Measha Brueggergosman-Lee on her deliciously devilish turn in ‘Dido and Aeneas,’ as Opera Atelier returns home to the Elgin Theatre

Measha Brueggergosman-Lee could not play two characters more diametrically opposed in one year.

Last fall, she was glorious light personified as a luminous archangel in Opera Atelier’s filmed production of “Angel.” This week, the Canadian soprano takes on one of the most deliciously devilish roles in baroque opera.

Brueggergosman-Lee stars as the maniacal Sorceress in Henry Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas,” which runs from Oct. 20 to 23 and is the first Opera Atelier production back at the Elgin Theatre in more than three years.

The baroque opera, with a libretto by Nahum Tate, is one of the most recognized productions in Opera Atelier’s repertoire, having toured across the world to international acclaim. Directed by Marshall Pynkoski and choreographed by Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg, it returns to Toronto for the fourth time since premiering more than three decades ago.

This iteration of the production, however, marks Brueggergosman-Lee’s debut in the role of the Sorceress, a character the Juno Award-winning singer says is “incredibly significant” to her.

“It’s a role I never thought I’d be able to play in my career,” she said in an interview with The Star. The Sorceress, as written by Purcell, is traditionally sung by a mezzo-soprano; Brueggergosman-Lee, however, is a soprano. For this production, the Sorceress’s lines have been transposed up to sit within Brueggergosman-Lee’s vocal range.

“Measha’s voice is dark and deep and it sounds so beautiful,” said Pynkoski, on why he tapped her for the role. “She has this wild over-the-top ability, where she’s not nervous of taking stuff right out of the ballpark.”

Purcell’s 17th-century English opera is based on the love story between Dido, the Queen of Carthage, and the Trojan hero Aeneas from Virgil’s epic poem, “Aeneid.” The wicked Sorceress, who plots to destroy Carthage and the two lovers, doesn’t appear in the original poem but is the primary nemesis in the opera, leading a band of malevolent witches.

Brueggergosman-Lee says she relishes the chance to play the “bad guy” in opera.

“I like to think that in my actual life I try my best to play the good guy. So, it’s always a fun day at work to show up and just be the person who takes true pleasure in being as evil as possible,” she said. “She’s not even trying to be nice, wounded by anything or acting on revenge. She’s just like, ‘Guys, evil is fun and these people are too happy.’”

This production of “Dido and Aeneas” signifies a homecoming of sorts for Opera Atelier. It has been more than three years since the company last performed at the Elgin Theatre. Before the pandemic, Opera Atelier took up residence at the Ed Mirvish Theatre and Koerner Hall for several productions while the Mirvish production of “Come From Away” was playing at the Elgin Theatre in 2019.

(Looking ahead, Pynkoski says the Elgin Theatre will continue to serve as its primary home, but Koerner Hall will be used occasionally for productions that do not fit particularly well onto a proscenium stage. He added that audiences can also expect the company to produce more works specifically for the screen, following successful filmed productions of “Angel” and Handel’s “The Resurrection” during the pandemic.)

It’s fitting, Pynkoski and Lajeunesse Zingg note, that the company’s first production back at the Elgin Theatre is “Dido and Aeneas.” If the company has a signature production, Purcell opera is it. The baroque piece is the first opera staged by the company in 1989. It’s since toured Europe, Asia and across North America.

Lajeunesse Zingg credits the opera’s enduring popularity to its broad appeal and accessibility. “I never tire of it. We’ve done it so many times, but it feels fresh for us every time because it’s a real gem,” she said, adding that because it runs about an hour long and is sung in English, the opera is a great first production for young audiences.

Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of this production, Pynkoski said, is sharing it with schoolchildren, many of whom have an opportunity to interact with artists like Brueggergosman-Lee in a workshop setting through Opera Atelier’s Making of an Opera program, which culminates with a viewing of a live performance.

Brueggergosman-Lee agrees that interacting with these children is one of the highlights of the entire process: “I love to call them the young’uns. And be it over Zoom or in person, they are just so enthusiastic and desperate to engage. That to me is the most rewarding aspect of this journey.”

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