Lizzy is open for love, but first? Coffee. Specifically iced coffee. A bit of an entitled nepo-baby, Lizzy is extremely caffeinated and ready to fight for her frappuccino. Her dad, Schlendrian, is more of an old-school black coffee kind of guy. Will Lizzy give up her favourite beverage in order to inherit the family café? Gay4Nature Collective is pleased to present a revised and whimsical production of Bach’s charming 30-minute opera about a daughter and father who cannot agree on coffee, and the lengths Lizzy is willing to go to for her favourite beverage! Funded by the City of Victoria’s Music Strategy Grant, and supported by Oak Bay United Church, this is Gay4Nature’s first live touring production. Translated from German and plot restructured by the performers - this is not Bach for purists!
About G4N: Gay4Nature Collective is a creative music collective dedicated to the amplification of community connection and queer joy, and advocacy for nature at the intersection of sound, movement, and drama. Drawing on tools like Western classical music, contemporary dance, theatre, and film, founders Anna Bigland-Pritchard and Alex Chen assemble teams of innovative artists to grapple with experiences of climate crisis, queer love, friendship, and finding a way forward in a fraught modern world.
FEATURING
Anna Bigland-Pritchard, soprano | Lizzy
Alex Chen, baritone | Schlendrian (Dad)
Tim Carter, tenor | Narrator
Perri Lo | Pianist & Music Director
Loreto Espinoza | Director
“The Coffee Cantata is so wonderfully silly! We tend to imagine classical composers as very serious individuals, but they weren’t above splitting hairs about a beverage order. The music is still delectably Bach, but with the shared joys of everyday life that modern audiences can relate to.” - Alex Chen (co-producer, singer)
“I think there’s so much fabulous classical music about stupid nonsensical things, and this fits the bill perfectly! Creating tremendous drama over not being able to drink coffee is also something I deeply relate to. I think people should see the show because the juxtaposition of Bach’s elevated musical style paired with such banal content makes for a hilarious combination.” - Tim Carter (tenor)
“If you are a mortal like me, you haven't had many opportunities to experience classical music live and even less inside a coffee shop! It is such a unique, almost surreal event and It's an excellent way to bring this high art form to a quotidian place.” - Loreto Espinoza (director)
“Site-specific performances are the best way to fully immerse yourself into the show! Bach's Coffee Cantata shows a more humorous side of him that people may not know considering the amount of sacred music he is known for.” - Perri Lo (pianist)
“Bach’s Coffee Cantata may have been first performed in the 1600s, but it’s still extremely delightful today. With an english and queered translation, this 30-minute production is designed to be accessible and enjoyable for anyone who loves playful music, queer joy, and… coffee!” - Anna Bigland-Pritchard (co-producer, soprano)