The Opera House in Orangeville is full of students waiting for Mark DuBois to tell them why they should like opera.

The lights go out and a spotlight brings Mr. DuBois on to the stage. The students all clap, politely.

Mr. DuBois takes his bow just as politely and then says: “Thank you but – I’m going to go off the stage and come back on, and you are going to applaud as though I’m the biggest rock star in the world.

Exit Mr. DuBois and reenter with sunglasses and attitude. The students give him his rock-star greeting – shouting and whistling, clapping thunderously. He accepts it with comedy and settles them down.

“Why did you do that? Because I’ve sung all over the world and I’m a famous opera star.” He tells them: “I’m going to sing you an aria that is 500 years old.”

So, he sings from Handel’s opera Atalanta, starting so soft and sweetly rising to full operatic voice, holding his notes so long the students are beginning to wonder at such a song.

For many of them, it is the first time they have ever heard such singing. And at the end of it, they give him more thunderous applause, suddenly impressed and surprised at how much they liked it.

“I explain the story to them,” he said. “What was it all about? Love, they tell me. Yes, love, but I’m a king and kings at the time aren’t allowed to express themselves. I’m standing out in the forest, singing to a tree.”

What was theatre 500 years ago? Mr. DuBois strikes an exaggerated pose and asks them to him what he is suggesting. Love! they declare. Another pose: you’re gonna kill him! they shout.

“They didn’t used to say ‘I love you’ on the stage in those days,” he tells them, “so, they had to show their feelings with acting.”

Then, his soprano, lovely Donna Bennett, comes in and she is fantastic in a beautiful gown, all grace and elegance. She and Mr. DuBois do a duet in which she begins by snubbing him until he finally woos her into “falling on love with him.”

At the end, he asks the students: “When did she finally come to me?” and they shout their suggestions: “when you gave a glass of wine.” “when she let you hold her hand.”

“Later in the centuries, there was always someone dying,” he explains and asks, “Why is that?”

They know or can guess the answer; “There was no good medicine.”

In truth, in the days of the great operas, there was no composer, lyricist or actor who was not touched by losing a child or lover to consumption and the other terrible diseases of the day.

“That’s when things became real on the stage,” he said. “I introduce the tragedy but then the fun parts – the dancing, the flirting – children get all that now.”

He asks them; “How many of you have seen The Little Mermaid, Lion King, Phantom, ‘Les Mis’ – or Sound of Music?”

They tell him they have, they know these familiar musicals.

And he tells them: “Is there a difference? No, these are all based on operas. Opera is the beginning of what there is now. It is the art form that includes everything – dancing, singing and acting; love, tragedy, comedy.”

And he sings more songs, makes them laugh. Enter his Mezzo-soprano, the vivacious Giselle Fredette, who flirts with the boys as she brings her songs into the audience, making them laugh and blush.

Said Mr. DuBois, “I’ve been bringing capsule versions of operas into schools since I was 19, showing them the difference between tragedy and ‘buffo’- or comedy – so they understand that what’s happening on stage today is still born of opera.

“I used to tour with the Canadian Opera Company with capsule versions of operas. We did everything from church basements to arts centres and opera houses, like the one here in Orangeville – Orillia, Gravenhurst, many places. We did Carmen, Cinderella, Magic Flute, Barber of Seville, La Boehme.”

Mr. DuBois’ first role was a bit part in Carmen, performed in Thunder Bay when he was 19. He has been going back to Thunder Bay on a fairly regular basis ever since and this year, too, he will being going there to present his solo show. He has sung this show all over Canada, including Massey Hall in Toronto.

In a life-long campaign to bring opera into the lives of people who would not normally go to a fullblown three hour production, in which he has also performed many times, Mr. DuBois scripted the original “Opera in Concert”. It works like this:

The orchestra sits at the back of the stage. Near centre stage are a comfortable couch and a small table, with perhaps a glass of wine on it. A wellknown personality comes on stage, in a smoking robe, carrying a large book – the very picture of relaxed comfort.

He says to the audience, “I’d like to tell you the story of La Traviota.” He begins to tell the tale to the point where the light goes off him and on two singers – Mr. DuBois and his leading lady.

They sing their portion of the story and so it goes between the narrator and the actors.

It is a charming way to introduce what is wonderful about opera to those who might not otherwise seek it out.

He reminisced: “There used to be grand opera presentations. They would build whole castles on the stage and the costumes were fantastic. Nowadays, they use technology – the lighting designer makes it look as though there is a castle.”

He reflected about the reasons for the state of modern opera, generally acknowledged to be the most expensive art form in the world.

“All the wars we’ve had over the last 200 years are to blame,” said Mr. DuBois. “Then, the first world war, then the depression, then the second – now we’re always at war – they deprive the arts of funding,” he theorised. “Yet the country most immersed in war, the United States, has a huge arts life – the opera is still very strong there.

“Only now, after 50 years, do we have an opera house in Toronto,” he remarked.

“The real message in all of this is that if you can turn a kid on to a classical performance of any kind, he might later want to go to a symphony, opera, operetta. I defy any kid not to be thrilled by William Tell’s Overture, played in a live concert.

“We can’t continue to go on without the classical entertainment – it is the basis for our culture. Canada is such a frugal nation where the arts are concerned but music is the international language,” he said.

“I’ve always tried to make that difference – to bring the classics to everyone. The kids in my studio sing grand opera – and everything else – not because I force it on them, but because they love it.”