
Dragon’s Tale
World premiere
Composed by Chan Ka Nin | Libretto by Mark Brownell | Directed by Michael Hidetoshi Mori | Music Direction by David Fallis
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Performed on Toronto’s waterfront, Dragon’s Tale celebrates the origin of Dragon Boat racing.
Dragon’s Tale dives into the rich and sometimes tense dynamics of first and second-generation immigrants, exploring the fable of Chinese poet Qu Yuan as a foil to the journey of a young Chinese-Canadian woman Xiao Liang and her ailing father. Undeniably, Dragon’s Tale bursts with soaring music, song and storytelling, spanning continents and generations.
Trigger warning: death by suicide.
Created by the world-renowned team behind Tapestry Opera’s smash-hit Iron Road, composer Chan Ka Nin, one of Canada’s most accomplished Chinese-Canadian composers, and award-winning playwright and librettist Mark Brownell. Directed by Tapestry Opera’s Artistic Director, Michael Hidetoshi Mori, with Musical Direction by David Fallis.
All seating is general admission. Please arrive 15-30 minutes before the performance for the best seats. Additionally, all performances are at Harbourfront Centre Concert Stage. Please allow additional time to reach the venue. This is a free outdoor public performance on Toronto’s waterfront; please dress for the weather and bring layers for cooler evenings next to the water.
Relaxed Performance Information
Relaxed Performances are open to everyone, but the environment has been specifically adapted for those who are neurodivergent and may experience sensory sensitivities, folks with communication or learning disabilities, and people who would benefit from a more relaxed theatre environment. During a Relaxed Performance, patrons are free to enter and exit the theatre, use fidget toys, make noise or vocalize, stand up and move about the space as needed, and use their phones. Some technical elements, including lighting and sound, have been adjusted for this performance. An Access Table will be available onsite with Relaxed Performance Consultants Emily Maxwell and Ali Hand, who will also have fidget toys and earplugs for patrons who may need them.
Accessible tickets can be booked using the Luminato Access Concierge service by emailing Emily Maxwell at emaxwell@luminato.com or by phone at (437) 776-1569.

Getting to Harbourfront Centre Concert Stage
TTC
509 Harbourfront streetcars run between Union and Exhibition. 510 Spadina streetcars run between Spadina and Union. Exit your streetcar at the Harbourfront Centre stop. Subway: Head southbound on the Yonge-University Line to Union Station.
Car
Underground parking is available on-site at 235 Queens Quay West or above-ground one block west at Rees Street and Queens Quay West. Motorists exiting from the new off-ramp MAY make a right turn and travel south on Lower Simcoe Street. There is NO TURN on Lake Shore Boulevard for travel south on Lower Simcoe Street. Motorists travelling WESTBOUND on Queens Quay West MAY make a left turn at Lower Simcoe Street into our site. Please note the advance left turn signal light. Motorists travelling EASTBOUND on Queens Quay West MAY NOT make a right turn into our site.
Bike
Ride the Martin Goodman Trail or take any street between Bathurst and Parliament, travelling south to Queens Quay West and bike along the water for the most scenic route. Bike parking is available.
Walk
Head South down York Street from Union Station. Take a right on Queens Quay West for about two minutes, and Harbourfront Centre will be on your left at 235 Queens Quay West. Or The PATH provides a direct route south to Queens Quay West.
Soundstreams Choir 21
Founded in 2010 by Soundstreams’ Artistic Director Lawrence Cherney, Soundstreams Choir 21 is a pre-eminent group of exceptional singers selected on a project basis by Music Director David Fallis. Soundstreams Choir 21 members are handpicked for their ability to perform contemporary choral music. They are drawn from a pool of professional choristers, including the Canadian Opera Company Chorus, Tafelmusik Choir, and The Elmer Iseler Singers. The choir appears in Soundstreams’ concerts under David Fallis and with renowned guest conductors such as James MacMillan, Tõnu Kaljuste and Péter Eötvös. Soundstreams Choir 21 has performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and for the Toronto International Film Festival, Art of Time, and Continuum. Soundstreams Choir 21 is committed to the highest possible standards for the performance of compelling new choral music in the 21st century.
Ensemble Soundstreams
Soundstreams has no permanent ensemble but has worked for more than twenty years with a nucleus group of some of Toronto and Canada’s finest instrumentalists assembled by the excellent cellist David Hetherington. As with Soundstreams Choir 21, they have appeared under esteemed international conductors of the stature of James MacMillan, Tõnu Kaljuste and Péter Eötvös. Ensemble Soundstreams made its first international tour to the Beijing Modern Music Festival and Taiwan’s National Concert Hall in 2013, returning to China in 2018 at the invitation of the Shanghai New Music Festival.
Cultural Media Partner

