orchestra will also be heard on its own in works by Rossini, Copland, Grainger and Michael Conway Baker.

The Friday, September 25^th Season Opener is sponsored by Freedom 55 Financial, a division of London Life Insurance Company.

Admission is by subscription or individual tickets, which can be purchased at the Symphony Office,
225 Davis Street, Sarnia, and
McMorran Box Office, 700 McMorran Blvd., Port Huron
or by calling (519) 337-7775 or (810) 984-8857.
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Friday, September 25th, Imperial Theatre Sarnia -  Adult $27, Senior $24, Student $7 plus $3 theatre surcharge
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Saturday, September 26th, McMorran Theatre, Port Huron -  Adult $27, Senior $24, Student $7

The International Symphony Orchestra is also appreciative of Ontario Arts Council and Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs for making possible our 2009/2010 Season “Sounds Spectacular”.