Calgary 
An unusual opera performance is set to take audiences beneath the surface of the Rockies later this month. Cave of Dreams, an immersive production combining choral music, puppetry, and live percussion, will take place inside Rat’s Nest Cave near Canmore.
Credit: Canmore Cave Tours
The project is a collaboration between the Festival of Animated Objects, the Canadian Academy of Mask and Puppetry, and Canmore Cave Tours. The event will feature original compositions by Cassandra J. Dueck, with choral direction also led by Dueck. Performers include Jessica Sick, Maddie Aldridge, James Mills, and Chris Dueck.
Puppetry design and direction is being led by David Lane and Randi Edmundson, with Kit Benz joining the performance team. Dramaturgical guidance has been provided by Bruce Barton, while Peter Balkwill and Jean-Louis Bleau serve as producers.
Audiences will first meet at the Canmore Cave Tours office before travelling to the cave site. After a 30–40 minute hike up a moderately steep trail, groups will enter the cave outfitted in caving equipment supplied by organizers. The underground portion of the experience will last about three hours, with the cave temperature holding steady at 5°C. Participants are advised to bring warm clothing layers.
Two showings are scheduled for September 28. A morning performance will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., followed by an afternoon slot from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Rat’s Nest Cave, the setting for the production, is a natural site of geological and cultural significance. The limestone cave system extends over four kilometres and contains formations such as stalactites and stalagmites, along with fossils of marine life dating back nearly 350 million years. Archaeological evidence, including tools and pictographs, indicates that the cave was used by humans approximately 3,000 years ago.
The organizers describe Cave of Dreams as both a performance and an exploration, requiring audiences to hike, crawl, and climb through the natural cave environment to reach the performance space.
Cave of Dreams
Canmore Cave Tours
What: Cave of Dreams is a reflective ode to the other side; featuring stirring choral arrangements, luminous puppetry and hand drum accompaniment. Experience the acoustics of a real, undeveloped natural cave. This is not your typical opera event – you’ll be dressed head-to-toe in high-quality caving equipment and teamed up with the experienced guides at Canmore Cave Tours to walk, shimmy and crawl into the depths of the earth to reach your performance venue.
When:
Sunday, September 28, 2025
First Showing: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (approx)
Second Showing: 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM (approx)
How Much: $175 + GST
Where: Canmore Cave Tours, 129 Bow Meadows Crescent, Unit 202, Canmore