Fête Chinoise is a cultural platform that aims to empower individuals to deepen the connection between identity and Chinese culture. Through a curated lens and critical thinking, they present meaningful stories, artful experiences, and inspiring products and editorial content. Their mission is to move culture forward, through compelling editorial and design work surrounding the arts, tradition, lifestyle and community which are areas in the Chinese-Canadian community that suffer from the lack of representation and high-quality presentation.
Fête Chinoise Magazine has consistently been recognized for its exceptional work. Fête Chinoise Edition No. 7 has recently won the Gold Award for Best Feel Good Story, the Silver Award for Best Multicultural Story and Top 10 stories overall by The Canadian Online Publishing Awards (COPAs 2022).
Artwork by Gracia Lam
Co-produced with Soundstreams
Presented by Luminato Festival Toronto and realized in partnership with Harbourfront Centre
Concert Stage, Harbourfront Centre
235 Queens Quay W, Toronto, ON M5J 2G8
- Talkback
- Relaxed Performance
90 minutes, no intermission
Creators

Chan Ka Nin
Composer
Mark Brownell
Librettist
Michael Hidetoshi Mori
Director
David Fallis
Music DirectorCast

Alicia Ault
Xiao Lian
Evanna Lai
Mom / Zhang Yi / Villager / Female Friend (Cover)
Mishael Eusebio
King / Male Friend
Todd Jang
Qu Yuan / Father
Grace Lee
Chorus (Soprano)
Alyssa Nicole Samson
Chorus / Female Friend (Mezzo)
Mike Fan 范祖铭
Chorus (Tenor)
Keith Lam
Chorus (Baritone)Creative Team

郝邦 宇Steven Hao
Assistant Director
Naomi Woo
Associate Conductor, Women In Musical Leadership Program
Jackie Chau
Set & Costume Designer
Echo Zhou 周芷會
Lighting Designer
Lawrence Cherney
Soundstreams’ Artistic Director
Charissa Wilcox
Production Manager
Myra A. Malley
Stage Manager
Rachel More
Assistant Stage Manager
David Hoekstra
Head of Props
Ellie Koffman
Head of Wardrobe
Hyejin Kwon
Répétiteur
Stéphane Mayer
Répétiteur 2
Patrick Iun
SurtitlistEnsemble Soundstreams

Patty Chan
Erhu
Wen Zhao
Pipa
ZiWen Cynthia Qin
Guzheng
Leslie Allt
Flute / Dizi
Colin Maier
Oboe
Dominic Desautels
Clarinet
Zsofia Stefan
Bassoon
Olivia Esther
Horn
Anita McAlister
Trumpet
Ian Cowie
Trombone
Michael Murphy
Percussion
Michelle Colton
Percussion
Andréa Tyniec
Violin I (Concertmaster)
Suhashini Arulanandam
Violin II
Jody Davenport
Viola
David Hetherington
Cello
Sanya Eng
Harp
Travis Harrison
Double BassSoundstreams Choir 21
- Clara Krausse: Soprano
- Anika Venkatesh: Mezzo-Soprano
- Claudia Lemcke: Mezzo-Soprano
- Benjamin Keast: Tenor
- Robert Busiakiewicz : Tenor
- Jacob Feldman: Baritone
- Bryan Martin: Baritone