Toronto composer Njo Kong Kie and librettist Douglas Rodger have teamed up for a digital opera venture titled The Futures Market.
With music composed by Njo Kong Kie and Douglas Rodger’s libretto, the opera options performers Teiya Kasahara, Derek Kwan (who additionally serves as dramaturg), Keith Lam and Wesley Hui, together with sound engineer Brandon Wells, and videography by Blake Hannahson. The episodes have been filmed at Toronto’s Citadel Theatre and Array Music Studio.
The Futures Market was authentic launched in episodic format, with new episodes dropping every weekday between November 17 and December 4.
LV caught up with Njo Kong Kie and Douglas Rodger to speak concerning the opera sequence.
Douglas Rodger
Douglas Rodger is a veteran of the theatre scene, having spent a half century in numerous roles that embrace playwright — notably, How Might You Mrs. Dick — dramaturg, librettist, and screenplay author, together with episodes for ABC, CBC, and International, in addition to characteristic movies. He’s labored with Theatre Terra Nova, Phoenix Theatre, NDWT Firm, Actor’s Lab, Theatre Passe Muraille, The Evelyn Group, Theatre Aquarius, amongst others. As a librettist, he’s collaborated beforehand with composer Njo Kong Kie on the one act opera Shattered Glass, which premiered at Buddies in Dangerous Occasions theatre.
Njo Kong Kie
Toronto primarily based Njo Kong Kie (Music Picnic) is a composer, pianist, and creator of musical theatre tasks. His works embrace the comedian opera knotty collectively (with Anna Chatterton) which premiered at SummerWorks, Picnic within the Cemetery, a concert-theatre work that premiered at Canadian Stage, the play with music The Yr of the Cello (with Marjorie Chan) which premiered at Theatre Passe Muraille, and the musical theatre work Mr. Shi and His Lover (with Wong Teng Chi), amongst others. He’s composed music for dance for Aszure Batron (Nederlands Dans Theater, Hubbard Road Dance Chicago), Shawn Hounsell (Ballet BC), and for Anne Plamondon, in addition to collaborating on many theatrical tasks.
Njo Kong Kie and Douglas Rodger: The Interview
“It’s principally a product of the pandemic, actually,” Kie begins. As he describes it, The Futures Market took form in suits and begins due to the lockdowns. “We form of put it apart.”
The pandemic, nevertheless, did supply a method ahead.
“Through the pandemic alternatives got here up for on-line tasks,” Kie explains. “Finally, we have been profitable in getting some funding.”
After they thought-about methods to disseminate the completed venture, the duo got here up with the thought of releasing it in a sequence of episodes somewhat than a single full size opera. It required a considerably completely different strategy to the writing.
“We’re going to have completely different episodes, and we are able to play with the strategies,” Kie says. That meant issues like taking part in with time shifts within the story, and withholding data from the viewers at particular factors.
Rodgers talks of the “stacks of drafts” that he wrote. “Within the numerous phases […] it was a lot larger, with many extra characters concerned,” he says. Boiling it all the way down to what was doable created the ultimate end result. “It’s at all times the artwork of the doable.”
The story was condensed to 4 characters, and the main points that have been essential to protect the essence of the story. Their strategy was just like that of making a 3 act opera, however with extra time to develop themes and different parts.
“That created different points that have been difficult,” Douglas says. “You’re actually reliant on the textual content. There’s no shortcut to telling sure issues,” Rodgers provides.
The Benefit of Episodes
“I appreciated the format, and I additionally like the power to supply one thing […] primarily for individuals who don’t like or know opera,” Douglas says.
The episodic launch permits individuals to attempt the medium out, after which ideally change into engrossed sufficient within the story to proceed. “I really feel like this can be a essential stage,” Rodgers provides.
Njo notes that, whereas a staged model isn’t deliberate for the time being, they each see the streaming venture as a stepping stone. He additionally factors out that Dean Burry’s Child Child Kintyre, which was not too long ago staged as half of the Glenn Gould Faculty’s fall 2025 double invoice, started its life as a CBC fee and a radio serial opera and CD again in 2007.
A digital work accessible on YouTube additionally makes it accessible to make use of once they wish to contact producers and presenters.
