Leading opera director at helm of 'Into the Woods'
Published on 20 July, 2009
Leading opera director John Wregg* is at the helm of the popular Steven Sondheim/James Lapine musical Into the Woods, to be presented in Mackay by CQUniversity's Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music (August 6-8).
It is a return to Mackay for Wregg, who has previously directed the musicals Closer Than Ever and Cinderella for the CQ Conservatorium.
Tickets via the Entertainment Centre: http://www.mackayentertainment.com.au/whats_on/this_month/cqcm-into_the_woods or email mec.boxoffice@mackay.qld.gov.au.
John Wregg * John Wregg is one of Australia's most experienced and versatile opera directors.
A graduate in law at Melbourne University, he worked as an actor, theatre designer and director in Australia before spending 2 years in Italy in the film industry.
From 1981-1996 he was a Resident Director with Opera Australia. He was also artistic director of Sydney Metropolitan Opera from 1989 to 1997 and Founding Director of the School of Performing Arts, UCOL, Palmerston North in New Zealand.
Most recently, John has revived Lucia di Lammermoor for Opera Australia, Un Ballo in Maschera, Lucia di Lammermoor for Opera Queensland, Un Ballo in Maschera for State Opera of South Australia, directed the Andrew Schultz cantata Journey to Horseshoe Bend for Sydney Symphony, Madama Butterfly for Simply Opera at Parramatta Riverside Theatres, L'Elisir d'amore at the Galati Opera Theatre, Romania, and directed new productions of La Forza del Destino, Suor Angelica and Pagliacci for Canterbury Opera.
A past winner of the Opera Foundation Bayreuth Scholarship, John has adjudicated for the Shell/Covent Garden Scholarship, and the singing competitions in Pisa, Montagnano, Italy and Galati, Romania.
Currently John is developing a new opera Pan Jinlian with libretto by Linda Jaivin in a co-production with the National Peking Opera Company of China.