Pi Theatre premieres spaghetti western–inspired song cycle Blue Horse Opera, September 19 to 21

Performance stars creator Rick Maddocks alongside flamenco dancer Maria Avila, soprano vocalist Dory Hayley, and talented musicians

Pi Theatre is set to present the live debut of Blue Horse Opera, a visionary song cycle by acclaimed Canadian artist Rick Maddocks. This unique performance will take place from September 19 to 20 at Vancouver Opera’s Martha Lou Henley Rehearsal Hall and on September 21 at the VIFF Centre as part of VIFF Live.

Blue Horse Opera is a bold fusion of indie, folk, classical music, and dance, drawing inspiration from the climate emergency and the cinematic landscapes of spaghetti westerns. Maddocks, known for his evocative storytelling and musical innovation, will perform this original song cycle accompanied by some of Vancouver’s finest musicians and dancers.

The production features a rich and eccentric musical palette, including twangy guitar, soprano vocals, trumpet, and flamenco dance, all seamlessly interwoven through a lyrical narrative that explores both environmental and emotional depths. This performance marks the first live rendition of the Blue Horse Opera record, which is celebrating its release this year.

The upcoming Pi Theatre show will star Maddocks as vocalist and acoustic guitarist alongside flamenco dancer Maria Avila, soprano vocalist Dory Hayley, trumpeter JP Carter, keyboardist Tyson Naylor, drummer Stephen Lyons, bassist James Meger, and electric and lap steel guitarist Jon Wood.

Maddocks’s work bridges music, fiction, and stage performance. He wrote and performed in the experimental opera The Meal, which premiered at the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, was restaged at Pacific Theatre, and was later released as an independent album. Other projects include Cabalcor: An Extracted History, a multimedia novel-album combo created with the interdisciplinary group Sun Belt. His previous recordings include the albums El Ángel Exterminator and 01 with The Beige. The sprawling 17-track Blue Horse Opera is his latest project.

Blue Horse Opera is part of Pi Theatre’s Provocateurs performance series, and the show on September 19 is presented in collaboration with Vancouver Opera’s VOICES series. The Provocateurs series is dedicated to expanding the traditional definitions of genre, bringing powerful events that use art to explore a range of questions, styles, and themes. Blue Horse Opera is a testament to this mission, promising an unforgettable night of music and storytelling.

To purchase tickets and learn more about the production, visit Pi Theatre.

Post sponsored by Pi Theatre.

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