Fallis, Mary Lou - The Canadian Encyclopedia

Mary Lou (Louise) Fallis. Soprano, teacher, comedian, writer, b Toronto 22 Apr 1948; B MUS (Toronto) 1970, M MUS (Toronto) 1972. Taught voice and piano first by her grandmother, choral conductor Jennie Bouck, she made her operatic debut at 15 in a CBC-TV production of The Magic Flute. As a young woman she sang in the St. George's Youth Choir under Lloyd Bradshaw, the Festival Singers of Canada, and other choral groups. She studied with Irene Jessner 1966-70 and Maureen Forrester 1970-2 at the University of Toronto, and with Bernard Diamant privately, beginning in 1971. She won the CBC Talent Festival in 1973 and the Metropolitan Opera Regional Auditions in 1974. She was a member of the COC 1964-7 and in 1969. Her operatic roles, mainly lyric-coloratura, included Gabrielle in La Vie parisienne and Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos at the 1974 and 1975 Stratford Festivals respectively, Flora in The Turn of the Screw with the NACO, Papagena in The Magic Flute at Festival Canada (Ottawa) in 1975, and the title role in Lakmé with Stuart Hamilton's Opera in Concert in 1985. She sang with the TS on many occasions (eg, in the Canadian premiere of Mahler's Symphony No. 8 in 1983), and also with other orchestras throughout Canada, and performed in recital, as a founding member of the Arioso Trio, as a member of Camerata, with whom she recorded, and with the Aldeburgh Connection. Fallis appeared regularly at summer festivals. She sang in the first complete performance (1978) and on the recording of Schafer's Loving; and in 1982, accompanied by Monica Gaylord, she recorded Weinzweig's Private Collection for Centrediscs (CMC CD-0582). In addition to broadcasts on CBC radio, Fallis hosted the CBC TV series 'Showcase' 1988-9.


	Keywords

	Sopranos
	Teachers/Educators

At the request of Elyakim Taussig, Fallis (assisted by actor Heath Lamberts) created Primadonna, a one-woman concert theatre piece for the 1981 Stratford Summer Music. The success of this comic view of a singer's world, which garnered an ACTRA award, gave a new direction to her career. With Duncan McIntosh she next developed Emma, Queen of Song, based on Albani's career, for the 1984 Shaw Festival (where her accompanist was Carl Morey). She and McIntosh then wrote The Mrs. Bach Show, first presented at the 1985 Edmonton TriBach Festival. She toured in the USA and throughout Canada performing Primadonna and The Mrs. Bach Show in locations as diverse as Vancouver's Expo 86, Roy Thomson Hall, Whitehorse, the federal penitentiary for women in Kingston, Ont, and New York's Radio City Music Hall. In 1989 she was invited to present her shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (with Bruce Ubukata as accompanist), and in 1990 she returned to Great Britain for a three-month tour that included a second engagement in Edinburgh and performances at the Wexford Opera Festival, the Belfast International Festival, and at the Fortune Theatre for the Covent Garden International Festival. In 1991 she created The Madcap Adventures of Fräulein Mozart (Ms Mozart) for Toronto's Glory of Mozart festival. She also developed recital programs based on the CMHS publications that indulged her interest in Canadian musical Victoriana.

She was co-owner of Opening Day Records. The 1997 CD Primadonna on a Moose (ODR 9310), featuring Canadian popular songs 1840-1930, was the singer's first solo recording. While frequently appearing in revivals of her comedic shows, Fallis also maintained a profile as a serious singer, with engagements including Bach's Magnificat with Tafelmusik, and as Polly Peachum in The Beggar's Opera in Edmonton. Later comic creations included Primadonna's First Farewell Tour, and for the Stratford Festival's 50th anniversary in 2002, Primadonna Does Shakespeare. Fallis's comedic ability led to her being called the successor to Anna Russell.

Fallis taught privately and at York University, 1972-3, at the RHCM 1973-4, at Queen's University 1978-80, and at the University of Western Ontario beginning in 1998. For her service on arts committees, she received the Toronto Arts and Letters Club Award in 1996. She was married to the double-bassist Peter Madgett.