Opera and a Pint comes to The Public Brewhouse for a sip of highbrow fun

Whether your taste runs to specialty craft beer or specialty craft music, it’s not necessary to go the big city anymore as the Flip Side Opera and Art Circle Collective is making the rounds of several rural communities this summer to bring “outside-the-box, inspiring musical experiences to Manitobans.”

Selecting the Public Brewhouse and Gallery as its venue for an inclusive and community-based performance, Aug. 21, marked the continuation of the company’s bringing opera to rural communities such as Steinbach and to building an audience with a thirst for something out of the ordinary.

“We have been doing this in Winnipeg; this is our ninth season doing it in Winnipeg at Little Brown Jug. And last year, we took it to Minnedosa for the first time,” said Lisa Rumpel, co-artistic director of Flipside Opera.

“Because we, Judy (Oatway, co-artistic director) and I who run Flipside, are both from rural areas and most of the people on our board are from rural areas as well, we didn’t have exposure to this type of stuff when we were growing up. It’s important to us to go out to those people … and some of the feedback we got in Minnedosa was they said it’s so nice they didn’t have to drive to see this,” said Rumpel.

Performer Joanna Loepp Thiesson, who like Oatway is an alumnus of the music program at the Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), is thrilled to be back in her home community of Steinbach and to be showcasing the performing arts throughout rural Manitoba.

“We’re doing selections from a bunch of different operas, and we’re bringing in a little bit of musical theater, a little bit of art songs. So, to make it a little bit more diverse and more accessible to some people that are newer to the genre we’ll be doing a wide array of languages: some stuff in English, German, French, Italian,” said Loepp Thiesson.

Glancing about the patio and at those assembled for the performance, Loepp Thiesson said, “I think the genre, it’s well represented and received in the Southeast. So, it’s terrific taste, in beverage and music … Especially if you sing a little in German around Steinbach and people eat it up.”

Those assembled at The Public’s patio for the show seem to bear out Loepp Thiesson’s belief.

Susie Dyck and Denise Peters are fans of the downtown Steinbach life and enjoy many of the summer activities like the Steinbach Arts Council’s (SAC) Concerts in the Park shows, and have brought along their favourite companion Delores, their pet poodle, to enjoy the performance.

“We heard about it, and we thought what better way to support a local event? I’ve often come for different music events here, and this is something different. Delores might even help out with the karaoke,” said Peters.

“We would have loved to have gone to these (types of) things I think when we were living in small towns, and not that Steinbach is that small anymore. It’s a pretty big city at this point, but it’s not where we do it that’s important … we just want to come to you. So, thank you so much for having us and coming out tonight,” said Oatway to the audience.

Further shows in the Opera by the Pint series are planned for other rural communities in the upcoming weeks and the tour will conclude Sept. 16 in Winnipeg at the Little Brown Jug patio. Performances are free to attend, but as in the opera Die Fledermaus, a pass the pitcher donation for the performers is always appreciated.