Douglas’ background got here in helpful. “I really wrote radio drama,” he says. He recollects submitting scripts for consideration again within the days when radio stations commissioned such works. “You by no means knew whether or not anybody was going to learn it,” he says. “I really feel like that is an attention-grabbing improvement.”
On-line, anybody can discover it, and social media can lengthen its attain indefinitely.
“It is going to be on the market for fairly a while,” Kie notes.
Rodgers says that, on a current journey to Berlin, he was in a position to introduce it to a variety of individuals through the online.
Collaboration
Vocalists Teiya Kasahara, Derek Kwan, Keith Lam and Wesley Hui did greater than present up for shoots. “They’ve been very supportive, [with] a variety of engagement,” Kie says. “We have been form of writing as we go.”
The tight filming schedule throughout a busy season for performers meant handing them scores on the fly. Njo acted as vocal coach and music director in addition to composing the music. “They actually have been dedicated.”
Douglas provides, “Truthfully, I’ve to say that should you’re a playwright, or on this case writing as a librettist, working with the performers and being the room and listening — you’re in a position to repair your errors,” he laughs. “We’ve managed to make a variety of enhancements simply via the method of rehearsal.”
“As I’m writing, I already knew their voices,” Kie says. That meant having the ability to spotlight their particular person strengths. “We’ve got a very good rapport.”
The creators additionally took their recommendation. “We additionally ended up working fairly extensively with […] Derek,” Kie says. Derek Kwan, an actor and singer, ended up as dramaturg. “He’s very versatile in all types of media.”
He was in a position to recommendation Rodgers and Kie on utilizing the musical from for storytelling functions, in addition to operatic strategies.
“It’s fairly transformative by way of how we considered construction and readability, and the textual content, and ship what we have been aiming for,” Njo says.
Douglas factors out that he doesn’t have an educational background in music. Derek’s encyclopedic data of opera proved greater than helpful. ”These sorts of leads have been very invaluable to me. It allowed me to open up the potential of what this artwork type can do.”
The Story
“There may be undoubtedly a romantic relationship there, however in all probability within the sense of it being properly established,” Rodgers says of the story.
It’s primarily a couple of girl who’s making an attempt to avoid wasting the lifetime of her husband through an organ transplant.
“What lengths would we go to to avoid wasting our life, and the life of somebody we love?” Rodgers says.
“I’m a part of a really privileged demographic on this world,” Douglas notes. He’s acutely aware of the good inequality that exists on the subject of the commerce of human organs globally. “Initially it started as extra of an exposé,” he provides. “I grew to become extra within the ethical dilemma. “
The setting of the story was modified a number of occasions throughout improvement, and ended up at some extent not too far into the long run.
“It’s perhaps not what’s occurring now,” Rodgers provides. “It’s extra concerning the ethical dimensions of the characters and the dilemmas of them.”
Kieadds, “Additionally, we intentionally set in in a location that’s someplace close to by.” The occasions within the story, although, have already taken place elsewhere. It’s primarily based on tales of human organ trafficking which have already taken place.
“We think about the story that’s nearer to dwelling,” Njo says. Finally, it’s a human story. “It’s not meant as an exposé; it’s a narrative taking a look at our implications in that setting.We simply wished to inform a very good story.”
It leaves room for the viewers to attract their very own takes on the problems concerned.
The Street to Opera
Rodgers labored in Hamilton for years. That’s the place he wrote How Might You Mrs. Dick? — a stage play concerning the notorious 1946 homicide in that metropolis. “I began working in opera as a stage hand in Hamilton when there was an opera firm,” he says.
Kie notes that the 2 met as members in Tapestry Opera’s opera creation program. “We met as a result of we did LIBLAB with Tapestry,” he explains.
In the long run, creating opera has to come back from a spot of creative — somewhat than materials — satisfaction.
“I do suppose that the method, it actually must be the reward,” Rodgers says.
- In addition to on YouTube, you will discover your entire 14 episode opera sequence [HERE].
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Anya Wassenberg is the Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. Beforehand, she was a contract author with a specialty in tradition and journey for 3 a long time, and a inventive writing teacher for Ontariolearn.
