Hi! Our names are Michaela Chiste & Daniela Agostino, and we are the producer's of the City Workers in Love project!

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

This project is a new, artist-led production of Neil Weisensel and Michael Cavanagh's beloved Canadian operas, City Workers in Love and Gisela in Her Bathtub, to take place in London, Ontario in January of 2026. The aim of this production is to honour the life of the opera's librettist, Michael Cavanagh.

The text for these operas was penned by longtime resident of London, ON, Michael Cavanagh, who was a prominent figure in the opera community locally, nationally, and internationally. He taught at the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University, but also served as Artistic Director for the Royal Swedish Opera near the end of his life, and was highly sought-after as a freelance opera director with a career spanning decades and earning many accolades across the globe. Not only was Michael an outstanding example of a Canadian artist in the opera sector, but he was also exceptionally kind-hearted, generous, and sincere. Michael played a huge role in impacting the development of countless emerging opera artists, and supporting the next generation of artists was deeply important to him.

The goal of this production is to honour the life of a man who impacted so many people, and to keep his memory present in the classical music community in London. It is also to celebrate the talents of Canadian opera artists and provide for them an excellent opportunity to sing in a pair of joyful, hilarious, English-language operas, all while paying them at industry standards. In the spirit of training emerging artists, we are also accepting a handful of current students at the Don Wright Faculty of Music to sing in the chorus for the opera and will pay them an honorarium to support their studies whilst receiving mentorship from the professional singers in the principal roles, and the world class creative team we have on board for this project.

ABOUT THE OPERAS:

City Workers in Love:

City Workers In Love is a one-act comic opera about a street repair work crew and their pursuits of love and public service during a typical day. An innocent prank backfires and they must overcome bureaucratic and romantic obstacles to find true municipal happiness.

Gisela in her Bathtub:

Gisela in Her Bathtub is a comic chamber opera that tells the story of a woman who reads an historical romance novel in the tub while the characters enact the story around her in grandiose style. Continual irritations and interruptions eventually lead the frustrated characters to take matters into their own hands.

Why Support Us?!

We have been extremely fortunate to receive partial funding from Canada Council for the Arts to present this production. However, this grant alone will not cover the costs of producing the operas. From paying artists, to acquiring rehearsal spaces, to renting and purchasing costumes and props, this project is a huge undertaking, and we can’t do it alone. Any help is deeply appreciated!