For Cara Lianne McLeod, the finale of her O Mio Puccini Caro tour at CKUA’s Performance Space on November 2 is more than just a final bow. As the acclaimed soprano reflects on this tour’s journey, she recalls the very first note that set everything into motion.
“We were looking through our text history the other day of our show, and it was January 31, 2024 — Emilio said he wanted to do something to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Puccini’s death.”
Working with her colleague, Emilio De Mercato, a coffee-fueled brainstorm was transformed into a full-blown, city-wide celebration of Puccini. From cozy brunches at Santa Maria Goretti Centre to the encore sold-out show at Ayco Cafe, each performance has drawn in audiences with a fresh twist on the classics.
Ending the tour at CKUA just makes sense, says Mcleod, because “they’ve been very supportive of us,” and now it’s her chance to return the favour. “With the precariousness of the station’s future, it’s more important than ever to support them,” she explains, adding that for each ticket sold, $7 goes to CKUA.
The cozy, intimate space will let her do what she does best — connect. “How [Emilio and I] perform is similar, but we really respond to whatever audience has been in front of us and try to make this as personal as possible,” she says. Whether she’s performing in a packed hall or someone’s living room, her goal remains the same: “to just really make sure that the audience feels that they’re in the experience.”
For the grand finale, the pair — will be joined by guest tenor Andrea Pinna — are pulling out all the stops. “Emilio has a new piano solo. I have a new aria, a new Puccini song, and then we have another duet,” she says of a November 2 night that will have all the drama and passion of Puccini himself, wrapped in the warmth of Edmonton’s local arts scene.
